Pheidippides is a Greek soldier who is said to have run from the city of Marathon to Athens in order to deliver the message of the victory of the Greeks over the Persians in the "Battle of Marathon" that occurred in 490 BC.
Pheidippides is believed to have run to Sparta to request for help when the Persians landed in Marathon. He then went back to Marathon. He is believed to have an approximately 240 km or 150 miles in this back and forth trip.
After the events unfolded in Marathon, he ran a distance of approximately 40 km from Marathon to the city of Athens. This run would ultimately be referenced as the benchmark for the current Marathon discipline, which consists of a race of 42.1 km.
