Nhangemutange dzemarathon dzakatanga kuitwa muna 1896, asi nhangemutange yacho haina kugadziriswa neInternational Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) kutozosvikira muna 1921. Daro chairo nokuda kwemijaho yapamberi pa 1921 kazhinji kazhinji rakasiyana zvishoma kubva pachimiro chazvino chemakiromita 42.195. Munhangemutange dzokufanokodzera kuenda kumitambo yeOlympic yezhizha ya1896, vamhanyi vechiGiriki Charilaos Vasilakos (3:18:00) naIoannis Lavrentis (3:11:27) vakakunda makwikwi maviri okutanga emamarathon emazuva ano. Musi waApril 10, 1896, Spiridon Louis wokuGreece akahwina nhangemutange yokutanga yomumhanya weOlympic muAthens, kuGreece
nenguva ya2: 58: 50; zvisinei, daro rechiitiko chacho rakataurwa kuva mamita 40 000 bedzi. Mwedzi mitatu gare gare, mumhanyi weBritish Len Hurst akakunda muParis yekutanga kuenda kuConflans Marathon (zvakare anenge makiromita makumi mana) munguva ye2: 31:30. Muna 1900, Hurst aizovandudza nguva yake panzira imwe cheteyo nokuratidzira kwe2:26:28. Gare gare, Shizo Kanakuri weJapan akanzi akaisa rekodhi yenyika ye2:32:45 munaNovember 1911 mumakwikwi epamba ekufanirwa kwemitambo yeOlympics ya1912, asi kuita uku kwakamhanyawo pamusoro penzvimbo inenge 40 km. Mujaho wokutanga wemarathon uri pamugwagwa wava kuzivikanwa zvino wakanga wakundwa nomuAmerican Johnny Hayes paMitambo yeOlympic yeZhizha ya1908, nenguva ya2:55:18.4.