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
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