A silver cup awarded to the Greek runner who won the first Olympic marathon in 1896 will be sold at a London auction in April.
Spyros Louis was presented with the cup, a silver medal, an antique vase, an olive branch and a diploma by Greece’s King George I for his Athens victory over 25 miles, slightly shorter than the modern marathon.
Auction house Christie’s says the engraved 6-inch cup had been in Louis’ family for 116 years but will be sold by his grandson on April 18.
Louis’ grandson, also called Spyros, says he would give the estimated proceeds of about $250,000 to his two children.
He says it was “always going to be impossible to split a cup.”
(source: AP)
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