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
Morgantown Marathon intermediate 26.2 miles. The final mile is among the steepest sections of the course, rising from the downtown area adjacent to the Monongahela River to finish line at the WVU Coliseum. The Morgantown Marathon's tagline is "26.2 Almost Heavenly Miles." This motto comes from the song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver where the state is referred to as "almost heaven." Key: Morgantown Marathon The Morgantown Marathon is a 42.195 km (26.2 mi) race run through the seven wards of Morgantown, West Virginia. Its inaugural run was held in 2015. An official time from the Morgantown Marathon can