Wenlock Olympian Games

Much Wenlock, England. The village festival that inspired Pierre de Coubertin

Overview

Dr William Penny Brookes founded annual games of athletics and traditional country sports in the Shropshire village in 1850, open to every social class. A visiting Coubertin attended the 1890 edition and later credited Brookes and Wenlock as a foundation of his Olympic revival. The mascot of the London 2012 Games was named Wenlock in tribute.