26.2 miles — Boston, London, and Olympic searches. This page has 100 important questions and answers.
A marathon is 42.195 km (26 miles 385 yards). City majors (Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, Tokyo, and others in the Abbott Wanda Majors series) are mass races plus elites. The Olympic marathon is a championship race on a Games course.
A half marathon is 21.0975 km. “Ultra” means longer than a marathon. Records on aided downhill or pacemaker-heavy courses have extra labels — World Athletics explains which marks count.
100 important questions. Quick 10 is a random set; Full set plays every question.
Your score
100 questions and answers
Each item is a 4-option MCQ. Open a question, tap A–D. Green is correct, red is wrong. Original explainers — not copied match reports.
1. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 27) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
2. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 28) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
3. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 29) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
4. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 30) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
5. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 31) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
6. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 32) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
7. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 33) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
8. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 34) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
9. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 35) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
10. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 36) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
11. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 37) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
12. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 38) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
13. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 39) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
14. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 40) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
15. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 41) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
16. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 42) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
17. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 43) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
18. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 44) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
19. A marathon distance is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) 42.195 km
26.2 miles in imperial talk.
20. A half marathon is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) half that distance (21.0975 km)
Many first-timers start here.
21. The Olympic marathon is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) a championship race at the Games
Courses differ every host city.
22. Elite city marathons often use
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) pacemakers for record attempts
Championship races are usually tactical, not time-trials.
23. Boston is famous for
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) a major marathon with a downhill stretch and strict qualifying
BQ times are a whole search category.
24. A personal best (PB) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) your fastest official time at that distance
Net time vs gun time matters in mass races.
25. An ultra-marathon is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) longer than 42.195 km
50 km and 100 km are common.
26. The marathon is not
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) a sprint 100 m
Sprints and marathons share a stadium only at the Games festival, not the distance.
27. Abbott Wanda Majors include
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) city races such as London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, Tokyo, and Boston
The series list can add or brand events.
28. Gun time is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) from the starter to the finish for that wave
Elites start at the front.
29. Net time is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) from when you cross the start mat to the finish mat
Mass races publish both.
30. A downhill or aided course can
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) carry a label that blocks some records
World Athletics explains which marks count.
31. Drink stations are
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) official fluid points on the course
Elites grab their own bottles.
32. Championship marathons are often
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) slower and more tactical than paced city records
Sit and kick is a tactic.
33. A Boston Qualifier (BQ) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) a time standard to enter Boston, not an Olympic gold
Standards move; check the BAA.
34. Wheelchair marathon racing is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) a separate elite category at many majors
It has its own records and rules.
35. The Olympic marathon course is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) set by the host, measured to the standard distance
Hills and weather become the story.
36. A DNF means
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) did not finish
Dropping out is allowed; the result is DNF.
37. The marathon is an
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) Olympic athletics road event
It sits on the WA/IOC programme.
38. Berlin is famous among majors for
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) a fast, flat record-friendly course in many years
Records still need WA conditions.
39. Pacing even splits means
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) similar times each 5 km or 10 km
Positive splits fade late.
40. The distance 26 miles 385 yards is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the imperial way to say 42.195 km
The yards are the famous extra.
41. A city major is not
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) the World Athletics Championships marathon by itself
Worlds are a title meet.
42. Age-group awards are
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) masters or category prizes in mass races
Elites have a separate pot.
43. Chip timing uses
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) mats and a transponder, not a photo-finish torso for the mass field
Elites still get a finish-line camera too.
44. Women's and men's marathons are
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) separate races or waves with separate records
Programmes differ by host.
45. A personal worst is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) not a standard stat people chase
PB is the one on the fridge.
46. Course measurement must be
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) accurate to WA/AIMS standards for records
The Jones counter is folklore.
47. The marathon is not decided by
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) a photo-finish torso rule as in the 100 m as the main story
Minutes separate people, not thousandths.
48. London Marathon is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) a major city race, not the Premier League
It sits in the Majors set.
49. Hitting the wall is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) jargon for a late glycogen crash, not a Law
Nutrition is the usual tip.
50. A world record marathon must
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) meet WA course and doping rules
Aided labels exist.
51. The Olympic marathon is not
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) a Diamond League track 5000 m
Different event, different tactics.
52. Start corrals exist so
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) mass fields go off in waves
Your gun time depends on the wave.
53. Tokyo is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) one of the Abbott Wanda Major cities in the modern set
Confirm the current series list.
54. A 50 km race is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) an ultra relative to the marathon
It is longer than 42.195 km.
55. Men's and women's world records are
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) separate lists
WA publishes both.
56. The marathon distance became standard after
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) a 20th-century Olympic story, not a T20 rule
42.195 km is now the definition.
57. Pacemakers in a city race
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) drop out when their job ends; they are not the champion
The winner is who finishes first among those racing the title.
58. Who measures a record-legal marathon?
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) certified course measurers under WA/AIMS rules
The certificate is part of ratification.
59. Marathon extra 1: 26.2 miles equals
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) 42.195 kilometres
That is the standard marathon.
60. Marathon extra 2: A half marathon is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) 21.0975 km
Not “almost a marathon.”
61. Marathon extra 3: Boston’s hills include
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) Heartbreak Hill in the Newton stretch
Qualifying times are a separate cult.
62. Marathon extra 4: An elite marathon often uses
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) pacemakers for part of the race
They usually step off before the end.
63. Marathon extra 5: Aided downhill or unusual courses
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) can get a record label that is not a standard WR
World Athletics explains the tags.
64. Marathon extra 6: The Olympic marathon is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) a road race on a city course, not 26 laps of a track 400 m only
Men and women have separate races.
65. Marathon extra 7: A DNF means
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) did not finish
Drop out, get help, do not be a hero in the heat.
66. Marathon extra 8: Gel stations and water
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) are part of championship and major-race logistics
Hit them or cramp.
67. Marathon extra 9: A negative split is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) running the second half faster than the first
Even pacing is the textbook.
68. Marathon extra 10: The marathon is not
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) an ultra by definition — ultras are longer
Comrades is another beast.
69. Marathon extra 11: Wheelchair marathon fields
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) have their own races and records at many majors
Do not mix the lists.
70. Marathon extra 12: A Boston qualifier (BQ) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) a time standard for that age group, not an automatic start ticket every year
Fields fill from the fastest down.
71. Marathon extra 13: London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, Tokyo, Boston are
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the World Marathon Majors people search
Six stars on a medal story.
72. Marathon extra 14: Heat and humidity
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) slow times and raise medical risk
Dawn starts exist for a reason.
73. Marathon extra 15: The marathon is not
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) the 10,000 m on the track
Track 10k is 25 laps.
74. Marathon extra 16: Chip time vs gun time
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) is start-line delay vs the starter’s pistol
Elites use gun; masses brag chip.
75. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 1) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
76. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 2) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
77. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 3) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
78. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 4) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
79. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 5) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
80. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 6) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
81. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 7) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
82. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 8) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
83. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 9) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
84. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 10) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
85. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 11) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
86. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 12) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
87. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 13) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
88. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 14) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
89. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 15) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
90. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 16) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
91. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 17) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
92. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 18) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
93. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 19) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
94. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 20) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
95. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 21) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: D) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
96. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 22) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
97. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 23) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
98. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 24) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: B) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
99. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 25) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: A) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
100. The official source for “marathon explained” (games desk, item 26) is
Tap A, B, C or D.
Answer: C) the authority or standard named on this page’s explainer
GKSchools English practice is original — not an official script.
