The sun was burning hot. Pheidippides, a young soldier, left the village of Marathon. Despite the summer heat, he was running to Athens, which was 42 kilometers away. During the run, he badly wanted to rest because he was exhausted after the fight against the mighty Persians that morning. However, he had an important message to deliver: The Greeks had just defeated the Persians for the first time in their long war. Marathon was the place where the battle happened in 490 B.C. Pheidippides needed to tell people in Athens about the great victory. After a few hours, he reached the city and cried out three words: "We have won!" Pheidippides could hardly finish speaking before he fell down and died.
Pheidippides' story is probably just a tale, but that has not stopped the story of his run from being told to the present day. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. They included a long-distance road race of 42.195 kilometers to honor the soldier's great achievement. That race, the marathon, was named after the battle and has been part of the Olympics ever since.
Nowadays, marathons and other road races are held in almost every country in the world. Among them, the Boston Marathon is the oldest and one of the world's best-known road races. It was first held in 1897 and has been open only to runners who have met certain standards. The Athens Classic Marathon brings history to life. Its course is based on the story of Pheidippides, and participants follow in the very footsteps of the brave messenger. These races attract thousands of people every year.
The craze for road running is strong in Taiwan as well. At least 500 events a year take place here, including several international marathons, such as the New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon. Taiwanese people are becoming more aware of the benefits of running. For some, completing a marathon is an important achievement and a source of pride. For others, road races are a fun social event where they can enjoy the local food and scenery. Road running has become a significant part of Taiwan's sports culture, so why not join in? Whether you run for fun or run to win, just put your running shoes on and hit the road.
在熾熱艷陽下，一名年輕的士兵──Pheidippides，離開了馬拉松村。儘管暑氣難耐，他還是跑到四十二公里外的雅典。在跑步過程中，他非常想休息，因為當天與強大的波斯人戰鬥後，他已經筋疲力竭了。然而，他有一則重要的訊息要傳達：希臘人剛剛才在他們漫長的戰爭中首次擊敗了波斯人。馬拉松是西元前 490 年發生這場戰役的地方。Pheidippides 需要告訴在雅典的人們有關這場偉大勝利的消息。幾個小時後，他到達城裡，並大喊出三個字：「我們贏了!」菲迪皮德斯幾乎話沒說完就倒地而死。
Pheidippides 的故事可能只是一個傳說，但這並沒有阻擋他跑步的故事傳頌到現代。第一屆現代奧運會於 1896 年在雅典舉行。這場運動會包括了一項 42.195 公里的長距離路跑賽，用以致敬那位士兵的偉大成就。那項名為馬拉松的比賽就是以這場戰役命名，而從那以後就成為奧運賽事之一。
如今，世界上幾乎每個國家都會舉辦馬拉松以及其他的路跑比賽。其中，波士頓馬拉松是歷史最悠久，也是世界上最著名的路跑賽事之一。它首次舉辦於 1897 年，而且向來只開放給符合特定標準的跑者報名。雅典經典馬拉松賽則是重現歷史。它的路線根據 Pheidippides 的故事，讓參賽者跟隨當年那個勇敢傳令兵的腳步。這些比賽每年吸引成千上萬的人參與。
台灣瘋路跑的程度也不遑多讓。每年至少有 500 場賽事在這裡舉行，其中包括好幾場國際馬拉松，例如新北市萬金石馬拉松。台灣民眾越來越意識到跑步的好處。對於一些人來說，完成馬拉松是一項重要的成就，也是一種感到自豪的來源。對於其他人來說，路跑是一項有趣的社交活動，他們可以在那裡享受當地的美食和風景。路跑已成為台灣體育文化重要的一部分，所以何不加入呢？無論你是為了樂趣而跑，還是為了名次而跑，穿上鞋，跑起來就對了。
