Do you know the legend behind the Marathon? In 490 BC. B.C., the Persians attack Greece and land on the plain of Marathon for a long and terrible battle, in which they end up victorious. According to legend, their messenger was sent to Athens to announce the victory, about 40 km away…running. When he arrives, he shouts “Nikomen”, meaning “We have won”, before collapsing, dead of exhaustion. In honor of this emissary and all the other bearers of messages, the Post Office Museum traces a fun artistic and sporting itinerary between more than 160 protean works. Precious vases from ancient Greece, iconic runners' jerseys, period posters, paintings, moving sculptures by Germaine Richier or Philippe Ramette, or even an Olympic torch from the 1992 Olympics by Philippe Starck are in the starting blocks of this frantic race. Ready? Go!

Did you know?

Although the legend of the Greek messenger dates back to the 5th century BC, the marathon as an Olympic discipline was only invented by academician Michel Breal for the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, in 1896. Like his friend Pierre de Coubertin, the latter was passionate about the sporting values of the ancient Greeks.