The Battle at Marathon

As the spring approaches, we are entering into the marathon-training period (if you haven’t begun training already, that is). The arduous task of running 26.2 miles is taken on by thousands of people every year. The training is an intense process, usually lasts about three months, and is topped off with the physically, mentally, and emotionally draining challenge of running a marathon. You may be asking yourself at this point, “Why would anyone want to do this?”

Well, it all begins with the Greek legend of Pheidippides. The story goes that at the Battle of Marathon, the messenger Pheidippides was sent to Athens to report that the Persians had been defeated. After running the entire distance without stopping, Pheidippides burst into assembly to exclaim “Nenikekman”, which is translated as ‘We Have Won’. Pheidippides then collapsed and died.

The distance that Pheidippides had just completed is where the distance of a marathon run comes from. The Greek messenger, in travelling from Marathon to Athens, would have had to either crossed or ran around Mount Penteli. If he had travelled South around the mountain, which he presumptively had done, he would have completed a distance of just over 26 miles. There is some debate as to whether Pheidippides ran South of the mountain, or if perhaps he ran through the mountain, crossing straight rather than around. If he had done this, the original distance that Pheidippides ran would be significantly less than 26 miles.

The modern marathon evolved from more recent events. The marathon was first introduced during the 1896 Summer Olympics in Greece. The event was not designed with a set distance in mind, but rather with the route extending from Marathon to Athens. This was a distance of 24.85 miles. Spiridon “Spiros” Louis was the first winner of the marathon, with a time of 2 hours 58 minutes and 50 seconds.

The Olympics committee would use the idea of connecting two points on a map together as a design for the marathon event for the next six Olympic games. It wasn’t until the 1924 Olympics that the set distance of 26.22 miles was adopted. The official distance, set by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) measures exactly 26 miles and 385 yards. This is now the distance that is used as a standard for marathon runs.

There are over 800 marathons that are organized every year. Of the most prestigious are the Boston, New York, Chicago, London, and Berlin marathons. The Boston Marathon is the longest standing of any of the annually held marathons. The tradition was started in 1897, following the popularity of the event from the 1896 Olympics. It is held every year in April, and attracts an average of about 20,000 registrants. The record for registrants was set in 1996, with 38,000 people registered to run. Time trials for the event make it difficult to enter, and it sets the scene for a very competitive event. Winners receive cash prizes, with first place overall in both men’s and women’s receiving $500,000 each.

The marathon experience has come a long way since its beginnings. What was once a Greek legend has turned into a rite of passage for serious runners. It is a distance that once attained warrants a bumper sticker, showing a glimpse of history in a strong symbol of modernism.

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