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Athens Classic Marathon

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The Athens Classic Marathon is an annual marathon road race held in Athens, Greece, normally in early November (the second Sunday of November), since 1972. It also often serves as Greece's national marathon championships. The race attracted 43,000 competitors in 2015 of which 16,000 were for the 42.195 kilometre (26.2 mile) course, both numbers being an all-time record for the event.[1] The rest of the runners competed in the concurrent 5 and 10 kilometres road races and the racewalking contest.

Athens Classic Marathon
Panathinaiko Stadium is the finishing point of the race
DateEarly November
LocationAthens, Greece
Event typeRoad
DistanceMarathon
Primary sponsorOPAP
Established1972 (52 years ago) (1972)
Course recordsMen: 2:10:34 (2023)
Kenya Edwin Kiptoo
Women: 2:31:06 (2010)
Lithuania Rasa Drazdauskaitė
Official siteAthens Classic Marathon
Participants4,020 finishers (2021)
16,436 (2019)
15,279 (2018)

The marathon race and course is inspired by the Ancient Athenian army run from Marathon to Athens after the Battle of Marathon.[2]

Taking from the tradition of the Olympic Torch, the race features the Marathon Flame, which is lit at the Tomb of the Battle of Marathon[3] and carried to the stadium in Marathon before the beginning of each race.[4] In addition, an international marathon symposium is held the day before the race.[4]

Greek competitors have traditionally been strong in the men's and women's competitions. However, East Africans and Japanese runners have increasingly become the dominant runners from 1999 onwards.[5] The current course records are 2:10:34 hours for men, set by Edwin Kiptoo in 2023, while Rasa Drazdauskaitė's run of 2:31:06 in 2010 is the quickest by a woman on the course.[6]

History

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The provenance of the competitive race is traced back to the Marathon race at the 1896 Olympics.[7]

A separate race from the town of Marathon to Athens was regularly held in April from 1955 to at least 1989. This unrelated race, known as the Athens Marathon, frequently served as the Greek championship race but it is now discontinued.[8]

The Athens Classic Marathon began in 1972 as a joint venture between the Greek tourist board and athletics association.[9]

In 1982, the organisers dedicated the race to Grigoris Lambrakis, an athlete and Member of the Greek Parliament, whose murder in the 1960s has become an inspirational cause for advocates of human rights.[2]

The race came under the auspices of the current organisers and SEGAS in 1983 and has since become a major race, being awarded Gold Label Road Race status by the IAAF.[10][11] The 1983 event was known as the Athens Peace Marathon and both a popular and elite level race featured for the first time that year.[8]

Since 1990, the Athens Classic Marathon has often served as the Greek national championships for the marathon event.[10][12]

Since 2007 the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races has organised an annual International Marathon Symposium in Marathon town the day prior to the race.[4]

The 2010 edition of the event was combined with the celebration of the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon.[6] As the 2500 anniversary was actually in 2011, this year was also celebrated as the anniversary run.

In 2016, a refugee team competed in the concurrent 5 kilometre road race.[13]

The 2020 in-person edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all registrants given the option of transferring their entry to 2021 or obtaining a full refund.[14][15]

Course

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The marathon course is based on the legend from which the race gained its name: Pheidippides, a messenger in Ancient Greece, ran from the Battle of Marathon to Athens to announce the Greeks' victory over the Persians.[2]

It is perhaps the most difficult major marathon race: the course is uphill from the 10 km mark to the 31 km mark – the toughest uphill climb of any major marathon.[16] The course begins in the town of Marathon, where it passes the tomb of the Athenian soldiers, and it traces a path near the coast through Nea Makri. Following the steep rise, the course goes lightly downhill towards the city of Athens.[17] It passes a statue of a runner (Ο Δρομέας) in the city centre before finishing up at the Panathinaiko Stadium;[18] a site for athletics competitions in ancient times and the finishing point for both the 1896 and 2004 Olympic marathons.[17]

Past winners

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A statue of Pheidippides on the route from Marathon to Athens
 
Burton Holmes' photograph entitled "1896: Three athletes in training for the marathon at the Olympic Games in Athens". The 1896 Olympic Marathon was the precursor to the Athens Classic Marathon.
 
