Marathon Run Museum Marathon, Greece
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Athletic and personal heirlooms of the first Greek Champion in the history of Marathon Race (March 10, 1896) and the second Champion in 1896 decorate since Thursday, April 4, 2013 the Marathon Race Museum.
The grandchildren of the Greek Olympic Champion Harilaos Vasilakos, Haralampos Vasilakos and Helen Vasilakos donated to the Marathon Race Museum historical personal and athletic heirloomss that mark the glorious history of our nation. Whoever visits the Museum will have the chance to become familiar with the published issues- letters-personal and athletic symbols a great Athlete-Scientist and to be inspired by the achievements and life of this great Greek Champion Harilaos Vasilakis
Charilaos Vasilakos (Greek: Χαρίλαος Βασιλάκος, 1877 – 1 December 1964) was a Greek athlete, and the first man to win a marathon race.[1] He also won a silver medal at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens.
He was born in Tripoli.
On March 10, 1896, Greece held the first modern Panhellenic Games. The main purpose of the games was to help the country formulate the team that would compete in the first Modern Olympic Games, later the same year. Most of the participants were young army recruits who had been selected by their commanders for their athletic skill. Vasilakos, born and raised in a mountainous village in the Mani peninsula, already had a reputation as a strong long-distance runner, and won the race with a time of 3 hours and 18 minutes.
Vasilakos was one of 17 athletes to start the marathon race on April 10, 1896. He finished in second place, behind Spiridon Louis, with a time of 3:06.03 as one of only nine finishers. Both races were on 40 kilometre courses rather than the now-standard 42.195 kilometres.
Vasilakos went on to become a customs agent in Athens, where he died in 1964.