Giving birth to democracy, hosting the first-ever Olympic Games, and the unique and fascinating architecture – Greece has given a lot to the world. They also gave us the basis of geometry, that has always put millions of lives including mine in jeopardy. I failed that mathematical adventure in life. It still weighs on my mind. The Greeks also invented alarm clock, something our bosses keep reminding us about when we never turn up late to office. Did you know Greeks also gave us the marathon? Yes, the long-distance race where you walk or run an official distance of 42.195 kilometres.
When Pheidippides ran
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The origin of marathon is a fascinating story. It is among the original modern Olympic events since 1896. The first thing to know is about Marathon is that it is the name of a place. It is a town in Greece and the site of the famous Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, when the invading Persians were defeated by the Athenians. Legend has it that a messenger named Pheidippides was sent back to Athens with the news of their victory. He ran the entire distance without stopping and arrived to exclaim “We have won!” before collapsing and dying of exhaustion.
Whether this story is true is another matter, but the road from Marathon to Athens is indeed 42 kilometers long. It wasn’t until the late 19th century, however, that the idea of creating a race of this distance came up. Marathon officially made an entrance at the 1896 Olympics. The initiators and organizers were looking for a great popularizing event, recalling the glory of ancient Greece. The idea of a marathon race came from Michel Bréal, who wanted the event to feature in the games. On 10 April,1896, saw the first ever marathon being run at the Olympics and it was Spyridon Louis, a Greek water-carrier, who came out triumphs. He completed the marathon in 2 hours 58 minutes and 50 seconds.
The people’s sport
After the success of the marathon at the 1896 Olympics, the Boston Marathon was organised the year later. It is the world’s oldest annual marathon, and ranks as one of the world’s most prestigious road racing events. The long-distance races have now become synonymous with the major events. The marathon at the Olympics is the most prestigious though, largely due to its history. Though marathon has been part of every Olympics, it was only held for men for 88 years.
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The history was made at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics as women’s marathon was introduced for the first time in the global tournament. Although a few women, such as Stamata Revithi in 1896, had run the marathon distance, they were not included in any official results. Marie-Louise Ledru has been credited as the first woman to complete a marathon, in 1918. Violet Piercy has been credited as the first woman to be officially timed in a marathon, in 1926. The inclusion of women’s marathon was a victory for everyone who wanted men and women on the equal footing, and wanted the marathon be run by all genders.
The event in Los Angeles marked the monumental moment in the marathon history. And it was the United States’ Joan Benoit who went on to script history and became the first woman to win the inaugural gold at the competition. Olympics has since had both men’s and women’s marathon.
The record makers
The long-distance run is one of the toughest track events – one has to have the appetite, energy, stamina, and indomitable determination to keep going for over 42 kilometres. There have been some remarkable athletes, who have not only competed in marathons, but created some insane records on their way script history.
Last month only, Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge shattered the world record to become the first athlete and human to complete the marathon in under two hours. The Kenyan clocked a time of 1:59:40. That is absolutely insane. If any of us runs even a kilometre we gasp for breath. Now imagine running 42.195 kilometres under two hours. It is inhuman and absurd. And how fitting in the same month, Kenyan Brigid Kosgei broke the world record in women’s marathon clocking at 2:14:04 at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. No one could have written a better script.
Brigid Kosgei/AFP
Sometimes things don’t really make sense – like these athletes running miles without losing a breath. It is quite extraordinary and such feats would even make Pheidippides proud.
Social awareness and the marathon
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The long-distance races are now synonymous with major athletic events. These are not just for sportspersons but even lay people can participate when the marathons are organised to raise funds or create awareness for issues concerning health or environment. Each year, thousands of marathons are organised for various purposes. India too, plays host to hundreds of marathons every year. In India, we have the SBI Green Marathon, the Mumbai Marathon, and several half-marathons, which get a lot of attention on social media.
The marathon continues to grow in stature and 2,509 years after Pheidippides’ fateful run, the venerable marathon has never been more popular.