The Road to Sparta: Reliving the Ancient Battle and Epic Run That Inspired the World's Greatest Footrace

The Road to Sparta is the story of the 153-mile run from Athens to Sparta that inspired the marathon and saved democracy, as told-and experienced-by ultramarathoner and New York Times bestselling author Dean Karnazes.



In 490 BCE, Pheidippides ran for thirty-six hours straight from Athens to Sparta to seek help in defending Athens from a Persian invasion in the Battle of Marathon. In doing so, he saved the development of Western civilization and inspired the birth of the marathon as we know i...