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?
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
