Sponsorship Link
That marathon was first run as an athletic race when the Olympics were revived as modern games in 1896 in Athens is a well-known fact, but only a few would know about its origin. The origin lies very close to the ancient Greek city, Marathon. The race derived its name from the city where Battle of Marathon was fought between Athens and Persia in 490 BC, an event that was a turning point in the history of Greece.
/
Legends have it that a Greek runner ran non-stop from Marathon to Athens to announce the defeat of Persians, who had invaded Greece, in the battle. The idea of marathon race in 1896 Olympics then proliferated, recalling the ancient glory of Greek’s victory.
This year happens to be the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon and a record 12,500 athletes are set to run in the Athens Classic Marathon on October 31 to mark the occasion, Reuters reported.
Athens Classic Marathon has been a major tourism event as well for Greece and with the highest number of participants ever this year, travel and tourism industry officials foresee the event a boost for tourism. In addition, 90 per cent of the participants are foreigners, meaning the Marathon is an opportunity for them to tour Greece, said an official.
Must Read
To make the big day more happening for tourists and spectators, organizers have planned live concerts in the center of Athens to commemorate the origin of marathon races. Also during the event, veteran marathon athletes and winners will be honored. These include Italian Stephano Baldini, who won the 2004 Olympic Games Marathon in Athens and Constantina Dita from Romania who won the 2008 Olympic Games Marathon in Beijing, just to name a few among many.
Follow us
