Well you originally said >From: Jane Williams <janewilliams20_at_...>
>
>And, dragging us away from combat and back to contests
>again, how about the guy who ran the first marathon?
>Delivered his message in time, then dropped dead of
>exhaustion. Complete victory: and the protagonist ends
>up "dying".
I'd agree with David that I'd not expect a character to drop dead on a complete victory for doing something that many thousands of people do every year without a significant number of fatalites (35,674 people completed the London Marathon this year according to their web site - Wikipedia reports 9 fatalities at the London Marathon since 1981).
Mike suggests it's a matter of framing, but I think his example lets his argument down. I'd suggest it's not a complete victory that leaves you dying in the town square of Marathon having delivered the message but a marginal victory or even a defeat. I'd accept the idea that if the PC's have decided to deliver the message, then the message will be delivered - the elements of uncertainty, and therefore drama are how long it will take, and what toll it will take on the messenger
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