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
Nanette: An Aside Singer's Romance", though with a different stance. It was the first instance of the opera singer in her fiction. It was also partly based on Cather's life, as she had just written a letter to a friend about how marriage would force her to relinquish her art. Nanette: An Aside "Nanette: An Aside" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in "Courier" on 31 July 1897 and one month later in "Home Monthly". As they are soon to leave America, Nanette tells Madame Traduttori she does not want to leave because she has fallen in love