Marathon Running

		Marathon History
		The modern Athens Marathon commemorates the run of the soldier Pheidippides from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C., bringing news of a Greek victory over the Persians. Legend has it that Pheidippides delivered the momentous message "Niki!" ("victory"), then collapsed and died, thereby setting a precedent for dramatic conclusions to the marathon. When the modern Olympic games were inaugurated in 1896 in Greece, the legend of Pheidippides
was revived by a 24.85 mile (40,000 meters) run from Marathon Bridge to Olympic stadium in Athens. Spiridon Louis, a Greek postal worker won the race in a time of 2 hours, 58 minutes, 50 seconds. At the 1908 Olympic Games in London, the marathon distance was changed to 26 miles to cover the ground from Windsor Castle to White City stadium, with 385 yards added on so the race could finish in front of the royal family's viewing box.

Boston Marathon History
The first Boston Marathon was organized by the United States Olympic Team Manager John Graham. Various routes were considered before a measured distance of 24.5 miles from the Irvington Oval in Boston to Metcalf's Mill in Ashland was eventually selected. On April 19, 1897, John J. McDermott of New York, emerged from a 15-member starting field and captured the first Boston Marathon victory in a time of 2 hours, 55 minutes,
10 seconds. In 1924, the starting line of the Boston Marathon was moved from Ashland to Hopkinton. In 1927, the Boston Marathon course was lengthened to the full distance of 26 miles, 385 yards to conform to Olympic standards. Between 1897 and 1968, the Boston Marathon was held on Patriots' Day, April 19, a holiday commemorating the start of the Revolutionary War and recognized only in Massachusetts and Maine. However, in 1969, the holiday was officially moved to the third Monday in April. The annual race continues to be held on the third Monday in April.