Marathon messenger who ran from Athens to Sparta asking for help, and then ran back, a distance of over each way. In some Herodotus manuscripts, the name of the runner between Athens and Sparta is given as Philippides. Herodotus makes no mention of a messenger sent from Marathon to Athens, and relates that the main part of the Athenian army, having fought and won the grueling battle, and fearing a naval raid by the Persian fleet against an undefended Athens, marched quickly back from the battle to Athens, arriving the same day. In 1879, Robert Browning wrote the poem "Pheidippides". Browning's
2014 London Marathon champion Feyisa Lelisa; Paris Marathon champion Stanley Biwott; two-time New York Marathon champion Marilson dos Santos, and 2011 world 10,000 metres champion Ibrahim Jeilan. British Olympic 10,000 metres Gold medallist Mo Farah, who ran half the marathon in 2013, drew significant interest in his home country and internationally. It was the first-ever marathon for Farah, often hailed as one of the greatest distance track runners in history. Entering the final mile, two Kenyans led the race: 2012 London Marathon champion Wilson Kipsang and Stanley Biwott. Kipsang pulled away over the last mile, to win the race in 2 hours 4