Kharilaos Vasilakos
Encyclopedia
Charilaos Vasilakos was a Greek
athlete, and the first man to win a marathon
race. He also won a silver medal at the 1896 Summer Olympics
in Athens
.
He was born in Tripoli
.
On March 10, 1896, Greece held the first modern Panhellenic Games
. The main purpose of the games was to help the country formulate the team that would compete in the first Modern Olympic Games, later the same year. Most of the participants were young army recruits who had been selected by their commanders for their athletic skill. Vasilakos, born and raised in a mountainous village in the Mani peninsula
, already had a reputation as a strong long-distance runner, and won the race with a time of 3 hours and 18 minutes.
Vasilakos was one of 17 athletes to start the marathon
race on April 10, 1896. He finished in second place, behind Spiridon Louis
, with a time of 3:06.03 as one of only nine finishers. Both races were on 40 kilometre courses rather than the now-standard 42.195 kilometres.
Vasilakos went on to become a customs agent in Athens, where he died in 1964.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
athlete, and the first man to win a marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
race. He also won a silver medal at the 1896 Summer Olympics
1896 Summer Olympics
The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Athens, Greece, from April 6 to April 15, 1896. It was the first international Olympic Games held in the Modern era...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
He was born in Tripoli
Tripoli, Greece
Tripoli is a city of about 25,000 inhabitants in the central part of the Peloponnese, in Greece. It is the capital of the prefecture of Arcadia and the centre of the municipality of Tripolis, pop...
.
On March 10, 1896, Greece held the first modern Panhellenic Games
Panhellenic Games
Panhellenic Games is the collective term for four separate sports festivals held in ancient Greece. The four Games were:-Description:The Games took place in a four-year cycle known as the Olympiad, which was one of the ways the Greeks measured time...
. The main purpose of the games was to help the country formulate the team that would compete in the first Modern Olympic Games, later the same year. Most of the participants were young army recruits who had been selected by their commanders for their athletic skill. Vasilakos, born and raised in a mountainous village in the Mani peninsula
Mani Peninsula
The Mani Peninsula , also long known as Maina or Maïna, is a geographical and cultural region in Greece. Mani is the central peninsula of the three which extend southwards from the Peloponnese in southern Greece. To the east is the Laconian Gulf, to the west the Messenian Gulf...
, already had a reputation as a strong long-distance runner, and won the race with a time of 3 hours and 18 minutes.
Vasilakos was one of 17 athletes to start the marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
race on April 10, 1896. He finished in second place, behind Spiridon Louis
Spiridon Louis
Spyridon Louis was a Greek water-carrier who won the first modern-day Olympic marathon at the 1896 Summer Olympics, thereby becoming a national hero....
, with a time of 3:06.03 as one of only nine finishers. Both races were on 40 kilometre courses rather than the now-standard 42.195 kilometres.
Vasilakos went on to become a customs agent in Athens, where he died in 1964.