In Homer’s Iliad, Odysseus won the footrace at Patroclus’ funeral games. The contest appears in Book 23, after Achilles organizes athletic events to honor his fallen companion and distribute prizes among the Greek warriors.
Odysseus initially struggles because Athena helps him by making Ajax slip. He finishes first, while Ajax comes second and Antilochus takes third place. The episode presents Odysseus not only as a strategist but also as a capable athlete and competitor.
The race is part of a larger series of contests, including chariot racing, boxing, wrestling, archery, spear throwing, and discus throwing. These games are among the Iliad’s most detailed scenes of heroic competition.
This result belongs specifically to Homer’s account. Other Trojan War stories and later adaptations may rearrange events or emphasize different heroes, so the answer is Odysseus for the footrace described in the Iliad.