Rethinking Marathon History at the Birthplace of Marathon
- allforyouclick
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- on May 10, 2023
Athens, Greece is the holy city of the modern Olympics. When you think of the origin of the marathon, the ‘flower of the Olympics’스포츠토토, Athens comes to mind.
“Hey Athenian! Rejoice. We won!” This is the place where the legend of Pheidippides, a messenger who vomited out this breathless word, collapsed at the feet of the citizens and died. Whether it is true or not, the marathon is still loved by people all over the world.
The love of marathon people all over the world will continue unchanging. This is because the marathon is a joy that can only be obtained from the most lonely and painful struggle that challenges the limits of human ability. The reason I visited the place on my travels was because I wanted to hear the sound of seniors breathing and smell their sweat.
Korea’s Kee-Jeong Sohn raised the record of 2 hours 31 minutes and 36 seconds set by Argentinian Jabara, the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics marathon gold medalist, to 2 hours and 20 minutes. It took 44 long years before Kierpinski of East Germany shortened the record again to 2 hours and 10 minutes in 1980.
Since then, the world marathon has been realizing a tremendous record-breaking speed competition led by African runners such as Kenya. At the Berlin Marathon held on September 25 last year, Eliud Kipchoge (39, Kenya) set a new record of 2 hours 01 minutes 09 seconds. Also, Kelvin Kiptum (23, Kenya), who participated in the 2023 London Marathon held on the 23rd of last month, won the race with a time of 2 hours 01 minutes 25 seconds, setting a record of second place in the world. Humanity’s dream of ‘sub 2’ (running a marathon in less than two hours) is approaching reality.
The marathon is as tough a race as conquering the moon. Furthermore, it is impossible to break the record and win the Olympic marathon, a global sports festival where hundreds of runners start together, without painstaking efforts.
So, every country does not hesitate to honor the winner of the Olympic marathon as a national hero. Kee-Jeong Son, who covered the Japanese flag with a laurel branch as if shouting “I am Korean” with her head bowed at the marathon podium at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, is a “marathon hero” who inspired us with indomitable spirit and courage in the dark period when we lost our country. no doubt im It was a journey where his ardent patriotic spirit touched his heart once again.