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
St. Michaels Half Marathon St. Michaels Half Marathon The St. Michaels Half Marathon is an annual half marathon road race. The race is competed at the amateur level. Although the event does not have a title sponsor, Nationwide is considered the primary sponsor. The race is organized by the St. Michaels Running Festival, which also hosts a 10000 and 5000 m. The Festival attracted over 1,500 runners in its opening year, and approximately 3,000 in its second edition. St. Michaels Half Marathon is a USATF certified course, measuring exactly 13.1 miles. The course is relatively flat, with grades varying between +4% to -4%, while