Athens Marathon
Most major cities have an annual marathon, but Athens hosts the original. Commemorating the famous run of the soldier Pheidippides in 490BC, the 42-kilometre (26.2-mile) race begins in the town of Marathon itself and ends up at the Panathenaic Stadium.
For those unsure about whether they can last the whole 42 kilometres of the main race, there are also 10km and 5km road races. Participants must be 18 or older to compete.
The tradition of the marathon began with Pheidippides' running from Marathon to Athens to deliver the news that the Greeks had defeated the Persians. On arrival, the exhausted soldier apparently gasped the word "Victory!" and dropped dead. The modern tradition began in Athens in 1896 with the revival of the Olympic Games.
Nowadays, the run begins at the ancient battlefield of Marathon and winds past Mati, Rafina, Pikermi, Pallini, Stavros and Halandri before arriving at Panathenaic Stadium. The middle of the route is mildly hilly, but the rest of it is either flat or downhill, and the running surface is asphalt all the way.
Related Information
Website: Athens Classic Marathon Website
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Name: | SEGAS (Organiser) |
| Email: | info@athensclassicmarathon.gr |
| Fax: | +30 210 9331152 |
| Phone: | +30 210 9331113 |
| Phone: | +30 210 9315886 |
| Address: | 137 Syngrou Ave, 171 21 Nea Smirni, Athens, Greece |
| Town Information: | Athens |
| Full Name: | |
| Athens is the oldest, continually inhabited city in Europe, with all the glitz of a major European capital. With over 300 days of sunshine per year and the original 'halcyon days' in January when the cooler wintry weather gives way to a series of hot, sunny days, the city is far more than just a stopping-off point for the Greek Islands.
Boasting world-class art and archaeological collections, international performing arts venues, a vibrant music scene, a thriving café culture and a restaurant life to rival Vienna's, it is also a shoppers' paradise, where international brand names, high-quality jewellers and antique sellers clamour for a position on your credit card bill. |
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Name: | SEGAS (Organiser) |
| Email: | info@athensclassicmarathon.gr |
| Fax: | +30 210 9331152 |
| Phone: | +30 210 9331113 |
| Phone: | +30 210 9315886 |
| Address: | 137 Syngrou Ave, 171 21 Nea Smirni, Athens, Greece |
| Name: | Athens Tourism & Economic Development Company |
| Location: | Athens |
| Address: | Xenofontos 7, Sintagma, 105 57 Athens, Greece |
| Email: | info@atedco.gr |
| Phone: | +30 (0) 210 325 3123 |
| Fax: | +30 (0) 210 321 6653 |
| Name: | Greek National Tourism Organisation |
| Location: | Greece |
| Address: | Amalias 26, Athens, Greece |
| Email: | info_desk@gnto.gr |
| Phone: | +30 (0) 210 331 0392 |
| Fax: | +30 (0) 210 331 0716 |
