High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Men`s Marathon event at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place on August 29, 2004 in the streets of Athens, Greece. The streets were recently painted for the event, which provided an excellent road surface for the athletes. Drawing upon the ancient origins of the race, the marathon began in Marathon, Greece. It ended at Panathinaiko Stadium, the stadium used for the 1896 Athens Olympics.