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Competitors stand, with cell phone in hand, 26 miles away from the destination of their message. When the starting gun fires, they must flip open the phone, dial the number of the receiving party and exclaim, "Nikomen!"
[link]
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Every 5 meters, they must ask, "can you hear me
now?" |
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Why 23 miles? The normal marathon distance is 26 miles (and some fraction). |
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I had to WikiP that one. It turns out,
"The traditional story relates that Pheidippides (530 BC–490 BC), an Athenian herald or hemerodrome (translated as "day-runner" courier , "professional-running courier" or "day-long runner" ) was sent to Sparta to request help when the Persians landed at Marathon, Greece. He ran 240 km (150 mi) in two days. He then ran the 40 km (25 mi) from the battlefield near Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC) with the word nikomen–"We have won", as stated by Lucian "chairete, nikomen" ("hail, we are the winners") to then collapse and die."
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Nowadays they don't die, they just hop around and hug each other like happy fools. |
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Supposedly, at the 1908 Olympic Games in London, the marathon distance was increased to 26.2 miles so the race could finish in front of royal family's
viewing box. |
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