Which runner won the 1896 Olympic marathon in Athens?

Spyridon Louis won the 1896 Olympic marathon in Athens.

Louis was a Greek water carrier from the village of Marousi, near Athens. He won the inaugural modern Olympic marathon on 10 April 1896, becoming one of the most celebrated athletes of the Games.

His winning time was 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 50 seconds. The course ran from the Marathon area to the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, and its distance was not the modern standardized 42.195 kilometers.

Louis became a national hero after the victory, but he competed little afterward. He later worked as a farmer and police officer. His achievement is sometimes confused with those of Abebe Bikila, who became the first athlete to win two Olympic marathons, decades later.