Marathon, running event, traditionally the longest race (42 km, 195 m/26 mi, 385 yd) included in track and field competitions. It is the final event in the Summer Olympic Games. Marathons have become increasingly popular, and the largest marathons such as those held annually in London, Boston, Chicago, and New York may attract over 20,000 runners and hundreds of thousands of spectators. The distance was chosen to duplicate that of a run by a Greek soldier from the town of Marathon to Athens in 490 BC to bring the news of a Greek victory over the Persians. The Marathon-Athens distance is actually less than 40 km (25 mi); The modern distance was established in 1908 at the London Olympics and represents the distance from the royal castle at Windsor to the White City stadium in west London. From the revival of the Olympics in 1896 until 1984 only men ran the marathon at the Olympics. There are no men's and women's records for the event because each marathon course is different. The best men's times are under 2 hours and 6 minutes. Well-known runners include Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila, who won the Olympic marathon in 1960 and 1964, and East Germany's Waldemar Cierpinski, who took the Olympic gold medal in 1976 and 1980. The performances of Norway's Grete Waitz, particularly in the New York Marathon, helped boost the event's popularity among women beginning in the early 1980s. She won the New York Marathon nine times from 1978 to 1988 as well as winning the London Marathon twice. Ingrid Kristiansen, another Norwegian, won the London Marathon four times in the 1980s, and in 1985 did so with a winning time which was still the world record ten years later. Modern marathon races reflect the distance a soldier in ancient Greece covered in 490 BC when he carried the news of a Greek military victory from Marathon to Athens. The marathon is traditionally the final event at modern athletics competitions, including those at the Olympic Games. Annual marathons have gained in popularity, and races in major cities such as London, Boston, Los Angeles, and New York, above, attract thousands of runners. ... End ...