Originally Posted by
Fat Boy
Which is the myth? That Pheidippides died (or even ran the first marathon) or that marathon running isn't particularly healthy?
That "the very first marathon runner died soon after he finished his run", which you used to back up your other statement that running marathons is not particularly healthy.
Using data from modern sources we can argue about how healthy or unhealthy running marathons really is, but the mythical death of that first runner is no evidence for it, because almost certainly it never happened.