Full Description
No Olympic event can rival the rich history and grand spectacle of the marathon. Created for the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 as a commemoration of the legendary run by the Greek messenger Philippides, the race has endured like no other, producing a century of awe-inspiring competition and unforgettable stories. The Olympic Marathon brings the high drama and rich details of the past 24 Olympic marathon races to life in a way no other book ever has. This definitive resource, written by world-renowned Olympic marathon experts David Martin and Roger Gynn, goes beyond statistics to offer readers a vivid chronicle of the athletes and their memorable marathon performances. Fans will relive the compelling moments that have made the Olympic marathon legendary: Spiridon Louis winning the first modern Olympic marathon in Athens in 1896, Emil ZA-A?A"topek's dramatic triple-gold performance in 1952, Ethiopian Abebe Bikila winning a gold medal while running barefoot, Joan Benoit Samuelson earning her place in history as winner of the first Olympic women's marathon in 1984, and many other fascinating stories. For each race, The Olympic Marathon provides the following:-A summary of the geographical setting and political climate surrounding the Olympic Movement -A course map and detailed street description -A step-by-step narrative of how the race was run -Biographical sketches of the top three finishers -A "Looking Ahead" section, which summarizes marathon highlights leading up to the next Olympic marathonGenerously illustrated, often with rare and never-before-published photos, a pictorial glimpse is provided into the contemporary atmosphere and dynamics of each race. Plus, for readers who want complete statistics on each race, the book provides a comprehensive appendix. Included are chronological and alphabetical race results for all men and women who participated in the event and listings of the fastest men's and women's Olympic marathon performances. The Olympic Marathon is the authoritative book on the race that has captured the imagination of the world. It's a one-of-a-kind resource that every fan of running and the Olympics will treasure.
Contents
Chapter 1. 1896 - Spiridon Louis Grabs Greece's Only GoldChapter 2. 1900 - Michel ThA-A?A"ato Triumphs in Torrid Paris RaceChapter 3. 1904 - Tom Hicks Conquers Heat Wave in St. Louis Chapter 4. 1906 - Billy Sherring Speeds to Victory in the Intercalated GamesChapter 5. 1908 - Pietri Steals the Show as Hayes Captures the GoldChapter 6. 1912 - South African Success Spree in StockholmChapter 7. 1920 - World Best for Hannes KolehmainenChapter 8. 1924 - A Surprise Runaway Victory for Stenroos in ParisChapter 9. 1928 - French Algerian El Ouafi Wins at AmsterdamChapter 10. 1932 - Zabala Takes Gold as Ferris Closes Fast in Los AngelesChapter 11. 1936 - Korea's Son Triumphs in Japanese ColorsChapter 12. 1948 - Cabrera Victorious in Post-War Games Revival at LondonChapter 13. 1952 - Helsinki Hails Triple Gold Hero Emil ZA-A?A"topekChapter 14. 1956 - Mimoun the Best of a Modest FieldChapter 15. 1960 - Barefoot Bikila has a Roman HeydayChapter 16. 1964 - Record Repeat for Bikila in TokyoChapter 17. 1968 - Wolde Makes It a Threepeat for EthiopiaChapter 18. 1972 - Shorter Succeeds for USA in MunichChapter 19. 1976 - Cierpinski Surprises Shorter in MontrA-A?A"alChapter 20. 1980 - Cierpinski Matches Bikila's Double GoldChapter 21. 1984 - Age and Beauty Conquer at Los AngelesChapter 22. 1988 - Bordin and Mota Score for Europe at SeoulChapter 23. 1992 - Double Surprise Winners Master MontjuA-A?A"cChapter 24. 1996 - Africans Capture the Gold in AtlantaChapter 25. 2000 - Sydney's Sports Spectacular Ends Second MillenniumAppendix 1. Abbreviations Used for Geopolitical EntitiesAppendix 2. Olympic Marathon Race SummaryAppendix 3. Summary of Top Three Olympic Marathon FinishersAppendix 4. Race Results for Men Listed ChronologicallyAppendix 5. Race Results for Men by GPE AlphabeticallyAppendix 6. Race Results for Men by Name AlphabeticallyAppendix 7. Race Results for Women Listed ChronologicallyAppendix 8. Race Results for Women by GPE AlphabeticallyAppendix 9. Race Results for Women by Name AlphabeticallyAppendix 10. Fastest 200 Olympic Men's Marathon PerformancesAppendix 11. Fastest 100 Olympic Women's Marathon Performances
