Dear All, I have just heard some delightful news about the Los Angeles Marathon. It appears that the Los Angeles Marathon race used signs posted in kilometres at 5 km intervals to assist foreign participants.
On even the longest journey, every kilometre begins with a single millimetre. This advance in Los Angeles poses an interesting question with respect to the Athens Olympics: will the Athens Marathon actually be run from Marathon to Athens, and if so will they actually measure the real distance reputedly run by Philippides in 490�BCE? [According to legend he reached the city, after running 42 kilometres, said, 'Rejoice, we conquer', and then fell to the ground dead. At the birth of the modern Olympics, in 1896, the Marathon race was run from Marathon to Athens over a distance of exactly 42�kilometres.] As You probably know, the current marathon distance (42.195�km) was set for the 1908 London Olympics so that the course could start at Windsor Castle and end in front of the Royal Box. That distance was subsequently set as the 'official' marathon distance by the International Association of Athletic Federations in 1921. Cheers, Pat Naughtin LCAMS Geelong, Australia Pat Naughtin is the editor of the free online newsletter, 'Metrication matters'. You can subscribe by sending an email containing the words subscribe Metrication matters to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --
