In the last few years I discussed with the Greek Athletic Federation (SEGAS) the topic of entering a 48-hour running event, which could be called OLYMPIC ULTRATHLON, in the program of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
The Greek Athletic Federation shows with a positive spirit the idea and the movement of its realisation.
Why 48 hours? Because in that time limit we can cover a distance approximately equal to what the ancient messenger covered running from Athens to Sparta and back.
Some of the most important advantages, which this proposal offers, are the following:
The ultra-running event that surpasses the established distance of the marathon, has more links -than any other candidate sport- with the heritage of our history and the Olympic Games of the antiquity. It is noteworthy to say that the “hemerodromoi” (well trained messenger) Pheidippides and Euchides succeeded to surpass the limits of the everyday labour and to put themselves into a level of offering for freedom.
The philosophy of Ultra-running fits better in the idiosyngasy of the Hellene, who in odd and painful conditions undertakes and achieves with continues effort to go beyond the difficulties, giving signs of mental clarity and awakening.
Through an ultra-running event we promote in the best way the idea of Olympic truss, which is again in need. The aim of the Olympic Games is not only to organise competitions with athletes from different parts of the world, but it is also to promote the idea of peace and Olympic truss.
The including of an ultra-running event in the Olympics will give a grate motivation and ideal for our youth, that suffering from thousands of other problems, loosing their orientation. In order to build those ideas we need minds with high views. The aim is to create characters who will propose a style of life against the modern technological bombards, based on values that originate from this running event of continues effort, perseverance in goals and courage in odd conditions. In this case, victory will have as an idol not only the champion winner, but also every participant who is covering a distance in a time limit, giving out all his/her mental and physical abilities.
I hope that this proposal will be considered with the severity that our sport deserves, the unique philosophical connotations that it contains for our epoch and its people and for the evolution that the Olympic movement needs.
Yiannis Kouros
Ultra-running champion
Verantwoordelijk redacteur: Anton Smeets a.smeets@trouwweb.nl