Summer Olympic Games 1906 Athens games were the first of an alternating series of games to be held in Athens, but the series failed to materialise. The games were more successful than the 1900 and 1904 games, with over 900 athletes competing, and contributed positively to the success of future games. The 1908 London Games saw numbers rise again, as well as the first running of the marathon over its now-standard distance of 42.195 km (26 miles 385 yards). The first Olympic Marathon in 1896 (a male-only race) was raced at a distance of 40 km (24 miles 85 yards). The new marathon
Hansons-Brooks Distance Project Hansons-Brooks Distance Project The Hansons-Brooks Distance project is an Olympic development program for post-collegiate distance runners. It has produced a number of notable professional runners. It is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The project's first Olympian was Brian Sell at the 2008 Beijing Olympiad. The most recent success is that of Desiree Davila who finished second in the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, TX, January 14, 2012. In August 2016, Davila placed 7th in the Olympic Marathon in Rio de Janeiro. On April 16, 2018, Desiree Linden was the first American woman in 33 years to win the Boston