In 1896, more than 100,000 Greek spectators were on hand in Athens to cheer as farmer Spyros Louis won the first Olympic marathon. This week, 116 years later, there was cause for another round of cheering as the silver cup he was awarded sold at a Christie’s auction in London for a record $868,000. That was over three times the high estimate, and more than double the previous record for an item of Olympics memorabilia.The Breal Cup, as it’s called, takes its name from Michel Breal, a French linguist who proposed that a marathon should be included as an Olympic event. Six bidders vied for the trophy, driving up the price. The final winner was the late Greek shipping titan Stravros Niarchos’ foundation, which announced it plans to exhibit the 6-inch high cup at its Cultural Center, due to be completed in 2015.
