Athens (Greece) Marathon Reviews

  It's THE marathon.

By Kostas about 2024

Review

For one, it's the original course, from which the very concept of marathon races derives. It starts from the village of Marathon, outside Athens, makes a small loop around the burial grounds of the Athenians that perished in the famous battle with the Persians that the race is supposed to commemorate and finishes inside the stadium that the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896. There are crowds cheering people on for most of the course, Athens is a great place to visit and has superb infrastructure for tourists, there is a very communal sense or comradery among runners and an overall great experience.

Race support is also great. Aid stations are frequent, emergency services are top notch and the volunteers along the course are super helpful, enthusiastic and buzzing with positive energy.

Being on the "hard" side, due to prolonged hilly parts, there is also an increased sense of accomplishment finishing it.

Race Tips

It is a tricky course. There is a continuous incline from ~20K in, all the way up to the 32K mark. You need to pace yourself modestly, both on the first half and especially during the hilly bits, so that you don't drain yourself out. The last 10K are declining, but can be tricky for cramps. Especially at the 32K mark, the decline is quite steep and it's easy to get carried away and risk cramping.

Also, although Athens is cool in November, it can get sunny, so make sure to hydrate a lot at the aid stations and consider wearing a sunblock and hat.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

It's Athens... It's built for tourism all year round. You don't need to make any special arrangements. The city will welcome you and give you a great time regardless.