Before 1908, marathon distances were purely arbitrary, usually hovering around 25 miles based on local geography. When London hosted the IV Olympiad in 1908, officials initially planned a neat 26-mile route from Windsor Castle to the newly constructed White City Stadium. However, British royalty had a few custom requests that forever changed athletic history.
Princess Mary wanted her children to watch the start of the race without leaving the comfort of Windsor Castle, so the starting line was moved directly beneath the windows of the Royal Nursery on the castle's East Lawn. Then, Queen Alexandra requested that the race finish right in front of the Royal Box inside the stadium. To accommodate both royal vantage points, organizers tacked on an extra 385 yards, bringing the total distance to exactly 26 miles and 385 yards (42.
195 kilometers). The race itself was a chaotic masterpiece, featuring leader Dorando Pietri collapsing near the finish line and being helped across by sympathetic officials, which led to his disqualification and gifted American Johnny Hayes the gold. The drama and precise distance captured the world's imagination.
In 1921, the International Amateur Athletic Federation formally declared 26 miles and 385 yards as the official, standardized marathon distance worldwide, all because British royals wanted a good view from the nursery window.