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
Monumental Marathon Just over 1,100 runners completed the inaugural running of the race, while almost 2,000 completed the race the following year. The Monumental Half Marathon is run concurrently to the full marathon. The two races follow identical routes for the first six or so miles, split, then re-converge for the last three miles of the course. Nearly 3,000 runners completed the half marathon in 2009. Beginning in 2010, a 5k race was offered as well. "A beautiful place to set your pace" is the tagline of the Monumental Marathon. The course for the Monumental Marathon begins and ends near the Indiana