Ancient Times Formalized track and field was first recorded at the Ancient Olympic
Games of 776 BC in Olympia, Greece. The single event
contested was a footrace of roughly 200 yards called the
stade or stadion, from which we get the word "stadium."
1 yard =
0.9144
The Ancient Olympics, deeply seeded in Greek
metres
mythology, commanded extensive cultural significance.
Wars halted for the Games. Qualifiers swore oaths before
Zeus, their highest god, that they had adequately
prepared for competition. Poets wrote verse about each Olympic
champion, and their deeds were chronicled for future generations.
Eventually though, (around 394 AD) the Games were abolished by early
Christians in an effort to wipe out polytheism, until their reintroduction in
modern times.
The Marathon