Revithi believed that she could gain employment in Athens, and so walked there from her home—a distance of . Her journey took place several days prior to the Olympic marathon, a special race of invented as part of the athletics program, and based on Michel Bréal's idea of a race from the city of Marathon to the Pnyx. Bréal took inspiration from Pheidippides, who, according to legend, ran the distance from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia at the Battle of Marathon, and died immediately after giving his message.