Marathon world record progression races were first held in 1896, but the distance was not standardized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) until 1921. The actual distance for pre-1921 races frequently varied slightly from the present figure of 42.195 km (26 miles 385 yards). In qualifying races for the 1896 Summer Olympics, Greek runners Charilaos Vasilakos (3:18:00) and Ioannis Lavrentis (3:11:27) won the first two modern marathons. On April 10, 1896, Spiridon Louis of Greece won the first Olympic marathon in Athens, Greece in a time of 2:58:50; however, the distance for the event was reported to be only 40,000 meters. Three
Hansons-Brooks Distance Project Marathon, with a time of 2:39:54. 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