Marathon Run Museum
Authentic Marathon and Marathon Race Museum
The Battle of Marathon was a decisive moment in Greek history, which would become a symbol to guide the people through the darkest times, from ancient times to the present. Legend has it that when the Persian army invaded Attica, professional running messenger Pheidippides first ran 200 km from Athens to Sparta in two days to seek help, and then ran 42 km from Marathon back to Athens to deliver the message of victory to the Athenian archon with his last breath.
Although this story may be fictional, it has inspired thousands of runners to try to follow in his footsteps since the restoration of the authentic marathon in 1972, attracting more and more professional and amateur athletes every year. The symbolic 42 km route starts from the historic city of Marathon and the ancient tomb (the tomb of the Athenian soldiers who died on the battlefield), travels along the Attica coast, then enters the city of Athens, and finally reaches the ancient stadium.
The Marathon Race Museum was inaugurated in 2004 in the context of the Athens Olympics, located in the center of the modern town of Marathon. The museum houses a large collection of Olympic marathon memorabilia.
The Marathon Race Museum is located in the village's old primary school. The museum houses personal items of Greek athletes who have participated in the Olympic marathon since 1896: their sportswear, running shoes, medals, newspaper articles about their achievements. On large boards, you will see important information about the Olympic marathons held around the world, such as those held in Mexico, Los Angeles, Berlin, Rome, and more. They report who the winner was, how he won, what the race route was like, and what the weather conditions were like at the time. There is also some special information: the Ethiopian champion of the 1960 Rome Marathon ran barefoot, women first participated in the marathon in Los Angeles in 1984, and the Greek champion of the 1896 Marathon presented an olive branch to Hitler in Berlin in 1936. Contemporary athletes are inspired by the ancient Battle of Marathon: Maria Polizo ran from Athens to Sparta and back again, lasting nearly a month, in honor of Pheidippides. Every September, a group of volunteers organizes a run from Athens to the statue of Leonidas in Sparta.