Athletics (Marathon)

The marquee road event of the Olympics, the Marathon covers 42.195 kilometers (26.2 miles) of pure endurance, usually starting and finishing at iconic stadiums or city landmarks. Unlike the tactical pace changes of track races, the marathon is a long test against "the wall," the point where glycogen stores drop, usually around 32km. The real drama comes in the final 10km, when the lead pack breaks apart and one surge can win gold or trigger a total bonk, making it the clearest celebration of endurance over speed.