Marathon Memories

The Marathon distance (26.2 miles) is a weird one. Twenty-six miles is roughly the distance of a journey from Athens to Marathon and back. The marathon was a concept of Baron Pierre de Coubertin 'inventor' of the Modern Olympics. It was based on the story of a messenger running from Athens to Marathon. He then took news of Greek success in the naval battle there, back to the capital (before dying). The race was ran at the first Summer Olympics in Athens in 1896. In 1908, the Summer Olympics first came to London. 0.2 miles were added to the Marathon distance. This was so it finished in front of the stadium, where an aging Queen Victoria was sitting. I always get a bit nostalgic, when the London marathon is on TV (as today). I did my first marathon in Honolulu in 1986. After that highwater mark, several London marathons were completed, getting progressively slower. I did my first London in 1990 and my last in 2002. It's a long, long way (in terms of distance and time) but I always found the event life-affirming. The London marathon also generates masses of money for charities.