Marathon, Greece Marathon, Greece Marathon (Demotic Greek: Μαραθώνας, "Marathónas"; Attic/Katharevousa: , "Marathṓn") is a town in Greece and the site of the battle of Marathon in 490 BCE, in which the heavily outnumbered Athenian army defeated the Persians. Legend has it that Pheidippides, a Greek herald at the battle, was sent running from Marathon to Athens to announce the victory, which is how the marathon running race was conceived in modern times. The name "Marathon" () comes from the herb fennel, called "marathon" () or "marathos" () in Ancient Greek, so "Marathon" literally means "a place full of fennels". It is believed
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