On Sunday the 25th of January, the WWE's annual Royal Rumble event will take place for the twenty-eighth time, headlined by the traditional match of the same name that sees thirty men enter the ring at two minute intervals and attempt to eliminate their opponents by throwing them over the top rope, with the last man standing getting a title shot at Wrestlemania. Every year, the match usually features one or more 'marathon men', who spend a much greater than average amount of time in the ring before typically meeting their end towards the conclusion of the match, though the odd few (7/27 winners were amongst the first ten entrants in their respective matches) have gone all the way and emerged victorious. Frequently, these are amongst the top-tier performers of the company or rising stars, both of whom are booked to last to keep them looking strong regardless of the match's ultimate outcome. On several occasions, however, there have been long outings for participants much further down the card, whose longevity came as a great surprise, either at time or retrospectively given that individuals in their position are usually used as elimination fodder for those higher up the food chain. Here's 11 such examples...