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It is because in ancient Greece, a messenger from Marathon, Greece, had to deliver a message to Athens, Greece, so he ran 26.2 miles to get there, then dropped dead before he could deliver the message to the king.
The original Marathon was during an ancient Greek war. A messenger delivered a message after running 26 miles, then died.
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Earn +20 ptsQ: Why is a marathon 26 miles long?
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