Spyridon Louis was born in Marousi, north of Athens, on January 12, 1873. His father sold mineral water in Athens, which lacked a central water supply then. Spyridon helped him by transporting the water, earning him the nickname "water carrier."
Papadiamantopoulos, recognizing Louis's running talent, convinced him to try out for the marathon. Louis placed fifth in the second qualifying race, securing his spot in the Olympic marathon on April 10, 1896.
Colonel Papadiamantopoulos fired the starting pistol for the small field of seventeen runners, thirteen from Greece and four from other nations. Edwin Flack, an Australian runner who had already won the Olympic 800 and 1500 meters, took the early lead. But as the race progressed, Spyridon gradually caught up to Flack. The Australian, unaccustomed to long distances, eventually collapsed from exhaustion.
As Spyridon entered the Panathenaic Stadium for his final lap, the raucous cheers of "Hellene, Hellene!" echoed through the stadium. Crown Prince Constantine and Prince George of Greece joined him on the final lap, and he crossed the finish line victorious, winning by more than seven minutes with a time of 2:58:50. He was hailed as a national hero.
After the Olympics, Spyridon retired from athletics to pursue a life as a farmer and police officer. He attended the 1936 Berlin Olympics, reportedly offering an olive branch from Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, as a symbol of peace.
Forty years after his iconic victory, Spyridon recounted the unforgettable moments: "That hour was something unimaginable, and it still appears to me in my memory like a dream… Twigs and flowers were raining down on me. Everybody was calling out my name and throwing their hats in the air..."
Spyridon Louis passed away on March 26, 1940, in Maroussi. His legacy lives on in Greece, where various sports establishments bear his name, including the Olympic Stadium of Athens, the 2004 Summer Olympics host, and the road outside the stadium.
On April 6, 1896, the Olympic Games, a long-lost tradition of ancient Greece, were reborn in Athens.
