In Honor of Pheidippides The world’s longest running event is the marathon. It is a little over 26.2 miles. So, whose idea was it to run such an unusual distance anyway? It all began in ancient Greece. A man named Pheidippides was a messenger for the Greek army. Stories say that he ran 26.2 miles from the city of Marathon to Athens to tell the people of the army’s triumph. Thousands of years later, the first modern Olympics were held in 1896. To get more people interested in the games, a long distance running event was planned. In honor of Pheidippides, the race was 26.2 miles and named the marathon. This first race was so popular that marathons are now hosted around the globe. After years of training, an elite athlete can finish a marathon in just over two hours. That’s roughly 13 miles per hour! Sounds like something legends are made of, doesn’t it? 1. Where would this passage most likely appear?

In Honor of Pheidippides The world’s longest running event is the marathon. It is a little over 26.2 miles. So, whose idea was it to run such an unusual distance anyway? It all began in ancient Greece. A man named Pheidippides was a messenger for the Greek army. Stories say that he ran 26.2 miles from the city of Marathon to Athens to tell the people of the army’s triumph. Thousands of years later, the first modern Olympics were held in 1896. To get more people interested in the games, a long distance running event was planned. In honor of Pheidippides, the race was 26.2 miles and named the marathon. This first race was so popular that marathons are now hosted around the globe. After years of training, an elite athlete can finish a marathon in just over two hours. That’s roughly 13 miles per hour! Sounds like something legends are made of, doesn’t it?. 2. Why is the distance of a marathon exactly 26.2 miles?

In Honor of Pheidippides The world’s longest running event is the marathon. It is a little over 26.2 miles. So, whose idea was it to run such an unusual distance anyway? It all began in ancient Greece. A man named Pheidippides was a messenger for the Greek army. Stories say that he ran 26.2 miles from the city of Marathon to Athens to tell the people of the army’s triumph. Thousands of years later, the first modern Olympics were held in 1896. To get more people interested in the games, a long distance running event was planned. In honor of Pheidippides, the race was 26.2 miles and named the marathon. This first race was so popular that marathons are now hosted around the globe. After years of training, an elite athlete can finish a marathon in just over two hours. That’s roughly 13 miles per hour! Sounds like something legends are made of, doesn’t it?. 3. Which happens second in the above passage?