The one, the only, the London Marathon - or so we thought....

When London hosted the Olympic Games in 1908, the inaugural London Marathon was held. The athletes ran 26.2 miles, starting in the grounds of Windsor Castle, passing through Eton, Slough, Uxbridge, Ruislip, Pinner, Harrow, Wembley and Harlesden, before finishing in front of the royal box at White City Stadium.

A connection to the home of Monkey Sox.

The following year a Kingston-Upon-Thames based sports club Polytechnic Harriers (now Kingston AC & Polytechnic Harriers) hosted the first annual Polytechnic Marathon, often called the Poly. This was the first marathon to be routinely run over the 26.2 distance we know and love (although maybe ‘love’ isn’t the word to use when we reach mile 20). 

So why 26.2 miles?

The IOC (International Olympic Committee) had agreed for a 26 mile/40km route; originally drafted to finish in the White City stadium but was not confirmed. It was later decided that the race should finish in front of the stadium’s royal box but because the stadium’s main entrance was closed the athletes had to run counterclockwise, entering from the opposite side, resulting in an additional 0.2 miles. 

The 0.2miles extra stuck.

Following the 1908 Olympic marathon many other marathons adopted the 26.2 miles, including the annual runs of the Poly Marathon and more notably Boston Marathon. Boston began as a 24.5-mile race in 1897 but in 1924 eventually adopted the 1908 Summer Olympics standard, which was subsequently approved by the IAAF in 1921.

From 1908 to now.

The modern London marathon we know today was first officially run in 1981 and ran alongside the Poly Marathon for 15 years. The Poly gradually faded in popularity as the course found issues with traffic hindering the continuous flow of the course resulting in a decline in performances, while the first predecessor of the TCS London marathon gained popularity with its closed roads. The London marathon proved popular even with its first event as 6,747 runners out of 20,000 applicants were accepted to run the 1981 course. The popularity of the London marathon continues to grow with a world record number of ballots casted - 840, 318. 

From our point of view it’s pretty cool to say SW London, the home of Monkey Sox is also home to the birth of the iconic 26.2. 

London Socks.

If you are one of the lucky ones to have run the London marathon or are soon to run it then take a look at our London sock to commemorate your achievement!