Every year, millions of runners line up at the starting line of marathons around the world. 42.195 kilometers of sweat, endurance, and self-transcendence. But where does this strange distance come from? And why is this race called a "marathon"? The story dates back to 490 BC, on a dusty plain 42 km northeast of Athens. There, 10,000 Greeks faced a Persian army twice their size. The Battle of Marathon, one of the most decisive of antiquity, would not only save Athenian democracy, but also give birth to the most legendary race in modern sport. Here is the story of Pheidippides, the messenger who, according to legend, ran from Marathon to Athens to announce the victory – and died of exhaustion just after delivering his message.
Summary: In 490 BC, the Persians invaded Greece and landed on the plain of Marathon. The Athenians, aided by the Plataeans, won an improbable victory. According to legend, a messenger named Pheidippides ran 42 km to Athens to announce the news, then collapsed and died. This story inspired the creation of the marathon at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The standard distance of 42.195 km was set in 1921.
⚔️ The Battle of Marathon
In 490 BC, the Persian Empire, the largest in the ancient world, invaded Greece. Darius I, King of the Persians, wanted to punish Athens for supporting the revolt of the Greek cities of Ionia. A Persian fleet of 600 ships landed on the plain of Marathon, 42 km from Athens. Facing them: 10,000 Athenians and 1,000 Plataeans, under the command of the strategos Miltiades. The Persians numbered at least 25,000, perhaps more. Miltiades took an immense risk. He deliberately weakened the center of his line to reinforce the wings. The Persians broke through the Greek center, but were enveloped by the wings and massacred. 6,400 Persians were killed, compared to only 192 Greeks. The victory was total.
"Athenians, let us go to meet the enemy! Make this day a day of freedom for Greece!"
🏃 The Legendary Run of Pheidippides
After the battle, the Athenians feared the Persian fleet might round Cape Sounion to attack Athens directly, while the army was still at Marathon. The city had to be warned as quickly as possible. According to legend reported by Lucian of Samosata in the 2nd century, a messenger named Pheidippides was sent. He ran the 42 km separating Marathon from Athens without stopping. Arriving before the Assembly, he cried: "We have won!" (in Greek: "Nenikékamen!") – then collapsed, dead from exhaustion. The legend omits an important detail: Pheidippides had just run 240 km in two days, round trip to Sparta, to ask for reinforcements. His body was already exhausted. The race from Marathon to Athens was the last of his life.
Evolution of the Marathon: 490 BC: Pheidippides runs ~42 km • 1896: First Olympic marathon (~40 km) • 1908: Distance fixed at 42.195 km • 1921: Worldwide standardization • 2024: World record at 2h 00min 35s