Tomb of Michel Breal has been restored on the Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris

The tomb of Michel Breal, who instigated the modern Marathon by getting it included in the inaugural modern Olympic programme, has been restored after the Montparnasse Cemetery authorities in Paris had threatened to "reclaim" the plot and bulldoze the damaged grave.

Descendants of Breal appealed to several sources for funds to cover the restoration work but only as the deadline was close to expiry did they approach AIMS for funding.

The cost of the repairs was covered jointly by AIMS and IAAF.

The funds were made available in June and the work was completed in November.

Source: AIMSworldrunning.org