Hoplitodromos
One of the ancient sports in the world is the Hoplitodromos. There are certain sporting competitions that people await every four years. One of them is the Olympics, which is anticipated by millions of people around the world. The Olympics is a wonderful event that features various sporting events such as swimming, football, basketball, gymnastics, track and field, and many more. The Hoplitodromos is an ancient game that used to be played in the Olympics. Whatever happened to that sport?
Even if the Hoplitodromos were to be included in modern Olympics, it would have been modified greatly to an extent that the essence is lost. This is because the Hoplitodromos involved carrying extremely heavy weights that can be bad for the body and bones. Imagine carrying a bronze shield made of wood, and helmet and greaves that weigh at least 50 pounds. Just imagine how much weight that is and how much energy it eats out of your body. The Hoplitodromos was more of like a military training activity that helped the Greek soldiers get fit for their battles against Persian invaders. If this sport still existed today, it could have been the sport that demanded the most training.
If you have not participated in any races that required to carry such weight while running, then you must have imagined how difficult the Hoplitodromos is, at least for the Greek soldiers. Nevertheless, this could have been a brilliant and distinct sport if it were still part of the Olympic games.
Running is one of the most watched games in the Olympics. However, a few only know the origins of this sport. If not for the Hoplitodromos, the running sport that we know of today could have been different. Everytime you watch a running event, think of the Greeks who brilliantly performed the spectacular sport of Hoplitodromos.