Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon Alexandra the next day awarded him a gold or silver-gilt cup in recognition of his achievement. Pietri and Hayes both turned professional and there were several re-matches over the distance of 26 miles 385 yards. Many other marathons adopted that distance, including the important Polytechnic Marathon. The IAAF minutes are reportedly silent as to the reason the 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 km) was chosen in 1921, so any conclusion must be speculative, but regardless of any possible emotional attachment to the distance of the "race of the century", the London 1908 distance had established itself worldwide by that time.
Johnny Miles Running Event Johnny Miles Marathon in 2012. Johnny Miles Running Event The Johnny Miles Running Event is an annual set of road races held in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada. The event is held each year on the third Sunday of June. The Johnny Miles Marathon was founded in 1975 by local physician Dr. Johnny Miles Williston. Williston named the race after Johnny Miles, the legendary Nova Scotia marathoner for whom he was named. Williston served as co-director of the race until 2000. He died in December 2005. The "Johnny Walk," which is part of the event activities, is named for both