Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Lokacin da wasannin Olympics na zamani suka fara a 1896, masu farawa da masu shirya suna neman babban taron shahararren, suna tuna da ɗaukakar tsohuwar Girka. Tunanin tseren marathon ya fito ne daga Michel Bréal, wanda yake son wannan taron ya kasance cikin wasannin Olympic na farko na zamani a 1896 a Athens. Pierre de Coubertin, wanda ya kafa wasannin Olympics na zamani, da kuma Helenawa sun goyi bayan wannan ra'ayin sosai. Helenawa sun shirya tseren zaɓaɓɓu don wasan marathon na Olympics a ranar 22 ga Maris 1896 (Gregorian) wanda Charilaos Vasilakos ya ci nasara a cikin awanni 3 da mintuna 18 (tare da wanda ya ci nasara a gaba na wasan marathon na wasannin Olympic, Spyridon "Spyros" Louis, yana zuwa na biyar a tsere na biyu makonni biyu bayan haka). Wanda ya lashe gasar Olympic ta farko, a ranar 10 ga Afrilu, 1896 (tseren maza ne kawai), shine Spyridon Louis, mai ɗaukar ruwa na Girka, a cikin awanni 2 da minti 58 da dakika 50. Gasar Marathon na Wasannin Olympics na 2004
An gudanar da shi a kan hanyar gargajiya daga Marathon zuwa Athens, yana ƙare a filin wasa na Panathinaiko, wurin da aka yi wasannin Olympics na 1896. Wannan marathon na maza ya lashe Italiyanci Stefano Baldini a cikin sa'o'i 2 da minti 10 da dakika 55, lokaci ne na rikodin wannan hanyar har zuwa marathon na Athens Classic marathon na 2014, lokacin da Felix Kandie ya rage rikodin hanya zuwa sa'o'i 2 da minti 10 da dakika 37.