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Marathon
42.195 km
Official marathon distance. 42.195 km. 26 miles 385 yards.
Windsor Castle to the royal box at White City, 1908. Twenty-six miles and 385 yards. IAAF made that the world length in 1921. The integer kilometre is 42. The specification is 42.195.
What it supports
A dated, enforced length. 1896 Athens was about 40 km, in honour of a later legend. 1908 London started on the East Terrace at Windsor and finished 385 yards inside the stadium, in front of the royal box. 26 mi + 385 yd = 42.195 km. World Athletics still uses that number. 1920 Antwerp ran 42.75 km and is a near-miss, not this card.
What it does not
Not Pheidippides. Herodotus (6.105) has an Athenian courier run Athens to Sparta before the battle, about 240 km, and back. He does not send a man from Marathon to Athens with the victory. That ~40 km tale is later (Lucian). Ancient Olympic footraces were measured in stadia and were much shorter.195.
Calculation
26 miles 385 yards = 42.195 km. 1896 ≈ 40 km. Herodotus: Athens–Sparta ≈ 240 km.
1908 course, then 1921 IAAF rule. Antiquity is a different run.
ExactnessExact
Form42
Unitkm
Strengthhard
When1908 / 1921