The ''dolichos'' or ''dolichus'' (, meaning "long race") was a long-distance footrace introduced at the
ancient Olympic Games
The ancient Olympic Games (, ''ta Olympia''.), or the ancient Olympics, were a series of Athletics (sport), athletic competitions among representatives of polis, city-states and one of the Panhellenic Games of ancient Greece. They were held at ...
in 720 BC.
Sources vary on the exact length of the race. Most accounts estimate the dolichos covered approximately 12 to 24 lengths of the stadium track, or between 1,400 and 4,800 Greek feet (roughly 4.8 km). On average, this amounted to about 12.5 laps, or 3 miles (4.8 km). The race was conducted similarly to modern long-distance events: runners started and finished inside the stadium, but the course extended through the sanctuary grounds of Olympia.
The course often passed prominent landmarks, including shrines and statues. Notably, athletes would pass by the
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...
statue near the
temple of Zeus
Temple of Zeus may refer to:
Organization
*Temple of Zeus (organization), an occult religious organization
Greece
* Temple of Zeus, Olympia
* Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens
* Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus, Athens
Italy
* Temple of Olympian Zeus, ...
before returning to the stadium.
The dolichos was not as popular as the shorter sprint races, such as the
stadion. According to
Philostratus
Philostratus or Lucius Flavius Philostratus (; ; 170s – 240s AD), called "the Athenian", was a Greek sophist of the Roman imperial period. His father was a minor sophist of the same name. He flourished during the reign of Septimius Severus ...
, dolichos runners "move almost as if they were walking, holding up their hands in front of them" before executing a final sprint—comparable to the modern "sit-and-kick" strategy seen in Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 meter races.
Dolichos on coinage
The ''dolichos'' has been featured in modern commemorative coinage. A notable example is the €10 Greek
relays commemorative coin, issued in 2003 to honor the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece.
The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
. The obverse depicts three modern relay runners with batons, and in the background, three ancient athletes are shown running the ''dolichos''.
Notable Olympic winners
* Acanthus of Sparta: 720 BC
* Ergoteles of Himera: 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
See also
*
Ancient Greek units of measurement Ancient Greek units of measurement varied according to location and epoch. Systems of ancient weights and measures evolved as needs changed; Solon and other lawgivers also reformed them ''en bloc''. Some units of measurement were found to be conven ...
Notes
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