Who was the founder of the running race?

The modern marathon race was inspired by the ancient Greek messenger Pheidippides, who is said to have run from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to announce victory over the Persians in 490 BC. The first organized marathon in the contemporary sense took place during the 1896 Athens Olympic Games, which was initiated by Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin as part of the revival of the Olympic Games. While there isn't a single "founder" of the running race, these events and figures significantly shaped the marathon as we know it today.