The Marathon is probably the most grueling of all the Olympic competitions.  The event itself is named after the Battle of Marathon, when a Greek solider, Pheidippides, ran 40 km from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia.  He died after delivering the message.  While the story of Pheidippides may be more myth than reality, the influence of the Irish in determining the distance of today's modern Marathon is not.

The incident took place over one hundred years ago in 1908, when the Olympics in 1908 were staged in London.  The original venue, Rome, was abandoned after an eruption of Mount Vesuvius focused the attention of the Italians on rebuilding Naples.   The distance of the Marathon had been 25 miles, but it was changed to 26 miles at the London Olympics so that the race could start at Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the king.

The US flag was carried by Ralph Rose, a record setting shot putter.  Many of his colleagues were either Irish--either emigrants or first generation--and refused to allow the American flag to be dipped to honor the British King.  The incident caused serious acrimony between the two nations.  In response, British officials moved the finish line of the Marathon once again to ensure that the event would end in front of the King.   In the words of one of those officials, they "felt compelled to restore the importance of the monarchy."  As a result of these politically motivated maneuvers, the official distance of the Olympic Marathon is now 42.195 km or 26 miles 385 yards.

The tradition continues.  Since the 1908 Olympics, the US flag has never been dipped as a mark of respect to the head of state of the host nation.  In the words of a 1908 track star Martin Sheridan "This flag dips to no earthly king."