Leonard Hurst 200-franc prize in a winning time of 2:31:30; 27 minutes faster than the mark of 2:58:50 set by Spiridon Louis of Greece three months earlier at the first Olympic marathon in Athens, Greece on 10 April 1896. Set on courses shorter than the now-standardized distance of 42,195 km (26 miles 385 yards), the performances of Louis and Hurst were never officially recognised as world records in the marathon. 1897 contemporary sources report Hurst finishing second behind F. Champion in the second running of the event; and again finishing second in 1899 behind A. Charbonnel. In 1900 the race was run
Arthur Blake (distance runner) Arthur Blake (distance runner) Arthur Blake ("Arthur Charles "Skipper" Blake;" January 26, 1872 – October 22, 1944) was an American athlete who competed in the 1500 meters and the marathon at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. Blake was born on January 26, 1872 in Boston, Massachusetts. Blake competed for the Boston Athletic Association and it was after a 1000 yard race he said in jest ""I'm too good for Boston, I ought to go over and run the Marathon, at Athens, in the Olympic Games"", the comment was overheard by stockbroker Arthur Burnham, who then offered to finance a