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Athens Marathon

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.

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