Modern Olympics marathon[edit] Main article: Marathons at the Olympics When the modern Olympics began in 1896, the initiators and organizers were looking for a great popularizing event, recalling the ancient glory of Greece. The idea of a marathon race came from Michel Bréal, who wanted the event to feature in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens. This idea was heavily supported by Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, as well as by the Greeks. The Greeks staged a selection race for the Olympic marathon on 10 March 1896 that was won by Charilaos Vasilakos in 3 hours and 18 minutes (with the future winner of the introductory Olympic Games marathon coming in fifth). The winner of the first Olympic Marathon, on 10 April 1896 (a male-only race), was Spyridon Spyros Louis, a Greek water-carrier, in 2 hours 58 minutes and 50 seconds. Burton Holmes photograph entitled 1896: Three athletes in training for the marathon at the Olympic Games in Athens. The womens marathon was introduced at the 1984 Summer Olympics (Los Angeles, USA) and was won by Joan Benoit of the United States with a time of 2 hours 24 minutes and 52 seconds.[12] Since the modern games were founded, it has become a tradition for the mens Olympic marathon to be the last event of the athletics calendar, with a finish inside the Olympic stadium, often within hours of, or even incorporated into, the closing ceremonies. The marathon of the 2004 Summer Olympics revived the traditional route from Marathon to Athens, ending at Panathinaiko Stadium, the venue for the 1896 Summer Olympics. The Olympic mens record is 2:06:32, set at the 2008 Summer Olympics by Samuel Kamau Wanjiru of Kenya[13] (average speed about 20.01 kilometres per hour or 12.43 miles per hour). The Olympic womens record is 2:23:07, set at the 2012 Summer Olympics by Tiki Gelana of Ethiopia.[14] The mens London 2012 Summer Olympic marathon winner was Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda (2:08:01). Per capita, the Kalenjin tribe of Rift Valley Province in Kenya have produced a highly disproportionate share of marathon and track-and-field winners.
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 07:54:28 +0000
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