Battle of Marathon of events, with the competitors running from Marathon to Athens. So popular was this event that it quickly caught on, becoming a fixture at the Olympic games, with major cities staging their own annual events. The distance eventually became fixed at 26 miles 385 yards, or 42.195 km, though for the first years it was variable, being around —the approximate distance from Marathon to Athens. Battle of Marathon The Battle of Marathon (Greek: , "Machē tou Marathōnos") took place in 490 BC, during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea,
Paavo Nurmi Marathon and is considered to be the oldest running marathon in Wisconsin. . As of 2006, the record for the event stands at 2:19.10, set by Richard Wilde of England in 1978. The women's record is held by Mary Bange of La Crosse, Wisconsin, in a time of 2:47.49, set in 1979. Another marathon bearing the same name has been held since 1991 in Paavo Nurmi's birth city of Turku, Finland. Paavo Nurmi Marathon The Paavo Nurmi Marathon is an annual road running event held each August in Iron County, Wisconsin, in the United States. The course begins in the town