The longest and more important race in the Olympic Games is the Marathon.The athletes have to complete a distance of 42.195 km (26 miles and 385 yards) and is usually a road race.
This race is held in commemoration of the distance that a Greek messenger had to run in the year 490 BC. He was bringing the news of the victory over Persian invaders, from the town of Marathon to Athens and when he arrived he passed away.
The kenyan athlete Patrick Makau has the world record of Marathon running the distance in 2:03:38 in September 25 2011.