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Photo Gallery: Moments in Olympics History

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Runners begin the marathon at the 1908 Olympic Games in London. The marathon has been a part of the modern Olympics since their beginning in 1896. The standardized distance, however, is based on the 1908 event, which took runners exactly 42,195 meters (26 miles and 385 yards) from Windsor Castle to the royal box in White City Stadium. The world was captivated by tales of the 1908 marathon, in which the exhausted race leader, Dorando Pietri of Italy, entered the stadium and proceeded to fall five times en route to the finish. He was eventually disqualified when race officials helped him over the finish line. Photograph by the Associated Press