Marathon facts for kids
A marathon is a long distance running sport event where an athlete must run 42.195 kilometres (26 miles and 385 yards). There are many marathons held all over the world each year. It is a very difficult event and runners are advised to run many miles before they compete. This event was named after a battle of the Greco-Persian wars.
The famous battle of Marathon was fought in 490 B.C. An army from Persia came to fight the army of Athens. The army from Athens was not expected to win, but they did. After the victory, they sent their best runner, a man named Pheidippides back to Athens to tell everyone the good news. He ran about 25 miles and died of exhaustion when he arrived.
In 1896 the first modern Olympics was held. There was a race called the Marathon there. It was only about 25 miles then.
Images for kids
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Competitors during the 2014 Orlen Warsaw Marathon
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Aerial view of runner in the Kigali International Peace Marathon in Rwanda, 2019
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Participant of the 2016 Boston Marathon, April 2016
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Samuel Wanjiru raises his hand in acknowledgment of the crowd as he runs to a gold medal in the 2008 Olympic marathon
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2007 Barcelona Marathon
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Start of the 2012 Helsinki City Marathon
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A pack of Wheelchair Division participants in the 2009 Boston Marathon
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Kevin Counihan (right), of the Achilles Track Club, with his guide, running the 2011 Boston Marathon. He completed his 150th marathon at Boston in April 2014.
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Start of the 2009 Stockholm Marathon
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MoonWalk is a nocturnal charity marathon to raise money for breast cancer research.
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A runner getting encouragement at Mile 25 of the Boston Marathon
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Opportunity's traverse in 2015 as it approached the Marathon Valley, and the traveled distance of a traditional marathon (about 42 kilometres (26 mi))
See also
In Spanish: Maratón para niños
