Dr. Stephen Miller has been excavating an ancient site in Nemea, Greece for more than thirty years. Nemea was one of four sites for ancient athletic games. The best known is Olympia, but games were also held at Delphi, Isthmia and Nemea. In 1996, local people decided to revive the Nemean Games to reflect their concern that the Olympic Games had moved away from representing ordinary people.
In the Nemean Games, held in Olympic years, there are only two events. A 100 metre footrace and a 7.5 km road race. Ancient traditions are reenacted, including the wearing of simple tunics and running barefoot. There are no records kept, and no medals. Best of all, anyone from anywhere may enter, whether they consider themselves athletes or not.
The most recent games were held on July 31, 2004, just before the Athens Olympics, and participants came from more than 45 countries. I assume that plans are underway for the next games in 2008. If you’re an ancient history buff, and want to participate in an event with strong ties to historical athletic contests, prepare for the next Nemean Games.