Table of Contents
- 1 Where did the idea of marathons come from?
- 2 Why is a race of 26 miles called a marathon?
- 3 Where is Marathon located in ancient Greece?
- 4 What two Greek historians wrote about the Battle of Marathon?
- 5 Why is a marathon 42km?
- 6 How did the marathon race get its name?
- 7 What is the history and distance of marathon race?
Where did the idea of marathons come from?
The idea of a marathon race came from Michel Bréal, who wanted the event to feature in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens. This idea was heavily supported by Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, as well as by the Greeks.
Why do we call it a Marathon?
History. The event is named after the legendary 26-mile run made by a Greek soldier called Philippides (also known as Pheidippides) from the scene of the battle of Marathon to Athens, where he announced the defeat of the invading Persians. This distance was standardised at 26 miles 385 yards (42.195km) in 1921.
Why is a race of 26 miles called a marathon?
Then there’s the Marathon, which covers 42.195 kilometers, or 26-miles and 385-yards. According to legend, a messenger named Pheidippides ran 40-kilometers, or roughly 25-miles, from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce a Greek military victory. In 1921, the IAAF made it the official distance of the marathon.
Is there a marathon in marathon Greece?
The Athens Classic Marathon The Authentic is an annual marathon road race held in Athens, Greece, normally in early November (the second Sunday of November), since 1972….
| Athens Classic Marathon | |
|---|---|
| Official site | Athens Classic Marathon |
| Participants | 16,436 (2019) 15,279 (2018) |
Where is Marathon located in ancient Greece?
ancient Attica
In ancient times, Marathon (Ancient Greek: Μαραθών) occupied a small plain in the northeast of ancient Attica, which contained four places, Marathon, Probalinthus, Tricorythus, and Oenoe, which originally formed the Tetrapolis, one of the 12 districts into which Attica was divided before the time of Theseus.
Where is the city of Marathon in Greece?
Athens metropolitan area
Marathon (Greek: Μαραθώνας, Marathónas) is a village near the sea in Athens metropolitan area, about 40 km from the center of Athens. The town’s name derives from a local fennel herb that grows in the area.
What two Greek historians wrote about the Battle of Marathon?
Most of what we know about the Battle of Marathon comes from the account of the historian Herodotus, who wrote about it around 50 years after the battle took place in his Histories.
Why is the marathon 26 miles and 385 yards?
According to legend, a messenger named Pheidippides ran 40-kilometers, or roughly 25-miles, from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce a Greek military victory. Pheidippides then promptly dropped dead. For the first time, Olympic marathoners ran a distance of 42.195 kilometers or 26-miles and 385 yards.
Why is a marathon 42km?
The marathon was then to end directly in front of the Royal Box in the London Olympic Stadium – meaning one complete stadium lap would not be possible, as had been originally been called for. This made the formula for the London marathon “25 miles + 1 mile + 385 yards; that makes 42.195 km.
Where does the Athens marathon start?
Panathinaikon Stadium
The starting point will be in front of the Panathinaikon Stadium (Propylea) and the course will run the historical center of the city of Athens, passing along significant monuments and city buildings. The 5km Road Race will finish in the Panathinaikon Stadium.
How did the marathon race get its name?
The marathon race gets its name from the legend of the Greek messenger, Pheidippides , who, in 490 BC, ran from the city of Marathon all the way to Athens to deliver the message that the Greeks were victorious against the Persians in the Battle of Marathon.
What is the history of the marathon race?
The history of marathon race began in 490 BC. There was a war going on between the Greek and Persian soldiers on the grounds of marathon, 26 miles away from Athens.
What is the history and distance of marathon race?
Marathon, long-distance footrace first held at the revival of the Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. It commemorates the legendary feat of a Greek soldier who, in 490 bc, is supposed to have run from Marathon to Athens, a distance of about 40 km (25 miles), to bring news of the Athenian victory over the Persians and then expired.
Why is the marathon 26.2 miles?
The short answer is that marathons are set at 42.195 kilometers (26.2 miles) because the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) officially adopted that in 1921. After nearly 25 years of marathons stretching varying lengths, the 26.2-mile distance from the 1908 London Olympics was chosen as the standard.