Polytechnic Marathon the event, and the Polytechnic Marathon was born. The first Polytechnic Marathon was held on 8 May 1909. Henry Barrett won, followed by Fred Lord, and Harry Green. As with the Olympic race, the start was at Windsor Castle and the course was 26 miles, 385 yards; this distance was adopted as the international standard for marathons in 1924. (The older Boston Marathon, founded in 1897, adopted the distance in 1924, but was slightly short for the first three years and was shorter still from 1951 to 1956.) Over the years, the route of the Poly Marathon varied. From 1909
The Tyranny of Distance: How Distance Shaped Australia's History The Tyranny of Distance: How Distance Shaped Australia's History The Tyranny of Distance: How Distance Shaped Australia's History is a history book by Geoffrey Blainey. First published in 1966, the book examines how Australia's geographical remoteness, particularly from its colonizer Great Britain, has been central to shaping the country's history and identity and will continue to shape its future. The long distance between Australia and its colonial forebears in Europe, and also the United States, made Australians unsure of their future economic prosperity. The expression "the tyranny of distance" from the book's title has become common parlance in Australia. Although