Yeah not to me, the Olympic Marathon is the marathon to win. Aussies have won a few medals and competed in all the big ones but it is the Olympics that are more prestigious to the fans, not sure of the runners’ view though.
The Olympic marathon is a big deal, but races like the NYC, Chicago, Berlin, Boston seem to hold more prestige. The real goal however is the world record; individual races don’t seem to compare to the record.
Some Hokey questions.
How big are the European hockey leagues? Is there a pan European Hockey championship that over shadows the Olympics? Do Hockey fans in Europe care that much about the Stanley cup?
Another question for anyone into all things horsey; would something like the Badminton Horse Trials be considered more prestigious than the Olympic equestrian events?
Wait, they have horses that play badminton? Why have I not heard of this? That has to be, hands down, the coolest sport EVER.
There are some serious leagues in Europe, but pretty much all the best players come over to play in the NHL.
You’d probably lose that argument. I’d say it’s a hell of a lot harder to win the Cup than it is a gold medal. Plus the Cup is older the Olympics, I believe.
I don’t think the ancient Greeks played ice hockey. 
ETA: Stanley Cup-1893, First modern Olympics-1896
Well, duh. 
See, I was right! And you can’t drink champagne out of an olympic medal.