Posted on 08/14/2011 6:35:46 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets
The Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, and all the other marathon races held worldwide trace their origin to this battle in ancient Greece and the well-known story of a messenger who ran about 26 miles from the battlefield back to Athens and died when he arrived.
The ancient calendars and uncertain records have made it difficult to date these events precisely. But the ancient sources describe the lunar phase near the time of the battle, and we can calculate when the Battle of Marathon occurred using these astronomical clues.
(Excerpt) Read more at skyandtelescope.com ...
I always thought the correct istance was 26 miles 385 yards??
a messenger who ran about 26 miles from the battlefield
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about 24 miles. the first modern Olympic marathon was closer to that.
but in i think 1908, it was extended so royal viewers could watch. the distance of 26.2 has stayed since.
Used to run six miles every morning while active duty. I retired at 26 years with an injury that wouldn’t let me do that jog every morning. I have over those same years felt good during my morning PT an ran 12 with an 8 minute average a few times. Marathons ?
Nope...:o)
I’m 60 and I like to do about four and a half miles on the elliptical in a half hour. (Low impact). If you do it regularly, it’s not at all tiring. I imagine, gee, all have to do is repeat this seven times and I’ve done a 3:00 marathon.
Nope.
BTW, I remember my 25 mile march on the last week of basic. I was ok, but it took a lot more than three hours.
BTW I ran Boston Marathon
“Rejoice, we conquer!”
Lol... Can’t outrun splosives silly...:o)
Lord knows I’ve tried a few times.
Try this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon#1908_Olympics
1908 Olympics:
The standard distance for the marathon race was set by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) in May 1921[29][30] at a distance of 42.195 kilometres (26 miles 385 yards). Rule 240 of their Competition Rules specifies the metric version of this distance.[31] This seemingly arbitrary distance was that adopted for the marathon at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. At a meeting of the International Olympic Committee in The Hague in May 1907 it was agreed with the British Olympic Association that the 1908 Olympics would include a marathon of about 25 miles or 40 kilometres.[32] In November 1907 a route of about that distance was published in the newspapers, starting at Windsor Castle and finishing at the Olympic Stadium, the Great White City Stadium in Shepherd’s Bush in London.[33] There were protests about the final few miles because of tram-lines and cobbles, so the route was revised to cross the rough ground of Wormwood Scrubs. This lengthened the route, as did plans to make the start 700 yards (640 m) from Queen Victoria’s statue by Windsor Castle, and it was decided to fix the distance at 26 miles (42 km) to the stadium, plus a lap of the track (586 yards, 2 feet),[33] using the Royal Entrance as the marathon tunnel, and finishing in front of the Royal Box. For the official Trial Marathon on 25 April 1908, organized by the Polytechnic Harriers, the start was on ‘The Long Walk’ – a magnificent avenue leading up to Windsor Castle in the grounds of Windsor Great Park. For the Olympic Marathon itself the start was on the private East Terrace of Windsor Castle, with the permission of King Edward VII, so that the public would not interfere with the start.[33] The Princess of Wales and her children drove from their home at Frogmore on the far side of Windsor Great Park to watch the start of the race.[33][34] Shortly before the Games opened it was realized that the Royal Entrance could not be used as the marathon entrance—it was raised to permit easy descent by the royal party from their carriages, and did not open onto the track—so an alternative entrance was chosen, diagonally opposite the Royal Box. A special path was made just outside the Franco British Exhibition ground so that the distance to the stadium remained 26 miles. The finishing line was left unchanged, but in order that the spectators, including Queen Alexandra, could have the best view of the final yards, the direction of running was changed to “right-hand inside” (i.e. clockwise). This meant the distance in the stadium was shortened to 385 yards, and the total distance became 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 km).[33]
Broke my back.... Just damn sore to run but I get in about 5 miles a day walking. Walk before and after work as well as my morning an afternoon breaks. No more running. Have to stand an fight now....:o)
Or try...
Stay Safe....
Like the former corpulent Utah Jazz coach whose name I can’t recall once said in response to the question “Do you jog?”...”No” said he, “I want to be sick when I die.”
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Thanks Lonesome in Massachussets. |
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Yeah....ole Neil Armstrong commented on Dr Coopers conditioning aerobics plan as well stating “the human heart is allotted so many ticks in a lifetime an running just uses em up faster....:o)
Stay Safe an slooooow down....
Analysis of lunar records show the 490 B.C. battle occurred not on the long accepted date of September 12, but a full month earlier, researchers said... Having the run occur in August "makes it a little more plausible that he keeled over and died," said physics lecturer Russell Doescher, who worked on the study with team leader Donald Olson and colleague Marilynn Olson at Texas State University at San Marcos.
To improve this historical thread you should post contemporary newspaper articles about the event. I recommend checking your local college or university library’s newspaper archives. They probably have the Athens Times on microfilm from 136 B.C.
I have Babylon, April 15, 136 BC saved as .snf (Starry Night file) on my laptop. (It was a Monday, - Patriot's Day, so people in Massachusetts had an extra day to file their 1040s.) I think it's awsome that the coders of Starry Night had the eclipse fall in Babylon and not Mallorca.
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