The marathon is a very long race. Today, runners cover a distance of 42 kilometres and 195 metres, which is more than four full hours of running for most people. The event is part of every modern Olympic Games and is also run in cities all over the world. Thousands of ordinary people train for months or years to finish one.
The race gets its name from the ancient Greek city of Marathon. According to legend, in 490 B.C.E., a Greek army defeated a much larger Persian army on a plain near this city. A Greek soldier named Pheidippides was asked to carry the news of the victory back to Athens, about 40 kilometres away. He ran the whole distance, shouted the good news to the leaders of the city and, according to the story, fell down and died.
In 1896, when the modern Olympic Games began in Athens, organizers wanted an event that recalled this famous run. The first Olympic marathon followed a similar route. The exact distance changed slightly for many years, but in 1921 it was fixed at the current length.
Many marathons now raise money for charity. A runner may collect money for every kilometre he or she runs, with the total going to a hospital, school or other organization.