How many miles is a marathon?

A marathon involves running a total of 26.2 miles. Many marathons also offer a half marathon, which covers 13.1 miles. In many cases, those that complete the marathon are given medals of completion upon crossing the finish line.

Most runners do not start out with training for a marathon. In fact, many start with a short distance of a 5K, which is a little over 3 miles. When training for a marathon, some runners average between 100 and 140 miles per week in order to build their stamina. Some of the most widely known marathons are the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon.