Pheidippides could hardly stand. He looked at the torches of fire around him, and they seemed to fade and grow dark. People were still cheering. He opened his mouth to speak, and everyone was quiet. He could feel hundreds of eyes upon him. “We have won the battle,” Pheidippides whispered. Then he fell to the ground.
People sang and laughed. They cheered even more loudly than before. Now they could stay in their homes. Their city was safe.The people went to help Pheidippides, but it was too late. He had died from his wound and from running to give them the good news. The people of Athens never forgot Pheidippides. They held race so that they would always remember what he had done to save their city.