Athens Marathon The Authentic

The Athens Marathon offers a unique experience to every marathon runner. It is the Authentic Course, starting from the Marathon Town and and ending in the Marble Panathenaikon Stadium in the heart of Athens. This is a lifetime experience which should not be missed by any marathon runner.

Route description:

The Athens Marathon is organized on the historical Olympic Marathon Course of the 1st Modern Olympic Games in 1896 and of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. The Marathon Race starts at 09.00 am from the Marathon Start Venue at Marathonas. The first 4 kilometers are rather downhill. The runners run along the Marathonos Avenue up to the 4th km, when they turn right and enter the Marathon Tomb, which they follow for the next 2.2 km. The course follows a rather circular route around the War Memorial for those that died during the Marathon Battle (Marathon Tomb), while it becomes flat from the 6th to the 10th km. From the 11th to the 17th km the course goes uphill at certain parts. Starting from the Rafina Junction, the course goes uphill again, while the most difficult part is until the 20th km. As the runners pass along the district of Pikermi, they run through some, more or less, uphill parts of the course up to the 28th km. The last and most difficult part of the course starts from Gerakas and goes up to Agia Paraskevi (30th – 31st km). Then, the runners follow the Mesogeion Avenue, meeting flat and downhill parts of the course up to the finish.

Highlights of the course are also the Athens Music Hall, the Liberty Park, the recently constructed Katehaki Bridge, the War Museum, the Museum of Cycladic Art, the Presidential Residency. Sport fans and supporters are along the entire course, offering olive oil branches to the participants, encouraging them by cheering.

Last but not least, as the runners approach the finish line, they could not ask for anything better than the Panathinaikon Stadium, the historic marble stadium venue of the 1896 Olympic Games. A white marble arena, with a wonderful rubber track leading to the finish line, while about 20,000 spectators are continuously encouraging runners. No wonder why most of them end up in an elated emotional state when they finally manage to cross the finish line.

Refreshment stations:

15 refreshment zones along the Marathon course. The zones are located every 2.5km. Toilets and bottled water are available in every feed zone. Isotonic drinks are offered at every 5 km after the 10th km (feed zones at 10 km, 15 km, 20 km, 25 km, 30 km, 35 km, 40 km). Watered sponges are available in the intermediate feed zones (7.5 km, 12.5 km, 17.5 km, 22.5 km, 27.5 km, 32.5 km, 37.5 km). Coca cola is offered at 30 km and 35 km, while bananas are offered at 15 km, 25 km and 30 km. Energy gels are available at 20 km, and snack bars at 20 km, 25 km and 35 km. All the above are also available at the finish line.

Venue facilities:

Toilet facilities will be available at the start and the finish area, as well as at all support stations along the course.

Chip timing available:

Yes

Number of participants last year:

30 000

Website:

Open in a new window

Email:

info@athensauthenticmarathon.gr

Photos

Athens Classic Marathon 2012 photos

9 Photos

Review average