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Marathon & Beyond Archive · Topic

History

321 articles — Looks back across more than a century of marathon and ultramarathon running — from Pheidippides and the founding of the modern marathon at the 1896 Athens Olympics, through the post-war American boom, to the Salazar/Beardsley era and the modern explosion. The Marathon & Beyond archive is unusually rich in long-form running history.

· 2001 Following Pheidippedes AT A minute before midnight in Malendreni, a small village in the northeastern Peloponnese, it is very noisy. Everyone in town is on the broad porch… Editorial Staff · 25 min read · 1997 Borne Free THE MOST difficult run Uta Pippig ever took was not the Olympic or World Championships 10,000 meters or the New York City or Boston marathons, or… Editorial Staff · 32 min read · 1997 Boston’s Pseudo “100th” THE BOSTON Marathon celebrated its "100th" running in 1996 with a well-hyped, very long party, which at times stretched to over 13 miles. It was the… Editorial Staff · 10 min read · 1997 On THE Road with Kathrine Switzer AGING NEW ZEALAND, December—The bottle of wine jumped right off the shelf and into my hands. I couldn't believe the label—"Harrier Rise." The wine was a… Kathrine Switzer · 8 min read Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 Into the Maine Woods Would you like to travel through time? Of course you would! So how about traveling back to 1981 and Chicago’s Lakefront to witness one of the… Rich Limacher · 23 min read M&B Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 Comrades Some people would say that there are two kinds of ultrarunners: those who have run Comrades, and those who want to. Comrades is famous in the… Jeff Horowitz · 23 min read Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 The Hand Of Friendship Images of Dick Beardsley and Inge Simonsen dead-heating in the first London Marathon in 1981 were everywhere at the 35th, including the cover of the media… Roger Robinson · 17 min read Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 The 1968 Olympic Marathon Trials Over the years, as I have returned to run again the marathons of my youth, I find myself feeling more and more out of place, a… Joe Head · 28 min read Vol. 19, No. 5 · 2015 My Most Unforgettable Marathon DULUTH, MINNESOTA, June 20, 2015—As I sit here on a plane, flying over the Midwest, heading back to my home in Saint George, Utah, a smile… Amber Green · 10 min read Vol. 19, No. 4 · 2015 Twenty-Four Hours, Minute By Minute Saturday, September 20, 2014 6:25 a.m. “You mean they’re really going to run for 24 hours?” Reluctant Race Director Dan (RRD for short, because RRDD has… Dan Horvath · 20 min read Vol. 19, No. 3 · 2015 When Watching Ultras Was All The Rage While the crowds attending most ultra events today are, as they say, small but enthusiastic, in the second half of the 19th century, long-distance footraces were… Matthew Algeo · 17 min read M&B Vol. 19, No. 2 · 2015 Distance Running—and Racing—in the Ancient World In reality, if de Coubertin and Breal had wanted historical accuracy, they should have stuck with shorter races. The premier events of the ancient Olympics (which… Pam Nourse · 9 min read Vol. 19, No. 2 · 2015 Wreathed In Glory The crowning of an olive-branch wreath atop the winner’s head at the Boston Marathon is far from a cliché. There is a deep, soulful connection and… Paul Clerici · 24 min read Vol. 19, No. 2 · 2015 Boston Through Allens Legs aching, sweat glistening, dehydration setting in, yet smiling ear to ear: a perfect illustration of my body and mind after a second journey along the… Kevin Frick · 15 min read Vol. 19, No. 1 · 2015 Running Reykjavik “They come from the land of the ice and snow, of the midnight sun where the hot springs flow.”* by Jeff Knapp August 2013 marked the… Jeff Knapp · 11 min read Vol. 19, No. 1 · 2015 Under Two Hours—And Beyond The marathon: a magic distance and event, one that requires ambition, planning, determination, courage, persistence, stamina, and endurance, all traits the Greek messenger Pheidippides was required… Pj. Christman · 13 min read Vol. 19, No. 1 · 2015 Preserved The ancient Greeks showed their love and loyalty to their gods, heroes, and teachers by immortalizing them with statues. Their aim was to show men moving,… Gail Kislevitz · 17 min read Vol. 19, No. 1 · 2015 The Third Olympian Editor’s note: During the 1970s, the United States dominated the marathon, especially when it came to international competition. During that era, the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan… Hal Higdon · 32 min read Vol. 18, No. 6 · 2014 Going Far, Part 14 Going Far The decline in book sales and an eye toward Oregon. Part 14. BY JOE HENDERSON 58. The descent HONOLULU, HAWAII, December 1979. The higher… Joe Henderson · 17 min read Vol. 18, No. 6 · 2014 An African Adventure It all began with a shirt, a shirt I had never seen but one that I was convinced would be the ultimate souvenir of my Peace… Maureen Welcker · 12 min read Vol. 18, No. 6 · 2014 My Awkward Moment Of Glory In Maine, like many other states, the Olympic marathon is a worthy aspiration. But here in my home state, it is the female Olympic marathon runner… Zoe Romano · 9 min read M&B Vol. 18, No. 6 · 2014 Pick And Run A Marathon For the majority of marathoners, especially nonprofessionals, choosing a 26.2-miler can boil down to something as simple as a favorite city, a low entrance fee, a… Paul Clerici · 15 min read Vol. 18, No. 6 · 2014 How I Became Gary Fanelli, Part 4 Since I was 17, I had that feeling, an intuitive feeling, the dream of competing in the Olympic Games. But more than a decade of training… Gary Fanelli · 23 min read Vol. 18, No. 5 · 2014 Theironman Marathon By the time I got to the aid station at mile 15 of the marathon, I had to sit down. Then I had to lie down.… Jose Jimenez · 17 min read
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