Runners competing in the 1980 Athens Marathon, won by Jean-Paul Didim

Key:   Course record   Greek championship race

Year Men's winner Time
(h:m:s) 		Women's winner Time
(h:m:s)
2022   Charalampos Pitsolis (GRE) 2:23:44   Vasiliki Konstantinopoulou (GRE) 2:46:01
2021   Konstantinos Gkelaouzos (GRE) 2:16:49   Gloria Privileggio (GRE) 2:41:30
2020 cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic[14]
2019   John Komen (KEN) 2:16:34   Eleftheria Petroulaki (GRE) 2:45:50
2018   Brimin Kipkorir (KEN) 2:10:56   Shelmith Nyawira (KEN) 2:36:46
2017   Samuel Kalalei (KEN) 2:12:17   Bedatu Hirpa (ETH) 2:34:18
2016   Luka Rotich (KEN) 2:12:49   Nancy Arusei (KEN) 2:38:13
2015   Christoforos Merousis (GRE) 2:21:22   Minori Hayakari (JPN) 2:52:06
2014   Felix Kandie (KEN) 2:10:37   Naomi Maiyo (KEN) 2:41:06
2013   Hillary Yego (KEN) 2:13:51   Nancy Rotich (KEN) 2:41:32
2012   Raymond Bett (KEN) 2:11:35   Consalater Yadaa (KEN) 2:40:00
2011   Abdelkrim Boubker (MAR) 2:11:40   Elfeneshe Melkamu (ETH) 2:35:25
2010   Raymond Bett (KEN) 2:12:40   Rasa Drazdauskaitė (LTU) 2:31:06
2009   Josephat Ngetich (KEN) 2:13:44   Akemi Ozaki (JPN) 2:39:56
2008   Paul Lekuraa (KEN) 2:12:42   Mai Tagami (JPN) 2:36:58
2007   Benjamin Korir (KEN) 2:14:40   Svetlana Ponomarenko (RUS) 2:33:19
2006   Henry Tarus (KEN) 2:17:46   Chikako Ogushi (JPN) 2:40:45
2005   James Saina (KEN) 2:16:15   Sisay Measo (ETH) 2:38:39
2004   Frederick Cherono (KEN) 2:15:28   Alemu Zinash (ETH) 2:41:11
2003   Zebedayo Bayo (TAN) 2:16:59   Nadezhda Wijenberg (NED) 2:43:18
2002   Mark Saina (KEN) 2:18:20   Sonja Oberem (GER) 2:37:29
2001   Noah Bor (KEN) 2:19:26   Sonja Oberem (GER) 2:36:15
2000   Nikólaos Poliás (GRE) 2:20:50   Yeoryía Abatzídou (GRE) 2:53:00
1999   Masato Yonehara (JPN) 2:18:35   Tamaki Okuno (JPN) 2:46:46
1998   Nikólaos Poliás (GRE) 2:18:38   Joy Smith (USA) 2:50:52
1997   Gerasimos Kokotos (GRE) 2:31:47   Melissa Hurta (USA) 2:54:43
1996   Nikitas Markakis (GRE) 2:33:15   Panagiota Petropoulou (GRE) 2:56:42
1995   Nikólaos Poliás (GRE) 2:27:27   Panagiota Nikolakopoulou (GRE) 2:59:45
1994   Christos Dumas (GRE) 2:27:27   Kleri Stavropoulou (GRE) 3:21:32
1993   Nikólaos Poliás (GRE) 2:28:12   Panagiota Petropoulou (GRE) 3:15:56
1992   Christos Dumas (GRE) 2:31:15   Reiko Hirosawa (JPN) 3:05:24
1991   Theodoros Fotopoulos (GRE) 2:28:18   Sofia Sotiriadou (GRE) 2:59:29
1990   Johan Engholm (SWE) 2:26:33   Prudence Taylor (NZL) 2:59:15
1989   Jan van Rijthoven (NED) 2:23:19   Leslie Lewis (USA) 2:37:42
1988   Fedor Ryzhov (URS) 2:17:33   Magdalini Poulimenou (GRE) 2:50:59
1987   Kevin Flanegan (RSA) 2:25:14   Irina Bogacheva (URS) 2:43:37
1986   Jos vander Water (BEL) 2:27:22   Signe Ward (NOR) 3:06:58
1985   Michael Hill (SWE) 2:26:20   Eryl Davies (GBR) 3:04:30
1984   Leon Swanepoel (RSA) 2:28:53   Barbara Balzer (USA) 2:58:30
1983   Martin J. McCarthy (GBR) 2:25:34   Hanne Jensen (DEN) 3:20:33
1982   Rick Callison (USA) 2:27:29   Ella Grimm (DEN) 3:07:41
1981   Yiannis Kouros (GRE) 2:32:50   Britta Sorensen (DEN) 3:16:00
1980   Jean-Paul Didim (FRA) 2:34:32   Arlene Volmer (USA) 3:17:07
1979   Richard Belk (GBR) 2:31:21   Gaby Birrer (SUI) 3:34:21
1978   Danny Flynn (AUS) 2:27:22   Alexandra Fili (GRE) 4:47:00
1977   Kebede Balcha (ETH) 2:14:40.8   Christina Johansson (SWE) 3:05:53
1976   Edgar Friedli (SUI) 2:33:50   Melissa Hendriksen (USA) 3:35:45
1975   Teofanis Tsimingatos (GRE) 2:35:39   Corrie Konings (NED) 3:16:13
1974   Ian Thompson (GBR) 2:13.50   Eva-Maria Westphal (FRG) 3:55:56
1973   Jouko Kuha (FIN) 2:32:26 No women's race
1972   Yiannis Virvilis (GRE) 2:26:26 No women's race

