Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon The men's marathon event was a special race invented as part of the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme. Michel Bréal originated the idea of a race from the city of Marathon to Athens, taking inspiration from the legend of Pheidippides. The first such marathon race was a Greek national competition that served as a qualifier for the Olympic marathon, won by Charilaos Vasilakos. The length of the marathon in 1896 was approximately 40 km (25 mi). Twenty-five athletes traveled to Marathon for the race from there to Athens, though
Atlanta Marathon sites within Atlanta, including the Olympic rings. Atlanta Marathon The Atlanta Marathon (branded Publix Atlanta Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is an annual marathon held in Atlanta, Georgia. On the same day, a half marathon is also held, and some years also feature a 5K run. The first race was held on March 25, 2007 under the original sponsor-branded name ING Georgia Marathon. The race was acquired by US Road Sports in 2008. In September 2010, it was announced that Publix would be the new title sponsor for the race. In January 2014, Life Time Fitness acquired the race and operated