Published: 2019-01-19 by, News Team in the Sports & Fitness news category

Revealing Chiswick's British Marathon History

Chiswick holds a unique place in the history of Britain's first annual marathon, known as the Polytechnic Marathon or simply the Poly, which was a prominent event between 1909 and 1996.

Originating from the marathon of the 1908 Summer Olympics held in London, The Polytechnic Harriers, affiliated with The Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), organized this historic race.

In the early days, marathons had no set distance, but the Polytechnic Harriers chose a route starting at the royal apartments of Windsor Castle and concluding at White City Stadium in front of the royal box, covering a distance of 26 miles and 385 yards. This distance later became the global standard.

The 1908 Olympic marathon, run over the same course, witnessed the dramatic collapse of Italian runner Dorando Pietri, who was eventually disqualified. This event garnered immense interest, leading to the establishment of the Poly Marathon as an annual international race, second only to the Olympics.

Chiswick became a significant part of this marathon's legacy when, from 1938, the race concluded at the new Polytechnic Harriers stadium in West London.

The inaugural Poly Marathon on May 8, 1909, saw Englishman Henry Frederick Barrett triumph and set a world best time of two hours, 42 minutes, and 31 seconds. Chiswick's Polytechnic Harriers stadium later witnessed legendary runner Jim Peters breaking the two-hour and 20-minute barrier in 1953.

However, by 1970, the Polytechnic Harriers and the Poly Marathon faced challenges, including traffic issues along the Windsor to Chiswick route. From 1973 to 1992, the race was confined to the Windsor area, and its competitive era concluded with the 78th running in 1996.

Chiswick stands as a symbolic location, encapsulating the rich history and evolution of the Polytechnic Marathon.

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