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Greek
Marathon
| "American
athlete Dick Molen and wife Jan arrived in Athens Wednesday
and tested themselves in the classic Marathon to Athens 42k
course, Dick finished in a time of under 3 hours. For those
who know his story it was an accomplishment of massive proportions.
Dick is 48 years old and 5 years ago he was diagnosed with cancer,
Hodgkin's disease. He battled his way back from near death by
sheer will and determination and was cured".....-Athens
News, July 27, 1984 |
From the coastal town of
Marathon, across the Plains of Marathon, to the beautiful marble
Panathenaic Stadium in the center of Athens, we ran the original Greek
Marathon.
The original Greek marathoner 490 B.C. - Legend has it that
Phidippides ran the 24.8 miles from the small town of Marathon to Athens
to announce the Greek victory over the Persians at the Battle of
Marathon. He collapsed and died after he carried the news of the
victory.
The modern Marathon
commemorates his feat. In honor of Phidippides, the 24.8 mile marathon
became part of the Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896. A year later,
the Boston Marathon was held for the first time, making it the oldest
marathon race in the United States.
Map of the southern Greek mainland.
Before we ran the marathon we visited a monument in the center of the
village commemorating the Battle of Marathon.
Celebrating after the Greek Marathon, on a
yacht sailing throughout the Greek Islands.
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