Surprising Facts About Sports and Athleticism

A marathon's distance of 26.2 miles was standardized in 1908 to allow the race to start at Windsor Castle and finish in front of the royal box at London’s White City Stadium.

The longest tennis match in history lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes, played over three days at Wimbledon in 2010 between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.

Basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891 as a way to keep his students physically active indoors during the winter.

Surfing, now a popular sport worldwide, originated in Polynesia over a thousand years ago and was integral to their culture.

Table tennis balls can travel off the paddle at speeds exceeding 60 mph, making it one of the fastest ball sports in the world.

The fastest recorded speed of a soccer ball is 131 mph, achieved by Brazilian soccer player Ronny Heberson in 2006.

Despite its association with Scotland, golf was first played in the Netherlands during the 13th century with a stick and a leather ball.