Marathon Greats Quiz

1. What is the official distance of a marathon?

1. 30 km
2. 40 km
3. 42.195 km (26.2 miles)
4. 50 km

2. Which Kenyan is widely regarded as the greatest marathon runner ever?

1. David Rudisha
2. Eliud Kipchoge
3. Kelvin Kiptum
4. Wilson Kipsang

3. Kipchoge ran the first sub-two-hour marathon in a 2019 special event with what time?

1. 1:58:00
2. 1:59:40
3. 2:01:09
4. 2:03:00

4. Which young Kenyan set the official marathon world record of 2:00:35 in 2023 before dying in 2024?

1. Benson Kipruto
2. Eliud Kipchoge
3. Geoffrey Kamworor
4. Kelvin Kiptum

5. Which Ethiopian famously won the 1960 Rome Olympic marathon running barefoot?

1. Abebe Bikila
2. Haile Gebrselassie
3. Kenenisa Bekele
4. Mamo Wolde

6. Which British woman held the marathon world record for many years?

1. Jessica Ennis
2. Kelly Holmes
3. Liz McColgan
4. Paula Radcliffe

7. How many Olympic marathon gold medals did Eliud Kipchoge win?

1. Four
2. One
3. Three
4. Two

8. Which US city hosts the world's oldest annual marathon, first run in 1897?

1. Boston
2. Chicago
3. Los Angeles
4. New York

9. The six 'World Marathon Majors' include Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, and which other?

1. Paris
2. Rome
3. Sydney
4. Tokyo

10. Which German city's marathon is famous for its fast, record-friendly course?

1. Berlin
2. Frankfurt
3. Hamburg
4. Munich

11. The marathon is named after a legendary run from Marathon to which city in ancient Greece?

1. Athens
2. Corinth
3. Sparta
4. Thebes

12. Which Ethiopian great won Olympic 10,000m golds and later starred in marathons?

1. Abebe Bikila
2. Haile Gebrselassie
3. Mo Farah
4. Paul Tergat

13. Kipchoge's dominance came primarily in which era?

1. The 1970s
2. The 1980s
3. The 1990s
4. The 2010s-2020s

14. Which east African nations dominate elite marathon running?

1. Kenya and Ethiopia
2. Morocco and Algeria
3. Nigeria and Ghana
4. South Africa and Zimbabwe

15. The marathon distance was standardised at 42.195 km at which 1908 Olympics?

1. Athens
2. London
3. Paris
4. Stockholm

16. Which major marathon is run through the five boroughs of a US city each November?

1. Boston
2. Chicago
3. Los Angeles
4. New York

17. Marathon world records are typically set on which type of course?

1. Beach courses
2. Flat, fast city courses
3. Indoor tracks
4. Steep mountain trails

18. Kipchoge is celebrated for his calm demeanour and famous philosophy that 'no human is' what?

1. Fast
2. Limited
3. Perfect
4. Tired

19. The tragic 2024 death of which record holder shocked the running world?

1. Eliud Kipchoge
2. Haile Gebrselassie
3. Kelvin Kiptum
4. Paula Radcliffe

20. The marathon is one of the premier events in which sport?

1. Athletics (long-distance running)
2. Cycling
3. Rowing
4. Swimming