How long is a marathon?
Quick answer
A standard marathon is exactly 42.195 kilometers (26.2 miles, or 26 miles 385 yards). The distance was fixed after the 1908 London Olympics, where the route ran from Windsor Castle to the royal box in the stadium, and became official in 1921.
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Why 42.195 km?
Early Olympic marathons were about 40 km, but the exact length varied. At the 1908 London Games, organizers set a course from Windsor Castle to the White City Stadium, finishing in front of the royal box. That made it 26 miles 385 yards, and this distance was officially adopted in 1921.
The Greek legend
The race is named after the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. Legend says a messenger named Pheidippides ran about 40 km from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over the Persians, then collapsed and died. Historians doubt parts of the story, but it inspired the first Olympic marathon at Athens 1896.
Running distances compared
| Race | Distance |
|---|---|
| 5K | 5 km (3.1 miles) |
| 10K | 10 km (6.2 miles) |
| Half marathon | 21.0975 km (13.1 miles) |
| Marathon | 42.195 km (26.2 miles) |
| Ultramarathon | Anything longer than a marathon |
How long does it take?
| Runner | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Elite men | Just over 2 hours |
| Elite women | About 2 hours 10–20 minutes |
| Average recreational runner | About 4–5 hours |
Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya set the men’s world record of 2:00:35 in Chicago in 2023. Eliud Kipchoge ran 1:59:40 in 2019 in a special event, but it didn’t count as an official record because of pacing rules.
The big six
The World Marathon Majors include Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York, with Sydney added in 2025. Boston, first run in 1897, is the world’s oldest annual marathon.
For more Olympic history, see who has the most Olympic gold medals. Want to convert other distances? Here’s how many ounces are in a cup for the kitchen.
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