Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon The men's marathon event was a special race invented as part of the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme. Michel Bréal originated the idea of a race from the city of Marathon to Athens, taking inspiration from the legend of Pheidippides. The first such marathon race was a Greek national competition that served as a qualifier for the Olympic marathon, won by Charilaos Vasilakos. The length of the marathon in 1896 was approximately 40 km (25 mi). Twenty-five athletes traveled to Marathon for the race from there to Athens, though
Columbus Marathon have come to Columbus to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials. The Columbus Marathon has been designated by Runner’s World as one of the Top 20 marathons in the nation and by "USA Today" as one of the top 10 Fall marathons. Columbus Marathon The Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon is a marathon held in Columbus, Ohio, United States. First run in 1978 and held annually since 1980, it features a flat, fast course which saw nearly 20 percent of finishers qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2010. The event has sold-out in mid-August the past eight years. There are