Preview

Pheidippides: The First Marathon

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
729 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Pheidippides: The First Marathon
THE BEGINNING.

It is from the ancient city of Marathon that Pheidippides began an arduous run to Athens in 490 B.C. Barefoot, he covered twenty five miles of rugged mountainous terrain to deliver the monumental news of Greece's victory over the Persian army. After a euphoric shout of "Nike!" or victory, the exhausted runner collapsed at the royal court. To commemorate Pheidippides's heroic effort and his spirit of patriotism, in 1896 a long distance race named Marathon was introduced at the Olympics. Fittingly a Greek postal worker called Spyridon Louis won the first ever marathon.

26.2 MILES.

Since it's inception the marathon had been run for 25 miles in keeping with the distance covered by Pheidippides. At the 1908 London Olympic Games
…show more content…

In medieval times women were barred not only from running, but also from watching an athletic event! A violation of the law resulted in execution. Female athletes continued to face barriers even with the advent of modern games.The longest permissible distance for female runners at the Olympics was 1500 meters. It was only after many trials and tribulations that women got their due at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, when they were allowed to run a full marathon. The winner of this historic race was Joan Benoit, an American who clocked an impressive time of 2 hours 24 minutes and 52 …show more content…

The true spirit of marathon running lies in providing an inclusive platform for people from all walks of life. Consequently, participation in the gruelling race is not limited to just the able bodied. In an endeavour to integrate the differently abled into the marathon fraternity, a wheelchair division was introduced at the Ohio races in 1974. The gesture has since then spurred organisers into providing more opportunities for athletes with special needs.
Equally inspiring are runners for whom age is no bar. Fauja Singh of Britain was 100 years old when he ran at Toronto in 2011! One of our own, Budhia Singh from Orissa was just three when he took part in his first marathon. Extraordinary feats of "special" individuals serve to remind us that for the truly dedicated and passionate, there isn't a hurdle that cannot be overcome.

There's something very liberating about running in the outdoors with the elements for company; which is probably why marathons are run in many unconventional and interesting locales. There's the one in Greece that traces Pheidippides's original course. Sounds sedate? Seekers of extreme adventure can run at the Great Wall of China, in Tibet at an altitude of 11,500 feet or even in remote Greenland. The Big Five Marathon across South Africa's untamed grasslands promises an encounter of the wild


You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Maths Paper Notingham Uni

    • 333 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Eight international athletes ran a 400 meter race at sea level (London, UK). A month…

    • 333 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Harry Jerome is one of, if not the most influential Canadian Olympian. Jerome competed as a track and field runner. Jerome was born in Saskatchewan on September 30, 1940 and eventually moved with his family to Vancouver in 1951. Although Jerome’s main sport was track and field he also interested in sports such as baseball and football, but he always excelled in speed. Both Jerome’s grandfather, John Howard, and his sister Valerie Jerome completed in the Olympics.…

    • 571 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    According to legend the Greek messenger herald pheidippides ran from marathon across rough terrain to Athens bringing news of Athenian victory against Persia, after he delivered his message, he supposedly dropped dead. Winning this war gave great confidence to Athens. It allowed Athens to defeat Darrius's son Xerxes ten years after the battle of marathon in the battle of…

    • 408 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Wilma Rudolph Thesis

    • 636 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Despite not being able to walk in her early years she pushed through and Wilma Rudolph became the fastest woman runner in the world and won three gold medals in the Olympics.…

    • 636 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Unit 9 P1

    • 780 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Unit 9- Outdoor and Adventurous Expeditions P1- Describe 4 Different Expeditions By: Hayley Hawkins Anna McNuf Aim: Cycle 11,000 miles around 50 USA states along with to get kids and communities inspired on bikes and to raise awareness and funds for a chosen charity Year: July, 2013 Expedition: cycle 11,000 miles through North America, taking in one beautiful Canadian province and all 50 states of the USA. Starting in Alaska and ending with Hawaii Goal: Cycle through 50 States Equipment- clothes, bike, tent, sleeping bag, map, cycling shoes, water cleaner (Jet Boil Flash), GO PRO, Ipad and Iphone. Starting in Alaska and ending in Hawaii, I'll pedalled, unassisted, through each and every US state.…

