Marathon year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes as larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants. The name "Marathon" comes from the legend of Philippides or Pheidippides, the Greek messenger. The legend states that he was sent from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon (in which he had just fought), which took place in August or September, 490 BC. It is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping and burst into the assembly, exclaiming ("nenikēkamen", "we have won!"), before collapsing and
Sydney Marathon Sydney Marathon The Sydney Marathon is a marathon held annually in Sydney, Australia each September. The event was first held in 2001 as a legacy of the 2000 Summer Olympics, which were held in Sydney. In addition to the marathon, a half marathon, "Bridge Run", and a "Family Fun Run" are also held under the banner of the Sydney Running Festival. The marathon course record is held by Gebo Burka of Kenya, who completed the race in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 18 seconds in 2014. The fastest woman is the former Ethiopian Makda Harun, now an Australian resident, who