London hosted the 1908 Olympic marathon that ended at White City Stadium.
The race began at Windsor Castle and finished on the track inside the White City Stadium. This unusual start and finish helped produce a distance of 26 miles and 385 yards, which was later standardized as 42.195 kilometers, or 26.2 miles.
The 1908 marathon became famous for Dorando Pietri’s dramatic finish and disqualification after officials assisted him. The course also influenced the modern marathon distance, although the exact distance was not immediately universal in every race.
London’s 1908 Games were the fourth modern Olympic Games. They included many events at the purpose-built White City Stadium, which opened in Shepherd’s Bush in west London.