The dolichos or dolichus (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: , English translation: "long race") in the ancient Olympic Games was a long race ( 4800 m) introduced in 720 BC. Separate accounts of the race present conflicting evidence as to the actual length of the dolichos. However, the average stated length of the race was approximately 12.5 laps, or about three miles. The event was run similarly to modern

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(the runners would begin and end their event in the stadium proper), but the race course would wind its way through the Olympic grounds. The course would often flank important shrines and statues in the sanctuary, passing by the

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statue by the temple of Zeus before returning to the stadium.Miller, p. 32. "At the next Olympiad, in 720, a long-distance footrace called the ''dolichos'' was added to the program. The sources are not unanimous about the length of this race: some claim that it was twenty laps of the stadium track, others that it was twenty-four. It may have differed from site to site, but it was in the range of 7.5 to 9 kilometers. We can identify a dolichos in paintings where the runners' knees are low and barely bent, with the arms drawn close to the sides."

Dolichos on coinage

Dolichos events have been selected as a main motif in numerous collectors' coins. One of the recent samples is the €10 Greek relays commemorative coin, minted in 2003 to commemorate the 2004 Summer Olympics. In the obverse of the coin three modern athletes run, holding their batons while in the background three ancient athletes are shown running a dolichos.

Winners

Acanthus of Sparta Acanthus the Lacedaemonian ( grc, Ἄκανθος), was the victor in two footrace events, the diaulos () and dolichos (), in the Olympic Games of 720 BC. He was also, according to some accounts, the first who ran naked in these games. Other ac ...

720 BC *

Ergoteles of Himera Ergoteles ( grc, Ἐργοτέλης) or Ergotelis, was a native of Knossos and Olympic runner in the Ancient Olympic Games. Civil disorder (ancient Greek: Stasis) had compelled him to leave Crete. He came to Sicily and was naturalized as a citize ...

472 BC * Ladas of Argos 460 BC * Aristeus of Argos 420 BC * Sotades of Crete 384 BC * Malacus of Macedonia 329 BC * Aegeus of Argos 328 BC * Polites of Ceramus 69 AD

References

Sources

* Golden, Mark. ''Sport in the Ancient World from A to Z''. Routledge, 2003. * Miller, Stephen G. ''Ancient Greek Athletics: the events at Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, and Isthmia''. Yale University Press, 2004. {{Ancient Olympic sports Ancient Olympic sports Long-distance running competitions Ancient Greek units of measurement Extinct sports

Dolichos on coinage

Winners

See also

References

Sources