this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2024
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[–] [email protected] 58 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

He ran a marathon and died.
Today, millions run marathons and are fine.
Some do it while wearing T-Rex costumes.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

You may not like it but this is what peak performance looks like

spoilerPeak performance

[–] [email protected] 5 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Is that available at any Spirit Halloween?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 13 hours ago

Is that the nutsack mascot from the Postal games?

[–] [email protected] 34 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Pheidippides didn't run a marathon. He ran 260 km over two days and died. A modern marathon is "only" 42.195 km.

You'd probably die as well without training for said marathon, which that poor man didn't have the luxury of doing.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (4 children)

Pheidippides

Oh man, are you selling it short. He was a professional running-courier, so we can assume he was well-seasoned for the activity, BUT

The traditional story relates that Pheidippides (530–490 BC), an Athenian herald, or hemerodrome[3] (translated as 'day-runner',[4] 'courier',[5][6] 'professional-running courier'[3] or 'day-long runner'[7]), was sent to Sparta to request help when the Persians landed at Marathon, Greece. He ran about 240 km (150 mi) in two days, and then ran back. He then ran the 40 km (25 mi) to the battlefield near Marathon and back to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC) with the word νικῶμεν (nikomen[8] 'We win!'), as stated by Lucian chairete, nikomen ('hail, we are the winners')[9] and then collapsed and died.

If I'm reading this correctly, he ran 350 miles in around a week or less? That's insane.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

he ran 350 miles in around a week or less? That's insane.

Run Pheidippides! Run!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 hours ago

Famously ancient historians never embellished anything especially when it comes to a story with national significance

[–] [email protected] 18 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Ok, yeah that's insane. No wonder the poor guy dropped from exhaustion

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Happy Cakeday! 🍰🎂

Kidney failure? Was he chugging wine and mead the whole way, or is that just a result of extreme dehydration?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Muscles break down kidneys get overwhelmed and go into failure. Sometimes (rarely) ultra marathoners will need dialysis and they are running a much shorter distance.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 hours ago

Ahh! Gotcha. Fair enough. I suppose that's actually useful for me to know, thanks!

[–] [email protected] 9 points 16 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Humans can actually outrun a horse under certain conditions, notably hot temperatures and extreme distances.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

But like if he could have ridden a horse and then ran and found a new horse ya know? Maybe he could have lived

[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 hours ago

Funnily enough, a pony train has been the solution many times throughout history. A messenger would ride one horse to exhaustion, jump on another at a depot, and continue.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

This is silly. Those muscles are no good for running. Those are lifting muscles. A runner should be lean and efficient. Those muscles are too heavy.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 13 hours ago

Also not great for fighting. Gassed out in 1-2 minutes.

Aesthetic muscles.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 18 hours ago

This photo is how he is on the inside. Man started a trend of suffering humans continue honoring till this day.

[–] [email protected] 47 points 20 hours ago (3 children)

Dude died afterwards, no? Not something I aspire to

[–] [email protected] 17 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

But think of the IMMORTAL GLORY you'll win!

... yeah, I ain't too big on it either, I'll take the train.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

What was this person's name?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Funny question! The stories can't seem to agree. Pheidippides is the most common one, but there are at least a few other names claimed in Classical stories as the REAL name of the runner.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

It was SpruceBringsteen I'm pretty sure

[–] [email protected] 2 points 19 hours ago

Heard his name was Rick, actually

[–] [email protected] 9 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

I think he walked in, said the message, and died right there just like in a movie.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

How did they know the message was done? Did he say over before dying?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 18 hours ago

That's a 10-4 good buddy. Over.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 18 hours ago

Did he say over before dying?

Did he say what before dying? Over.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 19 hours ago

I always think of that every time I read about someone dying while running a marathon

[–] [email protected] 28 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

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?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 8 points 19 hours ago

The Spartans had to wait until the full moon before making a decision.

Fella should of just walked.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

They must not have invented horses yet.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

Greece before good roads was less-than-horse-friendly, very mountainous, some cross-country shit the poor fellow probably had to do.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Arnold is/was definitely not an actual marathon runner, even if he was the Marathon Man.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 hours ago

Arnold is/was definitely not an actual marathon runner

What about Robert Patrick? 😏

Have you seen this boy?