who ran 26 miles between marathon and athens
Marathon The marathon is a long-distance race, completed by running, walking , or a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair divisions. The marathon has an official distance of 42.195 kilometres (26.219 miles, or 26 miles 385 yards),[1] usually run as a road race. The event was instituted in commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens, who reported the victory.
Paavo Nurmi Paavo Johannes Nurmi (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈpɑːʋo ˈnurmi] ( listen); 13 June 1897 – 2 October 1973) was a Finnish middle- and long-distance runner. He was nicknamed the "Flying Finn" as he dominated distance running in the early 20th century. Nurmi set 22 official world records at distances between 1500 metres and 20 kilometres, and won nine gold and three silver medals in his twelve events in the Olympic Games. At his peak, Nurmi was undefeated at distances from 800 m upwards for 121 races. Throughout his 14-year career, he remained unbeaten in cross country events and the 10,000 m.