Friday, September 3, 2010
- 490 BC-2010 AD: 2500 Years of the Marathon Battle
2010 is a landmark for the Marathon race as it is the anniversary of 2500 years since the original historic event took place.
The race commemorates a messenger named Pheidippides, who ran after the battle of Marathon, in 490 BC to Athens to announce the victory of the Greeks over the Persians.
A Greek athlete by the name of Spyros Louis won the gold medal and became a legend of Greek and international athletics. The Athens classic Marathon takes place every year on the original course. This year it will be held on Sunday, October 31, 2010.
Friends of Marathon: friendsofmarathon.org [Photo: "Spyros Louis," documentary film by Y. Smaragdis]
- Dean Karnazes: The Ultra Marathon Man
Running on the footsteps of Pheidippides, Dean Karnazes is a Greek-American ultra Marathon runner, covering distances of 50 and 100 miles in one race. Time Magazine has called him one of the "Top 100 Most Influential People in the World," while Men’s Fitness has referred to him as one of "the fittest men on earth." "Modern-day" Pheidippides has competed in races on all seven continents, including Antarctica, where he ran to the South Pole in -40 degrees.
Karnazes, who plans to compete in the Athens Classic Marathon in October, is also the author of two books and director of the non-profit foundation "Karno-kids" that focuses on improving the health and well-being of children.
You Tube: Dean Karnazes, Ultra Marathon Man (video)
Reviving Pheidipides’ Feat
Maria Polyzou, Greece’s female marathon record holder, wrote her own chapter in history on August 2 by becoming the first woman to recreate the feat of legendary messenger Pheidipides.
Polyzou left the Acropolis in Athens on July 26 and completed the 540 km route from Athens to Sparta and then to the town of Marathon in seven days.
Her astonishing achievement marks the beginning of celebrations for the 2,500-year anniversary of the Marathon battle in which the Greek victory is widely acknowledged to have contributed to the democratic legacy of western culture.
Athens News (06.08.10): Marathon Woman (p.39) [photo: Polyzou standing before the statue of Leonidas]
- Events Marking the 2,500th Anniversary
The programme of events to celebrate the anniversary since the historic Battle of Marathon was announced by the municipality of Marathon in Attica. The events culminate on September 12, with a walk to the Marathon Tomb followed by readings from Herodotus histories by well-known Greek actors, accompanied by ancient Greek instruments.
