Boston and London Marathons

490 BC. Ancient Greece. A messenger with a funny name and patriotism surging through his veins spots a Persian ship alter its course towards Athens. He is in Marathon, 26 miles and 385-ish yards away from his nations capital, but decides to do the unthinkable. He sheds his armour, his sword, and (being Ancient Greek) the rest of his clothes too. He runs, he makes it, he passes on a message of victory, and then he promptly expires on the spot.

2385 years later, a French academic looking to link Ancient and Modern Olympics creates the modern marathon, a battle of stamina and will against one's own limitations and common sense. And today, people dressed as rhinos, fridges and deep sea divers repeat the ancient feat for fun, and generally without it being terminal too.

The marathons of Bo ...