Euphiletos Painter Panathenaic prize amphora depicting a running race, Metropolitan Museum of Art
In Ancient Greece, the history of running can be traced back to 776 BC. Running was important to members of ancient Greek society, and is consistently highlighted in documents referencing the Ancient Olympic Games. The Olympic Games hosted a large variety of running events, each with its own set of rules. The ancient Greeks developed difficult training programs with specialized trainers in preparation for the Games. The training and competitive attitude of Greek athletes gives insight into how scientifically advanced Greece was for the time period.
The people of Greece generally enjoyed sporting events, particularly foot racing, and wealthy admirers would often give large gifts to successful athletes.[citation needed] Though foot races were physically challenging, if successful, athletes could become very wealthy.[citation needed] The ancient Greeks developed running as a sport into a sophisticated field of science and philosophy.[citation needed]
In the ancient sources, training is often discussed. However, details about how the training of runners compared to the training of other types of athletes are not clearly addressed. In ancient Greece, athletes might not have been as specialized as they are today.[1] It is likely that a single athlete would have trained for, and competed in, many different events resulting in less distinction being drawn between training for different events.[2] Many philosophers had ideas about how athletes should train, which provides historians with numerous insights. For example, Plato argued that the whole body should be trained to increase strength and speed for running and wrestling (Stefanović et al. 113). The lengths and types of foot races are widely written. Also discussed in a variety of sources is the use of music in athletic training and the diet of athletes. Professional runners known as "hēmerodromoi", the messengers who were informational lifeline of an empire. They were running across rugged terrains and paths to convey vital information in battles. [3]
^"The ancient athlete: amateur or professional?". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
^"The ancient athlete: amateur or professional?". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
^"Day Runners of Ancient Greece, Heroes of Communication". www.sportsgearmag.com. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
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