greek mythology

[startupa]

maiden in greek mythology who agreed to marry any man who could defeat her in a running race

[nonwy]

atalanta

[Quizmonster]

To add a little to Nonwy's perfectly-correct answer above...all Atalanta's suitors so far had forfeited their lives when she outran them, but during their race Hippomenes cunningly dropped, one at a time, the three golden apples Aphrodite had given him. Atalanta stopped to pick each of these up, thus enabling him to beat her.