News Archive

108 years ago Spiridon Louis became a national hero in Greek by winning the

marathon in the Olympic Games. A lot of stories were written about his race

from Marathon to Athens which then covered a distance of 40 kilometres. Since

the 1908 Olympics in London the distance is 42,195 k. This Sunday’s

men’s Olympic marathon will be run on a similar course as 108 years ago,

starting in Marathon and finishing in the classic Panathinaiko Stadium.

In the last few weeks a couple of more anecdotes were added to the story of

Spiridon Louis. Because Spiridon Louis became a person much sought after by

media. Of course we are not talking about the Olympic Champion , who died of a

heart attack at the age of 67 in 1940. But Spiridon Louis is one of two

grandsons of the Olympic Champion. He has been given the same first name.

Nikolaus is the other grandson. Additionally five great grandsons of Spiridon

Louis are alive.

Today Spiridon Louis lives in Maroussi. It is the same suburb of Athens

where is grandfather came from. A statue in Maroussi reminds of the sole Greek

Olympic marathon champion. The grandson could never meet his prominent granddad

in person. Because he was born 16 days after the death of the Olympic Champion.

But his father has told him all the stories about the family’s national

hero. “I know that he was an unselfish person with a very strong

character. But he was said to be obstinate. May be this character has helped

him winning the marathon”, Spiridon Louis said in an interview with Takis

Tsafos, the Greek news correspondent of the German news agency dpa.

Louis’ job was to transport fresh water to Athens. So he had a sort of

daily endurance training. “He was a simple person and he did not know

anything about sport”, his grandson explains and then gives an example:

“After he had won the marathon his legs were to get a massage. But when

he was touched he shouted: What are you doing? It is a disgrace. Let me out of

here, I just want to go back to Maroussi to celebrate with my

friends.”

It has often been reported that Spiridon Louis had a glass of wine during

his marathon race. But this anecdote is wrong says the grandson, who had been

an engineer before he retired. Instead Spiridon Louis said in an interview

published in the Vienna paper “Kronen-Zeitung”: “His

girlfriend gave him half an orange and shortly afterwards he got a glass of

cognac from his future father in law. There were eye witnesses who have

confirmed this a number of times.” That happened less than 10 k from the

finish.

Spiridon Louis says that there is quite some interest in the story of his

grandfather from foreign media like Germany, Japan or the US. But in contrast

there is little attention in Greece about his family and the background. Of

course the Olympic Stadium, which is just a couple of miles away from Maroussi,

carries the name of the marathon winner. And Louis’ marathon medal is

being kept there. But when one of his great grandsons carried the Olympic torch

two days before the Olympics began in Athens nothing was shown on TV. And

Spiridon Louis said that he not even got an invitation for the Games by the

Greek Olympic Committee.

The family never had any financial advantages in conjunction with the

success of Spiridon Louis. Back in 1896 the marathon winner was granted one

wish by the Greek king. But Spiridon Louis did not choose a house or an estate.

Instead he opted for a horse and a cart for his business. “We have never

made any money with the story of my grandfather. And I would not like to do

so.”

No member of the family has ever run a marathon again after the Olympic race

in 1896. “I had no opportunity to do sports when I was young. I was born

during the war. And it was not easy in those times to settle in and build up

your living”, Spiridon Louis says.

“But I am fascinated of athletics and especially of the marathon. If I

see such a race I think about the different conditions. In contrast to former

times it look like luxury today. But I totally respect all marathon runners. If

I could I would congratulate everyone personally. I have learnt that it is

already an important step to just participate in such a race.”