RUNNING HEROES

Stamata Revithi, coureuse grecque ayant parcouru le marathon d’Athènes en 1896 malgré son exclusion des Jeux olympiques.

Stamata Revithi: the woman who ran the first Olympic marathon without a bib, in 1896

In 1896, a Greek woman ran the 40 kilometers of the first Olympic marathon alone, without a bib or permission, after the organizing committee refused her the right to register. Long known by the legendary name Melpomene, her real name was Stamata Revithi.

Illustration éditoriale de Michel Jazy en finale du 5000 m aux Jeux Olympiques de Tokyo 1964, hommage Spiridon Celebrates à une légende française du running.

Michel Jazy, the "zebra" of the mining towns who made France weep

Son of a Polish miner who died of silicosis, a typesetter at L'Équipe who became a stadium star: Michel Jazy was the greatest French middle-distance running celebrity of the 1960s. From his silver medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics to the heartbreak of Tokyo in 1964, here is a portrait of a champion who made an entire country weep and cheer.

Emil Zátopek · Nos légendes · Histoires & héritage · histoire Spiridon · marathon · Helsinki 1952

Emil Zátopek, the man who ran for everyone

In 1978, Yves Jeannotat interviewed Emil Zátopek in Prague for issue No. 40 of Spiridon. Direct quotes, unpublished anecdotes, and a simple truth: the greatest runner of his time did not truly understand his own method. And that is why he was unique.

Cornelia Bürki une athlète Suisse engagée emblème du mouvement Spiridon

Cornelia Bürki and the Spiridon jersey: portrait of a Swiss middle-distance legend

A look back at the career of Cornelia Bürki, Swiss Sportswoman of the Year in 1978, who proudly wore the Spiridon jersey on tracks across Europe and the world.

Pionnière de la course féminine : La Française Lucie Bréard

Pioneer of women's running: Frenchwoman Lucie Bréard

In the history of women's sports, certain names are widely highlighted, such as that of Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon in 1967. But long before her, in the 1920s, a French woman was paving the way for women on the track: Lucie Bréard.

Spiridon is coming!

The resounding echo of the victory of Spiridon Louis, the first Olympic marathon champion of the modern era, inspired the name of the first international running magazine. Originally from Greece, this young shepherd, in harmony with nature and far from urban conventions, created everyone's surprise. While everyone was waiting for a winner from the English, French or German elite, it was he who emerged, thus sowing the seed of a free race. This idea will be symbolically taken up to define the very essence of the magazine and the clothes.

Bruce Tulloh at the Tarahumaras

The magazine spiridon had published a formidable article signed by the Briton Bruce Tulloh. You have certainly forgotten him, but he is also this runner who managed to cross the United States from Los Angeles to New York, that is 4602 km, in 64 days (1969). He also wrote a book on this subject " Four Million Footstep " (of which we have a first edition). We transcribed for you the article written in June 1973. This had inspired Karel Matejvosky. You will find the illustration "Tarahumara" accompanied by the bird on a collection of our t-shirts. But it has inspired many others, we think of Born to Run by Christopher Mc Dougall which will be published in 2009, a cult book for many runners of our generation (to be found in our shop).

Chantal Langlacé à Marvejols-Mende en 1975, portant le t-shirt Spiridon – pionnière du running féminin et figure du mouvement Spiridon en France.

Chantal Langlacé, heroine of free running

The great Kathrine Switzer was not the only one to have shaken up the codes of running and campaigned for the inclusion of women in marathons. In France, Chantal Langlacé was also a pioneer.

RUNNING HEROES

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