摘要：Problem statement. The history of the longest running event began in 490 BC, when the Greek soldierPhilippides brought to Athens the news of victory in the Battle of Marathon. In memory of the sacrifice made by thissoldier who, at the cost of his life, ran about 40 kilometres, the marathon event was organized. The first race took placeat the Athens Olympics, in 1896. It was the beginning of the modern era of the Olympic Games. The length of the raceunderwent several changes and was officially set at 26.2 miles (42.195 km), in 1921.The impact of long-distance races has led to organizing sports running events since the 19th century. The firstrunning event took place in 1897, in Boston. For decades, marathons were organized only for male athletes. Women’sparticipation has been allowed since 1972, and the first Olympic marathon for women was organized in 1984.The aim of the research. Through this paper, we want to make a synthesis of all aspects that have marked theevolution of marathon running over the millennia.Conclusions. Over the decades, the evolution of mass sports events has made significant progress.In the 21st century, organizing such events has a considerable impact on the population, from the motor,psychological, social and cultural perspectives.Currently, around 1,100 running events are organized worldwide, the estimated number of competitorsreaching 541,000.
