The Tragic Origin of the Marathon

The first marathon ever run ended in death. Picture this: The ancient Greeks just

pulled off a shocking victory against the massive Persian army at the Battle of Marathon.

They had to get the news back to Athens, and fast. They sent their

best runner, Pheidippides, to carry the message. He didn't just jog; he sprinted the

entire 26.2 miles from the battlefield to the city. He burst into the city square,

yelled, "Rejoice, we conquer," and then collapsed and died from pure exhaustion.

That legendary, fatal run is the original marathon.