The Grand National is a horse race held annually in Liverpool, England. The distance covered by horses is the longest of any British National Hunt race (4 miles 514 yards). The run over consists of two laps with 16 fences. Only 14 of them are jumped on the second lap, which makes horses jump 30 fences over two laps. The challenge here is very complicated, as the fences presented in the race are considered notoriously difficult. Horsemen are to be extremely brave and fast, also developing a high correlation with their well-trained and hard-working horses.

As part of a review of safety following the 2012 running of the event, from 2013 to 2015 the start was moved 90 yards (82 m) forward away from the crowds and grandstands, reducing the race distance by 110 yards (100 m) from the historical 4 miles 880 yards (7.242 km). The course is also notable for having one of the longest run-ins from the final fence of any steeplechase, at 494 yards (452 m).

The event is important and popular not only for the country, but for its fans from all over the world. More than 500 million people from different corners of the planet gather annually in front of their TV-sets to watch the event.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org