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FLAME OF THE MARATHON RUN - HISTORY

Battle of Marathon

Most people have a vague idea of where the famous race known as the "Marathon" originated. A Greek athlete ran from Marathon to Athens, which is roughly 26.2 miles, and thus a race was created in his honor: the Marathon. Most people have not heard legendary story which precedes this basic description of the marathon. Why was the messenger running from Marathon to Athens? When did this event take place? What was so significant about the run? The following and more will be answered below. (1)

As Greek legend goes, the Persian-Greco War began back in 499 BC. When the Persians waged war on the Greeks, the two armies were the two dominant military forces in Europe and Asia. The war started in the favor of the Persians, as they easily defeated the Greeks in the first series of battles. At Marathon, Greece put up its first real fight of the war. (1)

Much of the information we have today about the Persian- Greco War and more specifically, the Battle of Marathon is from the readings of Greek historian, Herodotus. The battle is estimated have taken place in September of the year 490 BC, when the Persian army, consisting of anywhere from 20,000 to 60,000 troops attacked the Greeks at the city of Marathon. The Greek troops of about 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers appeared to be outnumbered and overpowered by the Persians. However, the battle lasted for five days, until the Greek commander, Miltiades, devised the storied strategy of bringing defeat to the Persians. He ordered the troops to form a line stretching the length of the Persian forces and attack the Persians head on. Miltiades ordered the middle to sag back slightly and the ends of the line to begin to curl in; thus encircling the Persian troops on three sides, while the water closed the Persians in on the fourth. The result was a great victory for the Greeks, with a minimal loss of life for the Greek army. (1)

In 490 BC there were no telephones, telegram and certainly no email; all news traveled by foot or horseback.  Pheidippides, an Athenian messenger, was summoned to deliver the news of the Greek victory at Marathon over the Persian army. As legend has it, he ran from Marathon to Athens and upon delivering the news, “We have won”, he collapsed and died on the spot of a heart attack. The Greeks went on to win the Persian-Greco War, maintaining their empire. Both the Battle of Marathon and the marathon race have a storied and special place in the hearts of Greeks’ and Greek culture.  

Contrary to popular belief, Pheidippides did not technically run 26.2 miles. In fact, he probably ran a distance slightly less than the modern marathon length, somewhere around 21.4 miles. The 26.2 mile distance was not officially set until 1908, during the London Olympics. The distance was set to 26.2 miles because the Royal British family wanted to see the start of the race from Windsor Castle and wanted the race to end in front of the Royal Box and the Olympic Stadium, therefore requiring a route 26.2 miles long. (2)

At the first modern Olympics in 1896, the Marathon was introduced as an Olympic event. Inspired by the drama of this event, Arthur Blake of Boston and other local athletes and coaches organized the first Boston Marathon on Patriots Day in 1897. Eighteen runners gathered at a farm in Ashland for the first run to Boston. Following the British Royal family’s impact on the marathon distance, the starting line was moved from Ashland to Hopkinton on April 19, 1924.

(1) "The Battle of Marathon, 490 BC," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2006)
(2) ”Battle of Marathon” Eric Rymer, http://historylink102.com/greece3/battle-marathon.htm (2004)