The ancient historians Herodotus and Plutarch described the legend of a runner who brought news of victory at the Battle of Marathon to Athens. However, their versions differ greatly.

Herodotus, who lived closer to those events, states that Pheidippides (in another version, Pheiditippides) was sent to Sparta the day before the battle to ask the Lacedaemonians for help. He covered about 240 kilometers, but the Spartans refused to participate, citing religious reasons. The runner then returned back and informed the Athenians that they would have to fight without allies.

Plutarch, who lived a few centuries later, relays a different story. According to his version, another messenger, Eukles, ran the distance from Marathon to Athens (about 40 kilometres) to announce the victory. On reaching the city, he shouted out: ‘Rejoice, Athenians, we have won!’ - and immediately died of exhaustion.

Although Plutarch's version looks dramatic, it is questionable. The hoplite warriors fought in heavy armor, and it is highly unlikely that one of them would have been able to cover such a distance immediately after the battle. It is all the more strange that he allegedly ran in full battle attire, which contradicts the logic of military tactics.

In ancient Greece, there was a sport discipline called ‘hoplitodrome’ - running in armor - but its distance was only 400 meters. Perhaps the story of the marathon racer in armor originates from there.

Today, the marathon (42.195 km) is the official Olympic programme. The original distance was 40 kilometers, the distance that separates Marathon from Athens. However, during the 1908 Olympic Games in London, it was extended to finish at Windsor Palace.

In 1982, British officers repeated Fidippides' route, running 246 kilometers in 36 hours. This route formed the basis of the modern Spartathlon ultramarathon, held annually in Greece since 1983.

Despite the training, the marathon remains a dangerous distance. According to statistics, there is one death for every 80,000 participants. The cause is usually heart failure caused by overload. About a third of fatalities occur at the finish line, when adrenaline no longer supports the body and the heart cannot cope with the strain.

If the legend about the death of the runner is true, he probably accelerated in the last meters of the race, which led to a fatal overload. His heart simply couldn't take the final spurt - just as it sometimes does today.

Now you know more !