Recreating the First Marathon: What's Your Running Passion?

Maria Polyzou, Greece's female marathon record holder, successfully recreated the legendary run of an army messenger exactly 2,500 years ago on Monday night. She began her trek at the Acropolis in Athens and completed her version of the run, logging 335 miles total and more than 52 miles a day for the week.

Although there are different versions of the legend, during the Battle of Marathon, Greek messenger Pheidippides was sent from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens, Greece's capitol, to announce that the Athenians had defeated the Persians. The messenger crossed the entire distance until he was able to announce the victory before collapsing and dying.

"There isn't a bone or muscle in my body that doesn't hurt," Polyzou told Reuters. "I was in a lot of pain at various points but the one thing that remained steady was my mind and my soul, and it is this which has helped me to complete the run."

The Tomb of Marathon, where she finished her race, is the burial ground of the Athenians who were killed in battle.

"This is a symbol of sacrifice coming from antiquity," Greece's general secretary for sports, Panos Bistsaxis, told Reuters. "This is the deeper value served [Monday] by Maria Polyzou, who becomes synonymous with athletic effort ... [This is] the best gold medal she could ever win."

Polyzou's race is one of the major celebrations planned for the 2,500-year anniversary of the messenger's accomplishments. The celebration ends October 31 with the Athens Marathon.

"This is a special year for the sport, and I want to be a part of our history ... To put it simply, the marathon is part of my soul," Polyzou told the Greek Reporter. "You can't undertake something like this if you do not believe in the whole idea of the marathon."

It's a passion that many men and women around the world share. Each year, there are nearly 400 marathons in the United States and 500 international ones. Each year, the most popular of the 26.2-mile races fill up faster. Many runners choose to run one to prove to themselves that they can do it. Others get bit by the marathon bug and rack up miles after miles training for the next race. As a marathon veteran, I've completed five races since 2007.

I've raced in Chicago, my hometown, and discovered that even in temperatures that hovered at a record-setting 87 degrees (one man died, 300 needed medical attention and more were told that the race was canceled), I could finish. That's when I knew that I had found my calling.

Less than two years later, I ran the race that I believed would define me as a runner -- the illustrious Boston Marathon.

Boston, unlike other marathons, has mandatory qualifying time standards for most, low-capacity crowds and a historic course. With the 115th anniversary of the race approaching in April and its prestige as the oldest annual marathon, it is still the only race that I want to return to on an annual basis. Chicago, Las Vegas and Cincinnati, the other cities in which I've taken home a finisher's medal, do not compare.

For one weekend, runners take over the city and its suburbs and are treated like celebrities. They chatter amongst themselves, knowing that they are talented, hardworking and lucky enough to qualify. They also realize that their chances of returning are never guaranteed. There's a small window during which qualifying times are valid, and with more people running marathons, the chances that the Boston Athletic Association will try to limit the number of runners through lottery systems or by making qualifying times faster are high. As long as Boston remains a qualifying time-required event, it will be the race I aspire to year after year.

Yes, I would love to race through the Australian Outback, as part of an African safari or through the streets of European cities, but the journey from Hopkinton to Boston will always be a unique experience that everyone who toes the starting line can appreciate.

Are you getting ready for a race? Check out our marathon training tips.