The classical writer who was the first to record the story about the runner who ran from Marathon to Athens, and then died was Lucian of Samosata, a writer of satirical essays of the second century A.D.
Where he got the story is unknown.
He claimed that Philippides (also known as Pheidippides) ran about twenty-five miles from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to bring news of the Greek victory over Persia, in September 490 B.C.