byLarry EderThe Athens Marathon has been relaunched as the Athens Authentic Marathon. Real all about it:
Athens Authentic Marathon on 9th November:
Classic race with a new name: Athens Marathon. The Authentic.
After 32 years, the Athens Classic Marathon event is to be re-launched by the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS) as the “Athens Marathon. The Authentic”. The successful organization of this unique event following the 2004 Olympics in Athens has helped increase entries to all its races from 4,000 to more than 30,000 runners and led the organizers to re-name the event’s title, reflecting the unique nature of this marathon which is run not only over the classic distance (42.195 meters/26.2miles), but also, and more importantly, over the Authentic Course, the one used for the first ever Marathon held during the inaugural modern Olympic Games in 1896.
Makis Asimakopoulos, the General Coordinator of the event, explained the background to the change in name: “This marathon course is unique because it’s the original one, the authentic. It is run from the municipality of Marathon to the city centre of Athens, following in the footsteps of the legendary Athenian soldier who ran to deliver news of the Greeks’ victory in the historic Battle of Marathon in 490BC. The race finishes inside the Panathenaikon Stadium, the first ever Olympic Stadium, a beautiful venue which sends a shiver down the spine of any runner who enters.”
The registration for this year’s marathon (Nov. 9, 2014) has just opened and the maximum entry total is expected to be reached very soon. The event also includes shorter road races of 10 and 5km, as well as competitions for Paralympic athletes and children, all finishing inside the historic Panathenaikon Stadium.
Each year on the second weekend in November, Athens takes pride of place in the marathon calendar and becomes the focus of the worldwide distance running community. Four days of events provide a busy backdrop to the marathon in the birthplace of the Olympic Movement including the Athens Marathon Expo as well as ceremonies such as the AIMS Best Marathon Runner of the Year Award Gala, the lighting of the Marathon Flame beside the Tomb of the Greek soldiers in Marathon and the International AIMS Marathon Symposium. More than 60 race directors from every continent attend the latter event annually in Athens.
“We are delighted by the feedback we receive from runners from more than 100 countries. They are impressed by the quality of our services, the unique finisher’s medal we give them, the overall experience in Athens and the international event we stage” said Makis Asimakopoulos, who was also Sports Director for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
The growth of this event is one of the major legacies of the 2004 Olympics in Athens and it’s no coincidence that the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) has based its headquarters in Athens since 2011.
For more information about the race and registration, please visit the Athens Marathon websitewww.athensauthenticmarathon.gr
