In the Footsteps of Phidepeddes

October 31st was the Athens Marathon, an event held in emulation of the messenger Phidepeddes who ran from Marathon to Athens to deliver the news of victory over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC.  Though I did not run (to give the others a fair chance, you see), I did take a turn cheering on the athletes.

After an unsuccessful attempt to find an English language church in Omonia on Sunday morning, my bus took me past the runners as they rounded the corner onto Kifissias, one of the main roads in Athens.  I stopped and joined the small crowd that was strung out along this section.  Though they were mostly reserved in their cheering, there were a couple of enthusiastic fans, including an older Greek man who cheered "Bravo!" (Imagine this with a Greek accent - roll your "r" and put an emphasis on the first syllable.)  I clapped, and after a while, I added a Greek "Bravo" or two of my own.

Do you think I qualify?

The best part was the runners themselves.  From all over the world, over 15,000 runners participated, whether in the full 26.2 miles, or the shorter 5K and 10K versions.  Many runners wore jerseys to match their team, sometimes with the name of their country: Italy, Germany, China, and Denmark were all well-represented.  Some participants carried full size flags, and one wore his as a cape!  Others got into the spirit of the host country, carrying laurel leaves (the symbol of victory), tucking them into their headbands, or wearing them as a head wreath.  Some enthusiastic participants dressed as gladiators - one carried a shield and sword and wore a plumed helmet; another sported full regalia and ran barefoot!  A couple of Chinese participants were running - I kid you not - with large zoom cameras in hand.  The Texans came out, of course - one with a bumper sticker across his chest proclaiming his love for the state, and another with a large foam cowboy hat.  I took a picture for a couple of participants from Virginia, and I watched as two little girls greeted their dad's arrival at the stadium with handmade signs.  (I found out from my Greek teacher later that the jerseys the athletes wear don't necessarily reflect where they're from - bummer.  I really hope those guys were from Texas, though!)

Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera at the corner of Kifissias, but I did go back and get it before I headed to the Panathinaiko Stadium to watch the athletes reach the very end.  It was such a neat thing to see all the runners who had finished walking past with their medals around their necks - one of the finished athletes walking by even commented on this after-race sense of commaraderie.  (You got a medal just for finishing, which I think is a great accomplishment!)  The time I saw posted near the stadium (and what I assume to be the record for the route) is around 2 hours and 11 minutes.  (Think about this time: it's like running 26 consecutive 5-minute miles.)  The runners I saw arriving had been running for 7 hours!  I felt that their applause was well deserved.

Outside the stadium.

Don't know what this building is usually used for -
for the Marathon, it was set up as a museum with exhibits
explaining the Battle of Marathon and the cultures
of ancient Greek and Persia.

Inside the museum.

I really wanted a t-shirt that said "In the Footsteps of Phideppedes," like I saw many of the runners wearing after the race, but I assume that they were reserved for participants.  By the time I got to the tent, even the other t-shirts in my size were gone :(  But, it was great fun to be there.  Even as I was excited to see all of the runners from the US, I felt very Greek compared to the visitors!

Take a look at the Wikipedia article on the Panathinaiko Stadium: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panathinaiko_Stadium.
Thanks for the history and details, http://www.athensmarathon.com/ and the Marathon museum exhibits (in the building pictured in the article).