July 24, 1908 –
Sometimes, it’s good to be the king – you get to decide the length of the Olympic marathon.
When the modern Olympics began in Athens in 1896, a race of 40 kilometers (24.85 miles) was held to commemorate the legend of Pheidippides. He’s the guy who ran from Marathon to Athens, cried “Nike!” (victory), realized he’d forgotten to sign the endorsement contract, and promptly died.
For the 1908 London Olympics, held on this date, the marathon was extended to 26 miles so that the Princess of Wales (the future Queen Mary, grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II) and her children (King Edward VII’s grandchildren) could watch the start of the race. Queen Alexandra wanted to see the finish from the royal box. To accommodate both, organizers mapped a course of 26 miles and 385 yards: from Windsor Castle to the royal entrance of White City Stadium, ending with a lap of the track and a finish in front of the royal box.
The race had a thrilling conclusion. Italian runner Dorando Pietri entered the stadium first – but he was exhausted and delirious. He turned the wrong way on the track, reversed course, and stumbled five times in the final quarter-mile, according to news accounts. Race officials helped him to his feet, jeopardizing his gold medal. But as the official Olympic report noted, “It was impossible to leave him there, for it looked as if he might die in the very presence of the Queen.”
Pietri reached the tape first, collapsed, and was carried out on a stretcher. American runner John Hayes arrived second. The U.S. team protested the aid given to Pietri, and Hayes was declared the winner. Though disqualified, Pietri became an international hero. Queen Alexandra presented him with a silver cup. He inspired a marathon craze around the world. Irving Berlin even wrote a song about him. And in 1921, the official marathon distance was formally set at 26 miles and 385 yards.
So now you know
The Haus of Dcaligari 