The Role of Phidippides

Phidippides a professional runner of the Athen's army is the one whose tale was immortalized by the Olympic Marathon.
The Athens were fighting the Persas and they were outnumbered, so the Athenian generals send Phidippides to call for Sparta's help. He run 140 miles and another 140 miles back with the disappointing news that the Sparta agreed to help but said they would not take the field until the moon was full due to religious laws. They fought in disadvantage, but they launched a surprise offensive thrust which at the time appeared suicidal and won the battle. Phidippides was again called upon to run from the battlefield in Marathon to Athens (26 miles away) to carry the news of victory and warning about the approaching Persians ships. He reached Athens in 3 hours delivering the message and died thereafter from exhaustion.
When the modern Olympics began in 1896, the tale of Pheidippides' feat was immortalized: A 24.8-mile race would serve as the final event of the Games, covering the route from Marathon Bridge to the Olympic Stadium in Athens.