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Practice dictation & shadowing on the daily life story: Marathon
Marathon
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(1)
Marathon Few sports events integrate the competitive side of sport with a social and playful side of sport like marathon running.
(2)
This might seem like a strange thing to say about what is such a rigorous and physically challenging event.
(3)
However, major city marathons attract both serious competitors and less serious runners in the same event, and often generate A citywide party atmosphere leading up to and during the event.
(4)
The competitive marathon was introduced as part of the modern Olympic Games in 1896.
(5)
The purpose of the event was to mimic the ancient Greek games, despite the fact that no such event was held in ancient Greece.
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However, according to legend, in 490 BC a Greek soldier ran from marathon to Athens to take news of a Greek military victory over the Persians.
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The runner collapsed with exhaustion and died.
(8)
Interestingly, the first winner of the modern day Olympic marathon in Athens, Greece was spired and lose a Greek runner.
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As the 20th century unfolded.
(10)
Major track and field meets integrated the marathon into their schedules.
(11)
However, the marathon grew in popularity due mostly to the emergence of several urban based marathons.
(12)
Some, notably the Boston Marathon, had been around for decades.
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However, many new ones emerged, especially in the 1970s and 1980s.
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The emergence of these popular races coincided with a late 20th century boom in sports and exercise industry.
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As a result, the sport of running took off.
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Also, lasting images from top international competitions began to attract people to marathon running.
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In the Olympic marathon in 1952, Emil Zato Peck won the race after having competed and also won in the 5000 and 10,000 Meter Races.
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In 1960 and 1964, Ethiopian Abibi Baquila won the marathon, making himself a national hero.
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Images of Baquila running barefoot in his first victory in 1960 are ingrained in most serious marathoners minds.
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Women entered marathon running in the 1960s and 1970s, although their participation was met with great resistance.
(21)
While women had run marathons for decades.
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The first recorded time came in 1926 by Violet Percy.
(23)
It was Kathy Switzer's run in the 1967 Boston Marathon that was one of the most important symbolic runs for women.
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In the middle of the marathon of Boston, officials spotted Switzer running and try to yank her off the course.
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Switzer and fellow supporters resisted, and she went on to finish the race.
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Switzer's effort motivated other women to take on marathon running, and the participation rose, although slowly.
(27)
It was not until 1984 that the women's marathon was included in the Olympic program.
(28)
Today, major city marathons in Boston, NY, London, Berlin and cities around the world make the race one of the most attractive participatory and spectator amateur sports events in the world.