The marathon was originally conceived as a race for the 1896 Olympics in Athens, commemorating the run of the soldier Pheidippides from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C.
![marathon race finisher](../athletics/images/marathon-finish-pex.jpg)
Legend has it that Pheidippides delivered the momentous message "Niki!" ("victory"), then collapsed and died. Though runners follow a more modern route, this marathon event commemorates that historic deed many years ago.
Related Pages
- Other Marathon Distance Events
- Ultra-Marathon events from around the world
- More Endurance Events
- All about the Olympic Marathon
- Olympic Marathon Winners
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