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
Marathon Stakes Marathon Stakes The Marathon Stakes, formerly known as the Breeders' Cup Marathon, is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race. It is open to horses three years old and up, and contested on dirt at a distance of miles. The race has a purse of US$200,000. The horses carry Set Weights with allowances. The race was originally established in 2008 as part of the annual Breeders' Cup World Championships with its inaugural running at a distance of miles. The inaugural running took place on the second day of the Breeders' Cup on the Pro-Ride synthetic dirt at the 2008 host