Pheidippides, a Greek messenger, runs some 40km from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of a Greek victory over the Persians in the Battle of Marathon. He reaches his destination, delivers the news, and drops dead.
Since then, millions of people worldwide have run the 42.195km distance.
In Singapore, marathon participation continues to rise exponentially.
For example, this month's adidas Sundown Marathon will see over 10,000 runners, including more than 600 for the 84km ultramarathon - nearly double the figures of last year's inaugural event.
Last year, over 13,000 people finished the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, up from about 2,000 in 2000.
But, if Pheidippides' unfortunate end is anything to go by, can this ultimate fitness test actually be bad for you?
It all depends on the individual, say medical experts.
'Running a marathon is fine for some, but not all,' said Dr Patrick Goh, consultant sports physician at SportMed Central at Gleneagles Hospital. 'For some, the marathon distance is risky from the injury or medical perspective.'
Of course, running as a form of exercise has widely-known health benefits.
'Regular running improves cardiovascular fitness, which has a negative correlation with cardiovascular disease,' noted Dr Jason Chia, consultant sports physician at Changi Sports Medicine Centre.
'It also helps to control hypertension, and body weight by expending calories. As a form of weight-bearing exercise, it helps to increase bone mineral density.'
And then, there is also that state of euphoria experienced during running known as runner's high, and the indescribable feeling of achievement when one finishes a race.
But according to Dr Goh, most people have a mileage 'ceiling' which, if exceeded, will result in overuse injuries in the knees, ankles, feet and hip area.
For some, this 'ceiling' may be as little as 5km to 10km of running a week. For others, it may be 80km to 100km a week.
Dr Teh Kong Chuan, Alexandra Hospital's sports medicine department senior consultant, felt that the human body is not meant to run marathons.
He noted that while a small percentage of people will have no problems running distances longer than a marathon, most people are unable to do long-distance running without breaking down.
'It is a fairly high-impact sport,' added Dr Chia. 'So if we run about 2,000 steps per kilometre and at an impact of two to three times your body weight on the joints of the legs, it means a lot of pounding is taking place.'
Blisters, muscle strains and damage, joint strains, overuse injuries, heat stress, dehydration and electrolyte imbalances are some possible consequences of marathon running.
These injuries usually resolve themselves within a few days, said the doctors. But in some cases, runners may have more severe problems.
Joint stress, for example, may result in a degenerative joint disease called premature osteoarthritis, said Dr Teh.
Cardiac muscle damage or rhabdomyolysis, a potentially fatal form of muscle breakdown, can occur, though this is rare, said Dr Goh.
Ultimately, death is also possible.
Recent statistics from heart researchers in Minneapolis in the United States reveal that there are four to eight deaths in every million marathon participants.
Another recent study from researchers in Germany found that running activates both coagulation and platelet activity, resulting in an increased risk of thromboembolic (the blocking of a blood vessel by a blood clot) incidents in runners.
'While running, the risk of heart attack increases by a factor of seven, but fit people have a 50 per cent lower risk of heart attack than sedentary ones,' said Gino Ng, sports physiotherapist at Physio Solutions.
However, doctors feel that while runners should be aware of this paradox, they need not be unduly alarmed.
Said Dr Chia: 'The challenge of running a marathon is good motivation for regular exercise.'
But he added that one's adaptation to training stress is probably constrained by his or her genetic potential. The key is to find where that lies through safe means.
Preparation is vital. This involves planning a proper training programme that includes resistance and flexibility training and paying attention to technical matters such as having the right running shoes and learning to hydrate and refuel.
People above the age of 35 or those with underlying risk factors - like smokers, diabetics, people with hypertension or elevated cholesterol - are recommended to go for pre-participation screening.
Finally, it is important not to rush into doing a marathon if one is not ready.
'You can be perfectly fit and healthy without even running a marathon in your lifetime,' said Dr Goh.
'The key,' added Ng, 'is to be patient, listen to your body and pace yourself.'