Statistics

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Attendance

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No. Year 42 km. registrations 42 km. finishers[19] Total registrations
20th 2002 ? 1.779 ?
21st 2003 ? 2.676 ?
22nd 2004 ? 2.868 ?
23rd 2005 ? 2.559 ?
24th 2006 3.073 2.626 ?
25th 2007 ? 3.438 7.000
26th 2008 ? 3.846 10.000
27th 2009 ? 3.855 ?
28th 2010 ? 10.371 20.000
29th 2011 9.000 6.144 17.500
30th 2012 9.500 6.470 26.000
31st 2013 ? 8.500 31.000
32nd 2014 13.000 10.480 35.000
33rd 2015 16.000 11.886 43.000
34th 2016 18.000 13.707 50.000
35th 2017 18.500 14.743 51.000
36th 2018 ? 15.279 55.000

References

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General
Specific
  1. ^ Over 43,000 ran in the 33rd Authentic Athens Marathon on Sunday tovima.gr Retrieved on Monday, November 09, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Panagopoulos, Kostas (2009). Editorial Archived January 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Athens Classic Marathon. Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  3. ^ "About the Battle of Marathon".
  4. ^ a b c Butcher, Pat (2008-11-06). Marathon talks, in Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  5. ^ Nikitaridis, Michalis (2005-11-06). Saina and Measo are victorious in the Athens Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  6. ^ a b Drazdauskaite and Bett beat the heat to make history in Athens. IAAF (2010-10-31). Retrieved on 2010-10-31.
  7. ^ Wenig, Jorg (2008-11-10). 2,500 years anniversary of the genesis of the marathon approaches. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  8. ^ a b Athens Marathon. Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2008-08-18). Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  9. ^ Kendal's own Athen's marathon winner. Westland Moore Gazette (2004-08-24). Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  10. ^ a b Nikitaridis, Michalis (2007-11-02). Athens Classic Marathon celebrates 25th anniversary – PREVIEW. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  11. ^ 15 marathons awarded IAAF Gold Label Road Race certification for year 2011 Archived January 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. RunningSportsHub (2010-10-25). Retrieved on 2011-11-14.
  12. ^ National Marathon Champions for Greece. Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2008-12-21). Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  13. ^ "Το SolidarityNow Refugee Team τρέχει χιλιόμετρα αλληλεγγύης στον Κλασικό Μαραθώνιο 2016" (in Greek). Huffington Post. November 10, 2016.
  14. ^ a b "The 2020 Athens Marathon. The Authentic is Cancelled".
  15. ^ "Athletics-Athens Marathon cancelled due to COVID-19".
  16. ^ Butcher, Pat (2008-11-09). Athens Marathon record broken by nearly two minutes. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  17. ^ a b Butcher, Pat (2009-11-08). Ngetich, Ozaki prevail in ‘Battle of Marathon’ – Athens Marathon report. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  18. ^ Nikitaridis, Michalis (2006-11-05). Tarus and Ogushi secure Athens Classic Marathon victories. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  19. ^ athensauthenticmarathon.gr[permanent dead link] ATHENS MARATHON. THE AUTHENTIC - RESULTS
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