Question
How long is a marathon?

How long is a marathon?

Last updated: March 20, 2024

There's a good chance that within the last two weeks, you've personally uttered the phrase: "It's a marathon, not a sprint."

By which, naturally, you meant it's something that only 0.17% of the world's population accomplishes in any given year. So maybe there's a more apt comparison out there when you're just trying to convince a coworker to calm down.

With all the talk of muscle cramps, nipples bleeding, and the first person in recorded history to have run that far dying on the spot, it's no wonder that the marathon feels a bit out of reach for a lot of folks. I mean, it's a REALLY long way to run, walk, or really do anything else. Just how long is a marathon?

Click START to answer.

 

The answer is: 26.2 miles. Something about that .2 extra miles on top of the 26 just sounds cruel. So why this specific yet random distance? Well, as with most things, you can blame the Greeks and British. The legend is that Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens to deliver a message that they won the war, but that was 25 miles. In 1908 the big brains at the Olympics wanted the race to go from Windsor Castle and end at the stadium, which was 26.2 miles, and now we’re stuck with it. Source

Share This Trivia

Related Topics

Want More Nostalgia?

Check out our other quizzes and random trivia questions!