From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marathon  (Μαραθώνας)
The plain of Marathon today
Location
Coordinates	38°9′N 23°57′E / 38.15, 23.95Coordinates: 38°9′N 23°57′E / 38.15, 23.95
Time zone:	EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation:	0 m (0 ft)
Government
Country:	Greece
Periphery:	Attica
Prefecture:	East Attica
Mayor:	Spýros Zágaris
Population statistics (as of 2001[1])
City Proper
- Population:	8,882
- Area:[2]	97.062 km² (37 sq mi)
- Density:	92 /km² (237 /sq mi)
Codes
Postal codes:	190 07
Area codes:	22940
License plate codes:	Z
Website
www.marathon.gr

Marathon (Demotic Greek: Μαραθώνας, Marathónas; Attic/ Katharevousa: Μαραθών, Marathṓn) is an ancient Greek city-state, a contemporary town in Greece, the site of the battle of Marathon in 490 BC, in which the heavily outnumbered Athenian army defeated the Persians. A burial mound (Greek Τύμβος, tymbos, i.e. tomb) for the 192 Athenian dead was erected near the battlefield. The Tymbos is now marked by a marble memorial stele and surrounded by a small park.

The name of the athletic long-distance endurance race, the "marathon", comes from the legend of Pheidippides, a Greek soldier, who was sent from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been miraculously defeated in the Battle of Marathon. It is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping, but moments after proclaiming his message "Nenikekamen" ("We were Victorious!") to the city he collapsed dead from exhaustion. The account of the run from Marathon to Athens first appears in Plutarch's On the Glory of Athens in the 1st century AD who quotes from Heraclides Ponticus lost work, giving the runner's name as either Thersipus of Erchius or Eucles.[1] Lucian of Samosata (2nd century AD) also gives the story but names the runner Philippides (not Pheidippides).[2]

The Greek historian Herodotus, the main source for the Greco-Persian Wars, mentions Pheidippides as the messenger who ran from Athens to Sparta asking for help. In some Herodotus manuscripts the name of the runner between Athens and Sparta is given as Philippides.

There are two roads out of the battlefield of Marathon towards Athens, one more mountainous towards the north whose distance is about 34.5 km (21.4 miles), and another flatter but longer towards the south with a distance of 40.8 km (25.4 miles). It has been successfully argued that the ancient runner took the more difficult northern road because at the time of the battle there were still Persian soldiers in the south of the plain.

In 1876, Robert Browning wrote the poem "Pheidippides". Browning's poem, his composite story, became part of late 19th century popular culture and was accepted as a historic legend.

When the idea of a modern olympics became a reality at the end of the 19th century, the initiators and organizers were looking for a great popularizing event, recalling the ancient glory of Greece. The idea of organizing a Marathon race came from Michel Bréal, who wanted the event to feature in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens. This idea was heavily supported by Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, as well as the Greeks. The Greeks staged a selection race for the Olympic marathon, and this first marathon was won by Charilaos Vasilakos in 3 hours and 18 minutes (with the future winner of the introductory Olympic Games marathon coming in fifth). The winner of the first Olympic Marathon in 1896 (a male only race) was Spiridon "Spiros" Louis, a Greek water-carrier. He won at the Olympics in 2 hours, 58 minutes and 50 seconds, despite stopping on the way for a glass of wine from his uncle waiting near the village of Chalandri.^{[citation needed]}

The current "official" distance of 26.22 miles for the marathon came from the marathon at the 1908 Olympic Games in London, which was set to measure exactly 26 miles and to start on ‘The Long Walk’ – a magnificent avenue in the grounds of Windsor Castle. At his own request it was scheduled to be started by King Edward VII personally. It was only on the day before the race that it was extended by 385 yards from its set 26 miles so that the King could start the race in the Great Courtyard of the Castle (385 yards up the hill) because he had a cold and his doctors had advised him not to go out. This way the runners would still cross the finishing line in front of his wife Queen Alexandra in the Royal family's viewing box in the Olympic Arena - White City Stadium at Shepherd's Bush in the west of central London) - so the length became 42.195 km (26 miles 385 yards).

Marathon (μάραθον) is the Greek word for fennel. It is believed that the town was originally named so because of an abundance of fennel plants in the area. The sophist and magnate Herodes Atticus was born in Marathon. In 1925, a dam was constructed by the American company ULEN in a valley above Marathon, in order to ensure water supply for Athens. It was completed in 1930. About 10 km² of forested land were flooded to form Lake Marathon. The Dionysos-Nea Makri road, part of GR-83, passes through a traffic-light-controlled one-lane driveway on the crest of the dam wall. The plain area lies to the southeast.

The beach of Schinias is located southeast of the town and it is a popular windsurfing spot and the Olympic Rowing Center for the 2004 Summer Olympics is also located there. At the 1896 and 2004 Summer Olympics, Marathon was the starting point of the marathon races (for both women and men in 2004). The area is susceptible to flash flooding, because of forest fires having denuded parts of the eastern slopes of Mount Penteli.

The other settlements in the municipality are Ágios Panteleímon (pop. 1,489), Káto Soúli (1,477), Vranás (731), Aýra (235), Vóthon (207), Áno Soúli (188), and Schiniás (156).

• List of municipalities of Attica, Communities of Attica
• Battle of Marathon

• Official web site (Greek)
• Map and aerial photos:
  • Street map: Street map from Mapquest, MapPoint or Google
  • Satellite images: Google - image now available
• Coordinates: 38°9′11″N, 23°57′35″E