Ultrarunning is all about pacing yourself and using your energy levels wisely. So why invest hours in writing about the Spartathlon race if many runners already did.... So without permission, but with my eternal gratitude for letting me copy and paste it from his Blog:
by Scott Jurek (story reprinted here was originally published in UltraRunning Magazine)
Spartathlon History
Ancient Greece is a civilization known for the birthplace of modern democracy, epic battles, great warriors and leaders, learned philosophers and scientists, and legendary athletes.
Great athletic feats occurred at the ancient Olympic Games, though it is the accomplishment of a messenger named Pheidippides that is celebrated every year by hundreds of athletes from around the world as they make their way on foot from the Acropolis in the heart of Athens to the statue of King Leonidas in Sparta.
Historical records dating back to 490 BC by Herodotus state that Pheidippides was sent by the Athenians to carry a message to the Spartans, requesting their assistance in defending the city of Athens from invading Persian armies. Pheidippides set out at first light and covered the 246 kilometers from Athens to Sparta in a day and a half, arriving in Sparta by nightfall of the next day.
In 1982 a crazy and ambitious Brit by the name of John Foden, along with four other colleagues from the British Royal Air Force, traversed the route that Pheidippides covered (as described by Herodotus) to see if the 246 kilometers could indeed be covered in a day and a half. Foden and John Scholten completed the route in under 36 hours, proving that Pheidippides heroic journey was not a Greek myth (John McCarthy finished in under 40 hours). Thanks to Foden and his interest in ancient Greek history and long distance running, the Spartathlon became a formal event the following year.
The Modern Spartathlon
Every September since 1983, the ancient path from Athens to Sparta has been run by many great athletes. Perhaps as legendary as Pheidippides himself, the great Yannis Kouros burst onto the competitive ultramarathon scene in 1983 with a Spartathlon and ultramarathon debut in an astounding time of 21:53. Kouros went on to win the event three more times with a course record of 20:25 and posting world records on the road and track for almost all distances and durations beyond the 12 hour event.
Many renowned ultramarathoners from around the world have come to test their abilities against a course that covers 246 kilometers of paved roads (95%), improved dirt roads (4%), and a very small section of mountainous trail (1%). The road course is not devoid of hills, climbing a couple of mountain ranges to dole out over 8,000 feet of elevation gain. In addition to the sheer length of the course, runners are roasted under the potent Greek sun and coastal humidity. In the heat of the day, temperatures can reach 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit.
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