Mars Rover Opportunity ‘smashes’ off-Earth marathon record

The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has smashed an off-world distance record this week, by completing the first Martian marathon.

Opportunity smashed the arduous, dusty and hostile course in an impressive 11 years and 2 months - a new Mars record that is likely to stand for decades.

Before you mock our little robotic hero, how fast could YOU run on Mars, eh?

The robotic rover is now the undisputed long-distance champion of all off-Earth vehicles, claiming the hallowed title from the former Soviet Union’s Lunokhod 2 moon rover.

"This is the first time any human enterprise has exceeded the distance of a marathon on the surface of another world," said John Callas, Opportunity project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "A first time happens only once."

Nasa weren’t immediately able to confirm whether Opportunity celebrated by doing the Mo-Bot...