Ancient Olympic Games

In 776 BCE, the first recorded Olympic Games took place at the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia, in the western Peloponnese. The sole event was the stadion, a footrace of approximately 192 meters, won by Coroebus of Elis. The games recurred every four years — a cycle known as an Olympiad, later used as a chronological reference throughout the Greek world. Over subsequent centuries, events expanded to include wrestling, boxing, chariot racing, and the pentathlon. The games continued for nearly 1,200 years.