Spartathlon

Spartathlon is a 246-kilometre (153 mile) ultramarathon held annually in Greece since 1983 between Athens and Sparta. It follows the journey of Pheidippides, the Athenian messenger who, according to Herodotus, reached Sparta the day after leaving Athens to seek help against the Persians before the Battle of Marathon. Five Royal Air Force officers, including John Foden, tried the course in 1982, and the first open international race followed in 1983 with forty-four men and one woman from twelve countries. Runners have 36 hours to finish and pass through 75 check points, and organizers limit the field to 400, so most applicants enter a lottery.