The notoriously swift runner Atalanta, who wished to remain unwed in spite of her father's wishes, set a condition that she would only marry the man who would beat her in a footrace. No potential suitor could outrun her, and the penalty for the loser was death. In some versions, the suitor would be given a head start while Atalanta pursued armed, and the moment she overtook the man before the finish line, she would kill him and mount his head on the stadium.

After she had killed many, Hippomenes came by her lands, with a dismissive attitude