Twenty six point two what now?

Miles.
26.2 Miles. That's a Marathon. Every marathon. It doesn't ever change.

Everyone knows that a football game is played in four 15 min quarters (although let's be serious football time lasts FOREVER). Two halves, with a halftime show.
That a football field is 50 yards long, marked off every five yards
That a touchdown is 6 points that

Everyone knows that baseball has nine innings
Four balls is a walk
Three strikes and you're out
Three outs and your half of the inning is over
Seven vs seven

Everyone seems to know that hockey has three periods,
Five players on the ice (six including the goalie)

Everyone can pretty much figure out that basketball is five on five
Two points for a basket inside the 3 point arc
Three points from on or outside the arc (captain obvious with that one)
One point a foul shot
Dribble the ball while your running or its a travel

So now given that the general population can recall most if not all and sometimes MORE information than this. Why is it that so many people not understand that marathon does not mean race, and that it is a predetermined distance. No it is not ten miles. or twenty, or twenty two. It's twenty six point two. always. every day. on Tuesdays, on holidays, in other countries, in other time zones. No matter who runs it. Its always going to be 26.3 miles.
Yes granted once upon a time it was a nice simple 26 miles. None of this .2 crap, this 385 yards of pure torture when all you want to do is stop moving forward and yet when you reach that finish line you have been pushing your body forward so hard and so long that at first it doesn't even know how to stop. We have the wonderful royal family during the Olympics of 1908 to thank for that extra addition. Thanks royal family, for being too lazy to leave your balcony that you wanted to add some length on to our race so you could see the end. Oh no its no trouble at all, we'll just keep going, you comfortable up there? would you like some more pillows?