The Origin of the Marathon

The marathon is a famous running race that is 42.195 kilometers long. The name of the race comes from an old story from ancient Greece. According to the legend, there was a great battle in a town called Marathon in the year 490 BCE. When the Greek army finally won the battle, a soldier named Pheidippides was chosen to ( 1 ) the good news to the city of Athens.

Pheidippides was very brave. He ran all the way from Marathon to Athens without stopping. When he finally arrived in the city, he shouted that the Greek army had won the battle. However, he was so tired from running that he suddenly fell down and died. In 1896, the creators of the modern Olympic Games ( 2 ) to start a long-distance race called the "marathon" to honor his amazing run.

Today, millions of people run marathons every year in cities all over the world. ( 3 ), most runners today do not run for war or to carry news. They run to test their own physical strength, achieve personal goals, and stay healthy.

The Origin of the Marathon

The marathon is a famous running race that is 42.195 kilometers long. The name of the race comes from an old story from ancient Greece. According to the legend, there was a great battle in a town called Marathon in the year 490 BCE. When the Greek army finally won the battle, a soldier named Pheidippides was chosen to ( 1 ) the good news to the city of Athens.

Pheidippides was very brave. He ran all the way from Marathon to Athens without stopping. When he finally arrived in the city, he shouted that the Greek army had won the battle. However, he was so tired from running that he suddenly fell down and died. In 1896, the creators of the modern Olympic Games ( 2 ) to start a long-distance race called the "marathon" to honor his amazing run.

Today, millions of people run marathons every year in cities all over the world. ( 3 ), most runners today do not run for war or to carry news. They run to test their own physical strength, achieve personal goals, and stay healthy.