The Starfleet Academy marathon is a race of Starfleet cadets that occurs once a year. The marathon began in 2293, when the commandant of Starfleet Academy was an Admiral Sharifi. Tradition held that Sharifi, recalling a crash on Danula II in her youth — and heartened by her ability to survive the harsh environment — wanted to gift her experiences to Academy cadets. Another version of the story holds that she simply picked the place at random. (New Worlds, New Civilizations)