Running was the most original athletic discipline
and first competition from the Olympic Games. The following distances were common:
a) Stadium run, in Olympia 192.27 m distance
b) Diaulos, the double stage run, in Olympia 384.54 m
c) Dolichos, a long-distance race whose length varied between 7 and 24 stadiums
d) Hippios, i. e. the length of the racecourse, i. e. 4 stadiums or 369.08 m
e) Weapon run, in Olympia like the Diaulos track elsewhere also the length of the Hippios track, in the beginning in full armor, lastly only with the shield, only for men
Medium- and short-distance runs were run as a return run on a 1.40 m wide track with turnaround around a target post. The determination of the short distance to 180 - 190 m, i. e. the distance for the highest possible speed development, shows a high level of development of this discipline.
Bronze original in the National Archaeological Museum Athens, about 540 - 520 BC replica original size.
