The Marathon is a race of 42,195 metres, and the men's Marathon is traditionally the last event of the Olympics. The men's Marathon has been in the Olympics since 1896, and the women's Marathon was first in the Olympics in 1984. But this race was first run nearly 2,500 years ago. Do you know the story of the first Marathon? Read and listen to this story and find out.

WANT SOMETHING TO DO NOW?

The Marathon is traditionally the last event of the Olympic Games. Here are some activities that you can do about the Olympics.

Olympic sports

			Write a list of all the sports that you can think of that are in the Olympics. You could do this with your brother or sister, or with a friend. Write the list in English if you can - you can use a dictionary if you don't know the words.
			Now look at the sports page Olympic Games website: http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/index_uk.asp
			How many sports did you get right? Which sports didn't you get?

The Ancient Olympics

The first Olympics were held over 2,700 years ago. Can you answer these questions about the Ancient Olympics? Use this site from BBC Schools to help you:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ancientgreece/olympia/index.shtml

			Where did the Ancient Olympics take place? Why did they happen?
			How often did they take place and how long did they last?
			How many events were there in the first Olympic Games?
			Who could perform in the early Games?
			What could women do?