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A real Marathon man (lemmy.world)
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[-] superkret@feddit.org 69 points 4 weeks ago

He ran a marathon and died.
Today, millions run marathons and are fine.
Some do it while wearing T-Rex costumes.

[-] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 41 points 4 weeks ago

Pheidippides didn't run a marathon. He ran 260 km over two days and died. A modern marathon is "only" 42.195 km.

You'd probably die as well without training for said marathon, which that poor man didn't have the luxury of doing.

[-] jpreston2005@lemmy.world 49 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

Pheidippides

Oh man, are you selling it short. He was a professional running-courier, so we can assume he was well-seasoned for the activity, BUT

The traditional story relates that Pheidippides (530–490 BC), an Athenian herald, or hemerodrome[3] (translated as 'day-runner',[4] 'courier',[5][6] 'professional-running courier'[3] or 'day-long runner'[7]), was sent to Sparta to request help when the Persians landed at Marathon, Greece. He ran about 240 km (150 mi) in two days, and then ran back. He then ran the 40 km (25 mi) to the battlefield near Marathon and back to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC) with the word νικῶμεν (nikomen[8] 'We win!'), as stated by Lucian chairete, nikomen ('hail, we are the winners')[9] and then collapsed and died.

If I'm reading this correctly, he ran 350 miles in around a week or less? That's insane.

[-] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 21 points 4 weeks ago

Ok, yeah that's insane. No wonder the poor guy dropped from exhaustion

[-] Zannsolo@lemmy.world 6 points 4 weeks ago
[-] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 3 points 4 weeks ago

Happy Cakeday! 🍰🎂

Kidney failure? Was he chugging wine and mead the whole way, or is that just a result of extreme dehydration?

[-] Zannsolo@lemmy.world 6 points 4 weeks ago

Muscles break down kidneys get overwhelmed and go into failure. Sometimes (rarely) ultra marathoners will need dialysis and they are running a much shorter distance.

[-] Agent641@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago
[-] Zannsolo@lemmy.world 1 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

I dunno basically basing this off a bit of running knowledge and something I sorta remembered, probably from an episode of house or some other medical show. I also did a bit of quick googling to validate its a real thing.

[-] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago

Ahh! Gotcha. Fair enough. I suppose that's actually useful for me to know, thanks!

[-] Amanduh@lemm.ee 10 points 4 weeks ago
[-] Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 9 points 4 weeks ago

Humans can actually outrun a horse under certain conditions, notably hot temperatures and extreme distances.

[-] Amanduh@lemm.ee 6 points 4 weeks ago

But like if he could have ridden a horse and then ran and found a new horse ya know? Maybe he could have lived

[-] Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 11 points 4 weeks ago

Funnily enough, a pony train has been the solution many times throughout history. A messenger would ride one horse to exhaustion, jump on another at a depot, and continue.

[-] Amanduh@lemm.ee 3 points 4 weeks ago

Now we're cookin with grease

[-] Redfox8@mander.xyz 3 points 4 weeks ago

Very expensive, like owning a Rolls Royce as a modern day gig worker delivering pizzas...

[-] leftytighty@slrpnk.net 9 points 4 weeks ago

Famously ancient historians never embellished anything especially when it comes to a story with national significance

[-] Boxscape@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

he ran 350 miles in around a week or less? That's insane.

Run Pheidippides! Run!

[-] Squibbles@lemmy.ca 26 points 4 weeks ago

You may not like it but this is what peak performance looks like

spoilerPeak performance

[-] LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world 6 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

Is that available at any Spirit Halloween?

[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 6 points 4 weeks ago

Is that the nutsack mascot from the Postal games?

[-] psmgx@lemmy.world 48 points 4 weeks ago

Dude died afterwards, no? Not something I aspire to

[-] PugJesus@lemmy.world 17 points 4 weeks ago

But think of the IMMORTAL GLORY you'll win!

... yeah, I ain't too big on it either, I'll take the train.

[-] SpruceBringsteen@lemmy.world 6 points 4 weeks ago

What was this person's name?

[-] PugJesus@lemmy.world 9 points 4 weeks ago

Funny question! The stories can't seem to agree. Pheidippides is the most common one, but there are at least a few other names claimed in Classical stories as the REAL name of the runner.

[-] SpruceBringsteen@lemmy.world 7 points 4 weeks ago

It was SpruceBringsteen I'm pretty sure

[-] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago

Heard his name was Rick, actually

[-] BackOnMyBS@lemmy.autism.place 10 points 4 weeks ago

I think he walked in, said the message, and died right there just like in a movie.

[-] CluckN@lemmy.world 13 points 4 weeks ago

How did they know the message was done? Did he say over before dying?

[-] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 8 points 4 weeks ago

That's a 10-4 good buddy. Over.

[-] Boxscape@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 4 weeks ago

Did he say over before dying?

Did he say what before dying? Over.

[-] jqubed@lemmy.world 5 points 4 weeks ago

I always think of that every time I read about someone dying while running a marathon

[-] dragonfucker@lemmy.nz 41 points 4 weeks ago

This is silly. Those muscles are no good for running. Those are lifting muscles. A runner should be lean and efficient. Those muscles are too heavy.

[-] Spacehooks@reddthat.com 8 points 4 weeks ago

This photo is how he is on the inside. Man started a trend of suffering humans continue honoring till this day.

[-] Flocklesscrow@lemm.ee 5 points 4 weeks ago

Also not great for fighting. Gassed out in 1-2 minutes.

Aesthetic muscles.

[-] PugJesus@lemmy.world 30 points 4 weeks ago

Explanation: According to Classical-era stories (believed to be just a legend nowadays, due to contemporary accounts of the battle not recording it), after the Greeks defeated the Persians in the Battle of Marathon, a Greek courier, who had just ran 150 miles over the previous 2 days, sprinted another 25 miles to deliver news of the victory to Athens, bursting into the assembly and crying out "We have won!" before collapsing, dead.

Good one to keep in mind on long jogs, huh?

[-] sicarius@lemmy.world 14 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

He had previously ran to ask the Spartans for help on the battle but they wouldn't leave until after some festival or something.
So, he then ran to the battle, fought, then ran back to Athens to tell everyone because a ship had slipped past the battle on its way to Athens and if it got back before their army the enemy would just say they won and sack Athens. The Guy is a machine.
His full adventure inspired the ultramarathon The spartathalon

[-] Agent641@lemmy.world 8 points 4 weeks ago

The Spartans had to wait until the full moon before making a decision.

Fella should of just walked.

[-] ikidd@lemmy.world 5 points 4 weeks ago

They must not have invented horses yet.

[-] PugJesus@lemmy.world 4 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

Greece before good roads was less-than-horse-friendly, very mountainous, some cross-country shit the poor fellow probably had to do.

[-] Nougat@fedia.io 13 points 4 weeks ago

Arnold is/was definitely not an actual marathon runner, even if he was the Marathon Man.

[-] Boxscape@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 4 weeks ago

Arnold is/was definitely not an actual marathon runner

What about Robert Patrick? 😏

Have you seen this boy?

[-] FenrirIII@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

He was Hercules though

this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2024
318 points (95.7% liked)

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