    • 780 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A barefooted runner won a gold medal in summer Olympic marathon in Rome, Italy in 1960. According to Philip Magnier, "Abebe Bikila." Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia (2015): Research Starters the Olympic marathon is a long distance running event with a fixed distance of 42.195 kilometers (26 miles 385 yards), and usually run as a group in a road race. It is one of the best known games held every four years with participation from different nations of the world. Ultimately, Bikila determined to run barefoot in long distance that was impossible to complete even wearing shoes. As stated by Sandra Wallace article “Running Barefoot,” Bikila was a last-minute replacement to go to the Rome Olympics since his team mate injured his ankle during…

    • 178 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    He is a huge inspiration to millions of runners around the world due to his aggression and passion for the sport. Steve Prefontaine’s death is often considered the end of Track and Field’s popularity within the United States due to much of Prefontaine’s fame following him to the grave. The courage and audacity of Prefontaine to tackle the enormous AAU and pave the way for rights for athletes was a significant impact in United States history. Prefontaine’s memorable 5000m run will never be forgotten and his legacy will forever flourish within the hearts of runners everywhere. Prefontaine was more than just an athlete. He pursued his goals and ambitions with the heart of a lion which is why he is America’s greatest distance…

    • 1095 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jesse Owens was a black track and field runner who broke many records in his lifetime. His Running skills amazed many people across the country and the world. Although, the highlight of his life is his outstanding performance in the 1936 olympics; where he changed people's mentality. Owens’ achievements and great olympic win, trigger a huge impact on America.…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    She trained personally for years before approaching Arnie Briggs, the men cross country coach. When she told him of her requests to train her for the Boston Marathon, he forcefully replied: “No dame ever ran the Boston Marathon!” he shouted, as skidding motorists nearly killed us. Then he added, “If any woman could do it, you could, but you would have to prove it to me. If you ran the distance in practice, I’d be the first to take you to Boston.” (Switzer) Three months before the marathon, they had their trial. Kathrine ran the twenty six marathon miles plus and extra five miles. While her coach was completely winded and passed out, she stood tall and grinned in…

    • 902 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The distance known as the mile draws all types of runners to its doorstep. It sits at the convergence of speed and endurance. Runners who compete in 5Ks and 10Ks and beyond use it to step down and test their speed, runners who compete in 400m and 800m sprints use it to move up and test their toughness.…

    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    and the two-hundred meter dash. He loved running when he was young, he said "…

    • 777 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    However, the athlete didn’t make the cut for the 2006 Olympics where Shelley Rudman, a skeleton athlete from Britain, won silver. For the next four years, she worked tirelessly to achieve her goal of securing honor for her country. In 2010 at the Vancouver Olympics, all of her hard work paid off. She set a track record for two of her four runs, and she won the gold a comfortable distance ahead of her competitors. In succeeding with her goal, she was awarded an MBE။ a Member of the Order of the British Empire.…

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Americans supported slavery because slavery was legal, technology has changed, and slavery going on today.…

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cross Country Runner

    • 348 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Over three miles. That's the minimum I run on a daily basis when in season. Some days, it is closer to eight miles. Why do I share these numbers with you? Because the simple fact that I am a cross country runner should tell you a lot about what I will bring to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's campus.…

    • 348 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Ancient Olympics Changes

    • 1246 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Although men were the only ones allowed to compete, there was a loophole for women. The wealthy could pay someone to represent them in the chariot race, and when a chariot won, the victory would go to the person who payed them to compete. Essentially a women could pay someone to represent them and when they won the victory would go to the women. Because…

    • 1246 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays