Marathon

Officially Marathon (42.195 km road race)

The classic 42.195-kilometre road race — the Olympic long-distance running event and the flagship event of every big-city runner festival.

📐road course⏱~240 min🌤outdoor

What is Marathon?

The marathon is a long-distance road-running event of 42.195 km (26 miles 385 yards). It commemorates the legendary run of a Greek soldier from the Battle of Marathon to Athens in 490 BCE and was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Today the marathon is contested at the Olympics, at World Athletics Championships, and at six annual World Marathon Majors (Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, Tokyo) plus hundreds of city marathons. Elite men run under 2:02 and elite women under 2:11 on record-eligible courses; participation-level runners typically finish in 3-6 hours. Marathon running also drives huge amateur participation — the New York City Marathon regularly has more than 50,000 finishers.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Complete the 42.195 km course in the fastest possible time.

Match structure

Runners assemble in start corrals ordered by projected finish time. On the gun, elites and preferred entries start first; slower waves follow. Runners cover the certified course, timing chips record splits at 5 km intervals, and finishing time is recorded to 0.1 s. Prize money and world-record ratification depend on the course meeting World Athletics rules (no more than 42 m elevation drop end-to-end and no more than 1 m/km net drop).

Rules

Basic rules

Course completion
Runners must complete the full certified 42.195 km course, following the marked route.
Aid stations
Water and sports drink are provided at regular intervals (usually every 5 km); runners may accept fluids only within designated zones.
No pace-setters for records after 30 km (mixed field)
Since 2018, women's records set in mixed-gender races require women-only pacing after certain distances.
Cut-off times
Most marathons have a course sweep time (typically 6-7 hours); runners not maintaining a minimum pace are asked to move to the sidewalk.
Drop-out (DNF)
Any runner may withdraw voluntarily; medical staff can require withdrawal for safety reasons.
No performance-enhancing drugs
Runners are subject to WADA anti-doping controls before and after the race.

Advanced rules

Record-eligible courses
Loop or out-and-back courses; net elevation drop ≤ 1 m/km and start-to-finish separation ≤ 50% of race distance for world records.
Wave starts
Big-city marathons use wave starts to reduce course congestion; official time is net time between chip-crossings.
Elite fields
Championship marathons (Olympic, Worlds) use qualifying standards and national team selection.
Pacemakers
In record-attempt races, professional pacemakers set an even pace for the first 25-32 km and drop out.
Wheelchair division
Wheelchair racers start in a separate wave and complete the same course on hand-cycled racers.

Scoring

Ranked by finishing time; fastest wins.

Action	Points
Cross the finish line	time recorded
Championship / prize	podium finish

Win condition · Fastest legal finish time on a certified course.

Playing area

Called

road course

Dimensions

42.195 km (26 miles 385 yards) point-to-point or loop course on paved roads.

City streets or country roads; a certified course meets specific measurement (Jones Counter) and elevation-drop criteria. Aid stations every 5 km supply water and sports drink.

Equipment

Running shoes
Cushioned or carbon-plated racing shoes — carbon plates boosted world records after 2016.
Racing singlet & shorts
Lightweight breathable clothing; team kit at championships.
GPS watch
Personal pace and distance tracker (optional in racing).
Bib with timing chip
Race number carrying an RFID chip for personal timing.
Nutrition / hydration
Sports gels, energy chews, hydration belts — carried or picked up at aid stations.

Officiating

Marshals police the course, direct runners at turns and prevent shortcut cheating. Timing is fully automated with RFID chips at start, mile splits and finish.

Race director
Chief timekeeper (chip system + backup gun)
Course marshals
Medical staff
Anti-doping officers

Strategies

Even pacing
Splits within 30-60 seconds either side of average — the physiological optimum.
Negative split
Second half faster than the first; achievable with disciplined early conservation.
Fuelling window
Carbohydrate intake of 60-90 g/hour to sustain glycogen; start early (first 30 min) before thirst.
Draft in packs
Sit in a group to reduce aerodynamic effort in wind, especially in professional pace-line racing.

