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Koroibos, a cook from the nearby city of Elis, won the stadium race, a foot race 600 feet long. According to some literary traditions, this was the only athletic event of the games for the first 13 Olympic festivals.
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This changed history by introducing a new level of fitness and pushing runners to go the distance.
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The Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America, the nation’s first national athletic group, held the first collegiate races
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The Amateur Athletic Union (which governed the sport for nearly a century) held its first championships.
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This marked the beginning of a new level of competition for running.
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The creation of the Boston Marathon allowed for runners of all skills and backgrounds to compete in the greatest race of all time.
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The first NCAA national championships were held for men. This opened the field for a new level of uniform achievement.
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The first women athletics included running in the summer games of 1921.
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This sparked an athletic rivalry with the US that propelled distance running into greater success.
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This allowed runners to make a living off running much like the more common cycling.