Marathon and running quiz questions: from ancient Greece to the finish line

With the London Marathon on April 26 and Boston a week earlier on April 20, spring is peak marathon season. Whether your quiz crowd are serious runners or just people who've watched the London Marathon on telly while eating toast, these ten questions cover the history, the records and the quirky details that make the marathon one of sport's great events.

The questions

1According to Greek legend, a messenger ran from which battlefield to Athens to announce a military victory, inspiring the modern marathon?

Answer:The Battle of Marathon (490 BC)(click to reveal)

The story goes that a messenger ran roughly 25 miles from the battlefield to Athens, announced "we have won," and then collapsed and died. The historical reality is murkier. Herodotus actually wrote about a runner called Pheidippides who ran from Athens to Sparta and back, a round trip of over 300 miles, to request military help before the battle. The Marathon-to-Athens run only appears in much later sources. Either way, the legend stuck, and it directly inspired the creation of the marathon race at the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.

2A marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards (42.195 km). The distance was set at the 1908 London Olympics so the race could start beneath the windows of which building?

Answer:Windsor Castle(click to reveal)

The story goes that the course was extended so the race could start on the East Lawn of the castle, beneath the royal nursery windows, so the royal children could watch. The finish was in front of the Royal Box at the White City Stadium. That oddly specific distance became the official standard in 1921, and it's been 26.2 miles ever since.

3Italian runner Dorando Pietri famously collapsed multiple times entering the stadium at the 1908 London Olympics marathon. He was helped across the finish line but then what happened?

Answer:He was disqualified(click to reveal)

Pietri staggered into the stadium in front of 100,000 spectators, collapsed five times, and was helped to his feet by officials who guided him across the line. He was disqualified for receiving assistance, and the gold medal went to American Johnny Hayes instead. Queen Alexandra was so moved by his effort that she presented him with a special gold cup at the medal ceremony.

4In 1967, Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to run which major marathon as an officially registered competitor, entering under the name "K.V. Switzer"?

Answer:The Boston Marathon(click to reveal)

Race director Jock Semple physically tried to drag her off the course, shouting "get the hell out of my race." Her boyfriend body-blocked Semple, and she finished in around 4 hours 20 minutes. The iconic photographs of the confrontation made international headlines. Women weren't officially allowed to enter the Boston Marathon until 1972, and the women's Olympic marathon didn't happen until 1984.

5How many races make up the Abbott World Marathon Majors series as of 2026?

Answer:Seven(click to reveal)

It was six for over a decade, but Sydney joined in 2025 as the seventh Major. The full list is Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago and New York City. Completing all seven earns you the coveted Six Star (now technically Seven Star) medal. Sydney is the first addition since Tokyo joined back in 2013.

6Which Kenyan runner holds the men's marathon world record with a time of 2:00:35, set at the 2023 Chicago Marathon?

Answer:Kelvin Kiptum(click to reveal)

He smashed the previous record by 34 seconds at just 23 years old, and many believed he'd be the first person to officially break the two-hour barrier in competition. Tragically, he died in a car accident in Kenya in February 2024, just five days after his record was officially ratified by World Athletics. His record still stands.

7In October 2019, Eliud Kipchoge became the first person to run a marathon distance in under two hours. Why doesn't it count as an official world record?

Answer:It was a specially organised event with pacemakers and controlled conditions, not an open competition(click to reveal)

The INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna used 41 rotating pacemakers, a pace car with a laser guide, and drinks delivered by bicycle. Kipchoge finished in 1:59:40, but World Athletics doesn't recognise it because it wasn't an open race. Guinness World Records did recognise it, though, giving him the title "Fastest marathon distance (male)."

8The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, first held in 1897. What makes it unique among major marathons in terms of who can enter?

Answer:You have to run a qualifying time (a "BQ") to enter(click to reveal)

Unlike most big-city marathons that use a ballot or lottery, Boston requires runners to hit a qualifying time based on their age and gender. For 2026, men aged 18 to 34 need to run 2:55 or faster, and women in the same age group need 3:25. Even then, demand is so high that the actual cutoff is usually several minutes faster than the published standard.

9parkrun is a free, weekly timed 5k run held in parks around the world. In which London park did the very first one take place in 2004?

Answer:Bushy Park (in Teddington)(click to reveal)

Paul Sinton-Hewitt started it with just 13 runners in October 2004. He was injured and unable to run at the time, but wanted to stay connected with his running friends. Results were recorded on paper and finish tokens were washers from a hardware store. It's now a global movement with events in over 20 countries every Saturday morning.

10The women's marathon world record of 2:09:56 was set at the 2024 Chicago Marathon. Which Kenyan runner set it, only to later receive a three-year doping ban in 2025?

Answer:Ruth Chepngetich(click to reveal)

She ran a stunning time that October, smashing the previous record by nearly two minutes. But in 2025, she tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic that can be used to mask other banned substances. She accepted a three-year ban, though her record still officially stands because the positive test came after the race.

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Marathon season is just around the corner. If you're putting together a sports round for a pub quiz, these questions work well because even non-runners tend to know bits and pieces about marathon history. For a full quiz night, try mixing a couple of these in with questions from other sports to keep things balanced.