Podcast Summary: Todo Concostrina – "Acontece que no es poco | Maratón y el mito de Filípides"

Date: 13 de septiembre, 2022
Host: Nieves Concostrina
Co-host: Carlos

Overview:

In this episode of "Acontece que no es poco", Nieves Concostrina delves into the historical myth surrounding the origins of the marathon race and the figure of Filípides. With her signature wit and irreverence, Nieves challenges the popular narrative, dissecting the actual events of the Battle of Marathon, the roles played by the ancient Greeks, and how modern obsessions with distance owe more to royal whims than to ancient heroics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights:

1. The Mythical Distance of the Marathon

• Opening with humor, Nieves and Carlos compare familiar distances yet point out that almost everyone knows the "42 kilometers and 195 meters" attributed to the marathon, even if they don’t know other distances.
• Nieves highlights, "Esta es la distancia de la famosa prueba de atletismo, 42 kilómetros y un pico de 195 metros. Pero esto del pico fue un capricho británico." (04:00)
• The official marathon distance was not fixed at first—it fluctuated between approximately 39 and 41 kilometers.
• The extra 195 meters were added during the 1908 London Olympics, at the request of Queen Alexandra so the race could start at Windsor Castle and finish directly in front of the royal family’s viewing box. (03:34)
  • Quote: “Así pusieron 195 metros más. Ahí está la distancia oficial del maratón, 42 kilómetros y 195 metros. Y todo esto es para decir que ayer, 12 de septiembre del año 490 antes de nuestra era, se produjo la batalla de Maratón y la presunta carrera del supuesto Filípides.” – Nieves (04:15)

2. The Real Battle of Marathon

• Carlos asks where Marathon is located: “En el sur de Grecia... a orillas del mar Egeo. Una bahía muy mona, con una playa estupenda.” – Nieves (05:30)
• The Battle of Marathon was part of the "Guerras Médicas" (Greco-Persian Wars), not—jokingly—about healthcare disputes as school kids might guess.
• The Persians, with a massive force of 25,000 men aboard 600 ships, landed near Marathon. The Athenians hurried to gather about 10,000 hoplites to oppose them.
  • Fun fact: One of these hoplites was the future tragedy writer Esquilo. (07:00)
• The Greeks set up a strategic camp on a hill and witnessed the Persians’ feint: a fraction of Persians landed to engage, while the rest tried to flank by sea.
• The Greeks' decisive attack resulted in 6,400 Persian deaths and only 192 Athenian casualties (whose burial site is still a tourist destination). (09:11)
  • Memorable moment: "Murieron 6.400 y sólo cayeron 192 atenienses. Están contados además, porque los enterraron a todos juntos en un túmulo." – Nieves (09:20)

3. Filípides: Mensajero y Mito

• The real feat attributed to Filípides was not a 42km dash but a double ultramarathon: he ran from Athens to Sparta (~220 km) to beg for help, only to find the Spartans unwilling due to religious festivals ("las Carneas").
  • “Filípides corre de atenas a Esparta, 220 kilómetros... Llega en día y medio y se encuentra con que en Esparta están de fiestas patronales.” – Nieves (07:18)
• He ran another 220 km back to relay the bad news: Spartans would only help after their festivities, by which time the Athenians could be defeated.
• Carlos sums up: "voy sumando, me salen más de 400 kilómetros." – Carlos (08:39)
• Quote: “A mí me extraña porque eso se lo hacían con la gorra. A no ser, ya te digo, que se metiera una sobredosis. Los hemeródromos acostumbraban a correr ciento y pico y doscientos kilómetros. Eso era habitual para ellos, puestos de todo.” – Nieves (12:00)
• These professional runners were called hemeródromos—they essentially delivered military news and could be "doped up," possibly leading to visions or hallucinations of divine interventions.

4. Reality and Legend — Who Actually Ran the Marathon?

• The commonly told story is that Filípides ran from Marathon to Athens (~42km) to deliver news of victory, crying “Nenikékamen” (We have won) before dying of exhaustion.
• Nieves questions this: "No se entiende por qué ha pasado a la historia por los birrias 42 kilómetros de maratón a Atenas y además, hasta donde sabe, no se murió después, o al menos no está claro." (11:00)
• Herodotus is the primary ancient source—decades after the fact, and likely to have “adorned” the story for drama.
• “Para mí que Heródoto era un poco liante.” – Nieves (13:10)
• The marathon race, as popularly known, seems founded on a confusion of the real historical endurance runs with a mythical, much shorter final dash.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On origin of the marathon distance
  “Así pusieron 195 metros más. Ahí está la distancia oficial del maratón, 42 kilómetros y 195 metros. Y todo esto es para decir que ayer, 12 de septiembre del año 490 antes de nuestra era, se produjo la batalla de Maratón y la presunta carrera del supuesto Filípides.” – Nieves (04:15)

• On hoplites’ shields and Greek word origins
  “Estos soldados griegos atenienses se llamaban hoplitas, porque llevaban un escudo redondito, cóncavo... se llamaba el escudo oplón... de ahí lo de hoplitas, por el escudo.” – Nieves (06:09)

• Fun with historical school lessons:
  “Nos sonaba fatal lo de las guerras médicas. Nos sonaba a que se estaban pegando por las competencias sanitarias.” – Nieves (05:35)

Timestamps for Main Segments:

• 00:32–01:50 – Intro banter and setup for main topic
• 01:50–05:00 – How the marathon’s official distance was set (British royal whim at 1908 Olympics)
• 05:25–07:15 – Geography and background of Marathon; setting the scene for battle
• 07:15–08:40 – Filípides’ real run: Athens to Sparta and back (220 km each way)
• 08:40–10:36 – The Greeks’ tactics, outcome of the battle, and what the Persians did next
• 10:36–12:50 – Demystifying the legend of Filípides; the reality of the message runners
• 12:50–13:24 – Wrap up; connecting ancient feats to modern perceptions

Conclusion

Nieves Concostrina uses her characteristic humor and skepticism to debunk the myth of Filípides’ marathon, highlighting how the true history is more complex (and less romantic) than the well-known version. She reminds listeners that the marathon as a modern athletic event owes more to royal spectacle than to ancient heroism, and that what we celebrate today is a blend of storytelling, historical distortion, and cultural invention.

Listen if you're ready to separate fact from fiction with a healthy dose of irony and delightfully nerdy storytelling.