Lauren HollandBy Lauren Holland

Updated November 2026

The first person to run a marathon is traditionally said to be Pheidippides, an Athenian messenger who ran from the plains of Marathon to Athens around 490 BC to announce a Greek victory over Persia. The story is famous, but the historical record behind it is thinner than most race brochures suggest.

Where the Pheidippides Story Comes From

The main source is Herodotus, the Greek historian, who wrote about the Battle of Marathon roughly half a century later. He describes a runner sent from Athens to Sparta asking for help before the battle, a trip of about 240 kilometers covered in two days. He does not describe a victory run back to Athens. That part appeared later, in writings by Plutarch and Lucian, who lived centuries after the battle and may have blended the two runs together.

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The version most people know, with the messenger collapsing after delivering the word “Nenikēkamen” (“We have won”), was popularized in the 19th century, especially after the modern Olympic Games were revived in 1896 and a race between Marathon and Athens was added to the program.

Why the Legend Stuck

Several factors help explain why the story survived even though the historical details are uncertain:

  • The battle was decisive. A Greek win over a much larger Persian force was a major moment in Western history, so people wanted a heroic messenger to match.
  • The distance is real. Marathon to Athens is roughly 40 kilometers, close to the modern standard of 42.195 km. The geography gave the legend a concrete, measurable finish.
  • Olympic revival. Organizers of the 1896 Games wanted a symbolic event that tied the new competition to ancient Greece, and the Pheidippides story fit that purpose well.

How to Think About the “First Marathon” Today

If you are writing a school report, giving a talk, or simply curious, the most accurate answer is that Pheidippides is the legendary origin of the marathon, not a documented first race. Historians generally treat the run to Athens as embellished, and the Sparta run as the better-attested journey. Both show that long-distance running as a message-carrying tool was practiced in ancient Greece.

For a clear timeline of how the story moved from ancient text to the modern course, see Who Was the First Man to Run a Marathon? The 490 BC Story and Who Won the First Marathon? The 490 BC Story and the Winner.

Practical Takeaways for Runners

  1. Give the answer as “Pheidippides, according to legend,” since that is the honest version.
  2. Note that the modern marathon distance of 42.195 km was set in 1921, not in antiquity.
  3. If you want to see the route, plan a trip along the Marathon-to-Athens road, which is still run as a race.
  4. Check original sources such as Herodotus rather than relying only on popular retellings.

FAQ

Did Pheidippides really run from Marathon to Athens?

The account is traditional, not firmly documented. Herodotus describes a run to Sparta, and the Athens run appears in later writers, so historians treat it with caution.

Why is the marathon 42.195 km long?

The distance was standardized in 1921 and is tied to the course used at the 1908 London Olympics, not to the ancient run.

Who was the first woman to run a marathon?

Early women ran unofficially, but Kathrine Switzer’s 1967 entry in the Boston Marathon is widely cited as a turning point; see Who Was the First Woman to Run a Marathon? Kathrine Switzer's 1967 Race for details.

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Lauren Holland

About Lauren Holland

Lauren Holland is part of our editorial team and reviews and edits our marathon & half-marathon guides, checking product details against manufacturer specifications and owner feedback.