“Poda para poda…apite!”
In ancient Greece, athletic competitions were a culturally significant occurrence and popular pastime for athletes and spectators (Harris 25). A series of four regional Stephanitic Games was organized with Stephanitic referring to the type of crown awarded. A wreath of bay leaves was given to winners at Delphi (Miller 1980, 31). In order of prominence among competing cities, Delphi ranked second and the city honored the god Apollo (Valavanis 171). Typically, the foot races promised to be the most exciting and dramatic events (Gardiner 266). Daily practice was important, so to accommodate the determined amateurs in training, a gymnasium and running track were built (Forbes 32). The two parallel tracks, located behind the gymnasium, were 186 meters long and 9 meters wide (Valavanis 240). The xystos was covered, offering a sheltered space, and often the floor’s surface was covered with sand that had to be periodically smoothed (Valavanis 240). The paradromis was an informal outdoor dirt track (Harris 28).
Greek athletes were the most physically fit young men of the country; demonstrating extreme endurance and the ideal of beauty (Bedrick 136). They sought the glory of social distinction gained rather than monetary benefits (Harris 27). Winners found the adoration a win brought was worth more than money; after winning key races one could maintain a hero status for several years (Bedrick 137). The men who lost faced humiliation, so it seems unfair that races weren’t highly regulated. Miller ntes that running tracks varied in length and lap times were not accurately recorded (Miller 2004, 33).
Despite these variations, efforts were made to reduce the capacity for error and cheating (Harris 26). By the 5th century B.C.E., each end of the paradromis was marked by a balbis, or starting stone (Miller 2004, 35). The balbis was made of two sets of grooves that were approximately ten centimeters apart; the runner placed the toes of one foot in the grooves for leverage (Harris 29). This nearly upright stance insured that runners began in comparable starting positions (Miller 2004, 37). The aphetes (or “starter”) would then shout “poda para poda” (or “foot next to foot”) at the beginning of foot races, instructing runners to place their feet in the grooves of the balbis. At the word “apite” or “go” the runners would begin the race.
Running is considered one of the oldest sports and elements of ancient races are visible in modern competitions (Gardiner 261). There were several types of races but the most common were the: stadion, dolichos, diaulos, and hoplitodromos. The stadion, usually the first race, was a sprint down the length of the track which was about 186 meters (Harris 29). The dolichos was two stadia in length (ca. 1200 Greek feet) and required runners to run down the track, turn at a post, and run back again (Lelgemann 2004). The diaulos was a long distance race which covered lengths anywhere from six to twenty- four stadia (Harris 20). The hoplitodromos, or armored race, required contestants to compete wearing helmets, leg guards, and to carry a shield (Gardiner 275). This awkward race suggests that some events trained men for war (Connolly 80).
