Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Plain of Marathon View of the Lake Marathon. The sophist and magnate Herodes Atticus was born in Marathon. In 1926, the American company ULEN began construction on the Marathon Dam in a valley above Marathon, in order to ensure water supply for Athens. It was completed in 1929. About 10 km 2 of forested land were flooded to form Lake Marathon.
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of 42 km 195 m (c. 26 mi 385 yd), [1] usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy.
The distance eventually became fixed at 42.195 kilometres (26 miles 385 yards), though for the first years it was variable, being around 40 kilometres (25 mi)—the approximate distance from Marathon to Athens. [136]
In fact, Athens has been referred to as the hottest city in mainland Europe, [63] and is the first city in Europe to appoint a chief heat officer to deal with severe heat waves. [64] Temperatures of 47.5°C have been reported in several locations of the metropolitan area, including within the urban agglomeration.
A statue of Pheidippides on the route from Marathon to Athens Burton Holmes' photograph entitled "1896: Three athletes in training for the marathon at the Olympic Games in Athens". The 1896 Olympic Marathon was the precursor to the Athens Classic Marathon. Runners competing in the 1980 Athens Marathon, won by Jean-Paul Didim
The race distance varied from 40 to 42 kilometres (25 to 26 mi) in the early editions as it was typically based upon the distance between two points that the organisers felt were suitable. The 1908 London Olympics marked the introduction of the standard distance of 26 miles, 385 yards (42.195 km). [2]
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). [2]
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Athens: . Athens – capital of Greece and of the Attica region. With about 638,000 residents in the city proper [1] and 3,090,508 residents in the urban area, it is also the country's most populated city.