Marathon Marathon The marathon is a long-distance race, completed by running, walking, or a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair divisions. The marathon has an official distance of 42.195 kilometres (26.219 miles; 26 miles 385 yards), usually run as a road race. The event was instituted in commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens, who reported the victory. The marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896, though the distance did not become standardized until 1921. More than 800 marathons are held throughout the world each
Mexico City Marathon Mexico City Marathon The Mexico City Marathon () is an annual road running event over the marathon distance which is held on the streets of Mexico City in late August or early September that in 2016 received IAAF Bronze Label Status. The race was established in 1983 at a time of growing interest in marathons in the country – the Independencia Marathon had been launched three years earlier and the Monterrey Marathon had been run over the full distance in 1982. The winner of the first women's race, María del Carmen Cárdenas, later became one of the first female Olympic