Which city has hosted the most marathons?

London will soon have a strong claim to have hosted the most marathons of any city in the world!

Athens may have recorded the first (Athens 1896 Olympic Games), and Boston may have been the first to emulate the success of Athens with a legacy event that is still running - the Boston Marathon in 1897. The London Marathon did not start until almost a century later, but London also has a proud history of marathons stretching back into the early 20th century:

1908 Olympic Games Marathon Race was organised by the Polytechnic Harriers athletics club. This famous race that set the marathon distance and brought marathon running to the attention of the world. See more about the 1908 Olympic Marathon here.

1909 - 1914 - The Polytechnic Marathon (managed by the Polytechnic Harriers) was the legacy event of the 1908 Olympic Games and was successfully run until World War I broke out.

1919 - 1974 - The Polytechnic Marathon continued, even during WWII. The heyday of the race was in the 50's and 60's. Although it took a break in 1975

1934 - The 1934 Commonwealth Games served up a marathon for the capital.

1976 - 1987 - The Poly Marathon returns

1992 - 1996 - The Poly Marathon returns again! But sadly with competition from London Marathon and a changing route with traffic issues, the event hangs up its running shoes.

1980 - The Avon International Women's Marathon ran on 3 August 1980 between Battersea Park and Guildhall. It was part of an international movement to convince the IOC that a women's should be included in the Olympic schedule - something that finally happened in LA1984.

1981 - present day - The London Marathon started in 1981 and was an instant success. It has since clocked up over £1Billion in fundraising!

2012 - London 2012 Olympic Marathons

2017 - World Championships

And now since 2024, to complete the circle, the Original Marathon is recreating the famous race of 1908 between Windsor and White City annually.

So, as you can see, with London now hosting 2 marathons a year, London really can/will soon be able to claim to have run the most marathons of any city in the world!