Terminology

PB / PR: Personal best / personal record — a runner's fastest marathon time.
BQ: Boston qualifying time — age-graded qualifying standard for the Boston Marathon.
Split: Time to reach a specific distance milestone (e.g., 21.1 km half-marathon split).
Wall / bonk: Sudden depletion of glycogen around 30-32 km, causing severe fatigue.
Taper: Reduced training load in the 2-3 weeks before race day.
LSR / LSD: Long slow run — the weekly build-up run at aerobic pace, typically 32-38 km peaked.
Tempo run: Sustained run at lactate-threshold pace — the marathon-specific interval.
Kick: Final sprint in the last 400 m of a race.
Carbo-loading: Increased carbohydrate intake for 3 days before the race to maximise muscle glycogen.
Wave start: Runners begin in staggered groups to prevent course congestion.

Major competitions

Summer Olympic Games — Marathon
quadrennial · worldwide · since 1896
World Athletics Championships — Marathon
biennial · worldwide · since 1983
Abbott World Marathon Majors
annual · Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, NYC, Tokyo, Sydney (from 2025) · since 2006
Comrades Marathon (ultra)
annual · South Africa · since 1921
Not technically a marathon (89 km) — famous companion ultra race.

Where it is played

Governing bodies

World Athletics
Founded 1912 · Monaco
Official site ↗
Association of International Marathons and Distance RacesAIMS
Founded 1982 · Athens, Greece
Official site ↗
World Marathon Majors
Founded 2006 · New York, USA
Official site ↗

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Eliud Kipchoge
Kelvin Kiptum
Brigid Kosgei
Tigst Assefa
Kenenisa Bekele
Ruth Chepngetich
Paula Radcliffe
Haile Gebrselassie
Mary Keitany
Sifan Hassan

Records

Men's world record
Kelvin Kiptum (Kenya) — 2:00:35 (Chicago 2023) (2023)
Women's world record
Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya) — 2:09:56 (Chicago 2024) (2024)
Sub-2 hour (unofficial)
Eliud Kipchoge — 1:59:40 (INEOS 1:59 Challenge, Vienna) (2019)
Most Olympic marathon golds
Abebe Bikila / Waldemar Cierpinski / Eliud Kipchoge — 2 each (2020)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Build a base
Consistently run 25-30 km/week (5-6 km × 4-5 days) for 8 weeks before starting a marathon plan.
2
Choose a 16-20 week plan
First-time marathoners typically follow Hal Higdon Novice or Jeff Galloway plans.
3
Nutrition & hydration
Practise mid-run fuelling with gels and sports drink during long runs.
4
Race day logistics
Learn the course, tape or gel-lube any hotspots, and race in tested shoes and kit.

intermediate

1
Add speed work
Weekly tempo runs and 800 m or 1000 m intervals at 5 km pace.
2
Improve running economy
Strides, hill sprints and strength training 2× per week.
3
Target a time goal
Use a McMillan or VDOT calculator to set realistic marathon pace based on shorter-race results.
4
Practise race-pace long runs
Insert 15-30 km at goal marathon pace into peak long runs.

advanced

1
Periodisation
16-24 week cycle with hypertrophy, aerobic, threshold and race-specific phases.
2
Altitude and heat prep
Simulate race conditions with heat rooms or altitude tents.
3
Pacing team strategy
Coordinate with pace-setters at record-attempt races.

Frequently asked

Why is the marathon 42.195 km?+

Legend traces it to the run from Marathon to Athens (~40 km). At London 1908 the course was extended so the finish would be at the royal box, setting the length at 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 km) — standardised in 1921.

How long does a marathon take?+

Elite men run under 2 hours 5 minutes; recreational runners typically finish between 3½ and 5½ hours; walkers can take 6-7 hours.

What is 'the wall'?+

The point (typically 30-32 km) where muscle glycogen depletes and the body switches to slower fat-based fuelling, causing a sudden dramatic slowdown.

What is the World Marathon Majors?+

A series of six (soon seven) major-city marathons: Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, Tokyo, and Sydney from 2025 — winners are crowned annually across the series.

Are carbon-plated shoes legal?+

Yes, but World Athletics limits stack height to 40 mm for road racing shoes and one carbon plate; released for public sale before world-record use.

Sources & provenance

Wikipedia — Marathon— Wikipedia
World Athletics — Road Running Rules— World Athletics
Abbott World Marathon Majors— WMM

Last verified 2026-08-24.community