Marathon poem, his composite story, became part of late 19th century popular culture and was accepted as a historic legend. Mount Pentelicus stands between Marathon and Athens, which means that if Philippides actually made his famous run after the battle, he had to run around the mountain, either to the north or to the south. The latter and more obvious route matches almost exactly the modern Marathon-Athens highway, which follows the lay of the land southwards from Marathon Bay and along the coast, then takes a gentle but protracted climb westwards towards the eastern approach to Athens, between the foothills of
USA Marathon Championships USA Marathon Championships The USA Marathon Championships is the annual national championships for marathon running in the United States. The race serves as a way of designating the American national champion for the marathon. The men's race was first contested in 1925 and a women's race was added to the program in 1974. Since 1968, in years which the Summer Olympics are held the event serves as a way of selecting the athletes who will represent the United States at the Olympic Games, with the top three eligible finishers selected to be on the Olympic team and the fourth and