Heraean Games

Olympia, Greece. Footraces for young women in honor of Hera

Overview

Every four years unmarried young women raced on the Olympia track in three age groups, wearing knee length tunics with hair unbound. Winners received olive crowns, a share of sacrificial meat and the right to dedicate painted portraits. The festival honored the goddess Hera and was among the few sanctioned athletic stages for women in the Greek world.