Stamata Revithi had come to Athens in 1896 to seek employment. Learning of the Olympic marathon race, she decided to enter. She’d enjoyed distance running while young, and she expected to gain some publicity, hopefully leading to a job. Women were not allowed to enter competitions in the inaugural Olympics, but this did not stop Revithi: she travelled to the town of Marathon and decided to run the day after the official competition. Revithi ran the course in about 5.5 hours, securing signed statements of her time of departure and arrival (although she was barred from entering the Panathinaiko Stadium). Details on Revithi’s life after the race are unavailable.
There’s record of another woman having run that 1896 marathon: Melpomene. It is unknown if this name referred to Revithi, or to a second female runner.
Greece