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[[File:1896 Olympic marathon.jpg|thumbnail|370 px250px|left|Three runners training for the first marathon in 1896.]]
The marathon is seen today as a grueling long-distance, usually over 26-mile race. Marathon's battle fought between the Greek and Persian armies, and the resulting run by a Greek warrior to tell the victory is usually cited as the origin of this sport. While there is truth in this story, the history of the marathon is complex and its presence in many major world cities shows it still stands as one of the great events that tests human will and skill.
====The Modern Sport====
[[File:Louis_entering_Kallimarmaron_at_the_1896_Athens_Olympics.jpg|thumbnail|330px250px|left|Spyridon Louis entering Olympic stadium in 1896.]]
With the introduction of the marathon as a new sport, it soon became popular as an event that was run outside of the Olympics. In 1897, the Boston Marathon began to be an annual event and today is one of six major world marathon events held where the world's top runners compete. The race is the oldest continuing marathon and has always been run on Patriot's Day. The holiday symbolizes the first battles of the American Revolution. Thus the Boston Athletic Association, which runs the event, uses the date to tie the American struggle for freedom with that of the ancient Greeks.<ref>For more information on the Boston Marathon history, see: Derderian, Tom. 2014. ''Boston Marathon a Celebration of the World’s Premier Race''. Triumph Books. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1648811.</ref>