The Athens Marathon retraces Pheidippides' route from the town of Marathon to Athens — with a climb spanning twenty-one kilometers starting almost right after the gun. Many call it the toughest course among major marathons: even the fast downhill finish doesn't spare tired legs. The finisher medal changes every year — a 2019-to-2027 collector's series of eight medals, each bearing one letter of the word MARATHON and a scene from Olympic marathon history. The reward for all those hills is entering the track of the Panathenaic Stadium, host of the first modern Olympic Games.
Temple of Olympian Zeus — Ten minutes from the stadium.
National Garden — Borders the stadium directly.
30 minutes
Plaka — The old pedestrian quarter at the foot of the Acropolis.
Acropolis — The city's icon, about a twenty-minute walk from the finish.
2 hours
Cape Sounion — The Temple of Poseidon over the sea, about an hour's drive.
Delphi — The Oracle and the Temple of Apollo, two to two and a half hours by car.
Dinner before the race
There's no single runner-favorite spot, but tour groups often organize a shared pasta dinner at the hotel the night before.
After the finish
Water, isotonic drink, juice, and bananas at the Panathenaic Stadium forecourt right after the finish.
Airports
ATH · 40 min
Reviews
Gareth Richards (Medium)2022
The toughest stretch was eight miles of climbing, 332 meters of gain. The worst part was a dip down and back up under a motorway flyover, but with sensible pacing it was entirely manageable.
Doctor Will (JustRunLah)2017
Every time I thought that was the steepest hill, Greece had another surprise around the next turn. And the downhill afterward hurts just as much — just differently.
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