26. Athens Classic Marathon 09 November 2008 – The Original Course – ATHENS CLASSIC MARATHON EXPO 2008

The 26th Athens Classic Marathon will be held on 09 November 2008, and we all anticipate that it will be the most massive sport event of the year in Greece, with more than 10,000 runners participating in all three races; the Marathon race held on the original Marathon course and the 10km and 5km Road Races.

The Original Course
After the 2007 event, the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) included the Athens Classic Marathon in the IAAF SILVER LABEL category, recognizing the high standards of the organization.

The Marathon Race starts at 09.00 from the designated area of the Marathon Start Venue in the City of Marathonas. The start for those who wish to walk the course (Marathon Power Walking) will be given at 07.00 sharp.

The first 200m of the course are sloping, leading to the exit of the Marathon Start Venue. The first 4 kilometers go downhill. The runners run along the Marathonos Avenue up to the 4thkm, when they turn right and enter the Marathonomachon Street and the Marathon Tomb, which they follow for the next 2.2km. The course follows a rather circular route around the War Memorial for those that fought during the Marathon Battle (Marathon Tomb).

The course is becoming flat from the 6th to the 10thkm. From the 11th to the 17thkm the course goes uphill at certain parts. Then, and before the Rafina Junction, the runners meet a steep descent. Starting from the Rafina Junction, the course goes uphill again, while the most difficult part is until the 20thkm. As the runners pass along the town Pikermi, they run through some, more or less, uphill parts of the course up to the 25thkm. The passage through the city of Pallini (27th – 28thkm) is also rising. The last and most difficult part of the course starts from Gerakas and goes up to Agia Paraskevi (30th – 31stkm). A steep ascent at the Stavros Junction is followed by a steep descent leading to the Agia Paraskevi Square. Then, the runners follow the Mesogeion Avenue, going through the districts of Chalandri and Cholargos, meeting flat and downhill parts of the course up to the finish. The most characteristic downhill part is the one that starts form the Ministry of National Defense and finishes at the Katechaki Junction (37.5km).

The Vas. Sofias Avenue (39.1km) marks the last downhill part of the Marathon course. The runners pass by the USA Embassy, the Megaro Mousikis (Music Hall, 40thkm), the well known Hilton Hotel, the National Gallery. Going through the Vas. Konstantinou Avenue, the runners will run in front of the Panathinaiko Stadium for a few meters and then they will turn around and finish their race in the Panathinaiko Stadium, running the last 120m in the most famous Stadium of the world.

Registration for the Marathon Race (18+ years old)
The Athens Classic Marathon has been
significantly upgraded over the last three years
New services have been added and more opportunities are given to those who wish to experience the magic of the original marathon course.

Individual Registration

1 Full Participation Package – 80 €

# The Full Participation Package includes the following: provision of bib number,
# provision of timing chip,
# provision of commemorative medal,
# transport to the Marathon Start,
# provision of water, soft drinks and medical services during and after the race,
# Participation Certificate with the final and split times of the runner,
# sport bag with commemorative presents (towel, pen, mouse pad, poster),
# T-shirt of the race,
# free use of the public Transport Means, including those from and to the Athens Airport (3 days before και 2 days after the Race)

ATHENS CLASSIC MARATHON EXPO 2008
The 2008 ATHENS CLASSIC MARATHON EXPO is being organized for the second consecutie year, on the occasion of the unique event of the 26th Athens Classic Marathon race. The EXPO will be held on 07-08 November 2008 in the ZAPPEIO MEGARO – one of the most significant and of historical importance buildings of the city of Athens.

The ATHENS CLASSIC MARATHON EXPO 2008 is concentrated on Sports, Tourism and Health, offering to the exhibitors the opportunity to promote themselves and bring the visitors of the EXPO and the participants of our event in contact with their activities and products. Our aim is to create a major yearly exhibition, combining a landmark event for all sports enthusiasts with the greatest Marathon event. Being a privileged meeting place for runners and professionals from the running community and a compulsory destination for the participating runners who will come here in order to collect their bib numbers and timing chips, the ATHENS CLASSIC MARATHON EXPO is open free of charge to the general public and is looking forward to welcome more than 15,000 runners and guests over the two days of its operation. Among them, there will be people coming from 43 different countries that are visiting Athens in order to participate in the 26th Athens Classic Marathon event.

Among the 1,500 m2 of exhibition space that will cover the needs of the EXPO, a stage will host speeches, projections of films on the history of the Marathon, and other several interactive events. Also, an energy bar and a photo opportunity center will operate from 9am to 8pm both days.

The Athens Classic Marathon Organizing invites all those who would like to promote running and sports related products and services, gain popularity within the runners’ world, highlight their expertise by offering the runners and their families valuable advice, present interactive events aimed at visitors, present the Road Race event of their country/city, to attend the second ATHENS CLASSIC MARATHON EXPO, and take part in this celebration of our City.

But most of all, we are inviting all of you, the participating runners, the sports fans, the citizens and friends of our city to visit our event as it offers an opportunity too good to miss. Allow us the time and you'll have a great experience.

Athens Classical Marathon