Lauren HollandBy Lauren Holland

Updated November 2026

The first marathon is traditionally dated to 490 BC, when a messenger ran from the plain of Marathon to Athens to announce a Greek victory over the Persians. The modern marathon was not formally created until 1896, when the first Olympic Games of the modern era included a race of roughly 40 kilometers. So when was the first marathon? The legend points to 490 BC, while the first organized race at the modern distance came over two thousand years later.

Why the Answer Is 490 BC

The story behind the first marathon comes from the Battle of Marathon, fought in 490 BC between Athens and the Persian Empire. According to later accounts, the Athenian army won on the plain of Marathon and a runner was sent to Athens, about 40 kilometers away, to share the news. The ancient writer Plutarch, and later retellings, credit the runner with delivering the message and then collapsing. Many historians treat the details as embellished, but the battle itself is well documented, and the 490 BC date is the anchor for the whole tradition.

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If you want the figure-by-figure version of this story, our guide to Who Ran the First Marathon? The 490 BC Story Explained walks through the sources in order.

The Factors Behind the Legend

Several factors shape how people answer the question, and they explain why the date sometimes seems fuzzy.

  • Ancient sources differ. Herodotus describes a runner named Pheidippides who ran from Athens to Sparta before the battle, a trip of roughly 240 kilometers. Plutarch later attached the Marathon run to the story. The two accounts are not identical.
  • The distance was not standardized. The ancient run was not a race and had no fixed length. The 42.195 km distance was set much later.
  • The modern race was a revival. The 1896 Athens Olympics used a route from Marathon to the Panathenaic Stadium, inspired by the legend. Organizers wanted a link to ancient Greece.
  • The distance changed in 1908. The London Olympic marathon was extended to 26 miles 385 yards so the finish could sit in front of the royal box. That became the official standard in 1921.

For readers interested in how the modern race developed, our article on How Fast Was the First Marathon? The 490 BC Story and Modern Times compares the ancient legend with the speeds of today’s runners.

How to Look at the Date Yourself

If you are writing a report, preparing a talk, or just settling a debate, you can check the claim with a few steps.

  1. Start with the Battle of Marathon, which is well attested in ancient historical sources.
  2. Read Herodotus directly, then Plutarch, and note where they agree and where they differ.
  3. Separate the 490 BC event from the modern 1896 race, since the two are often merged in casual retellings.
  4. Check the modern distance history separately, including the 1908 London change and the 1921 standardization.
  5. When citing the date, say “traditionally 490 BC” to reflect the uncertainty in the sources.

Common Mistakes When Answering This Question

  • Saying the first marathon was in 1896. That is the first modern Olympic marathon, not the origin of the running tradition.
  • Treating the 40 km ancient distance as fact. Modern distance figures came later.
  • Assuming the runner died immediately after the message. That detail comes from later storytelling.

Who ran the first marathon?

The runner is traditionally named Pheidippides, though some later accounts leave him unnamed. His exact role is debated, and historians rely on ancient texts that were written after the events.

How long was the first marathon?

The original run from Marathon to Athens is commonly estimated at about 40 kilometers. The modern standard of 42.195 km was set in 1921.

When was the first women’s marathon?

Women were long excluded from official races. Kathrine Switzer ran the Boston Marathon in 1967 under a registration that hid her gender, and women’s marathons were added to the Olympics in 1984. Our piece on Who Was the First Woman to Run a Marathon? Kathrine Switzer's 1967 Race covers that story.

When did the modern marathon begin?

The modern marathon began with the first Olympic Games of the modern era in Athens in 1896, which included a race from Marathon to the city.

Is the 490 BC story true?

The Battle of Marathon is historically recorded, but the details of the messenger run come from later sources and may be embellished. Treat it as a well-loved tradition built on a real event.

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Lauren Holland

About Lauren Holland

Lauren Holland is part of our editorial team and reviews and edits our marathon & half-marathon guides, checking product details against manufacturer specifications and owner feedback.