The Athens Classic Marathon, founded in 1982, the Athens Authentic Marathon attracts Greek runners as well as many international runners.
The finish line is located at the Panathenaic Stadium, where a crowd of 70,000 spectators once cheered Spiros Louis to victory and the 2004 Olympic Games marathoners.
Its course approximates the run by Phidippedes in 490 BC and Spiros Louis in 1896.
32nd Annual Pastichio Dinner / S.P. Martel Hall / 3511 Yoakum – 7 pm
Admission: $35 in advance / $40 at the door * $15 Children 12 & under
The first two decades of the fifth century B.C. marked one of the great turning points in world history. The powerful Persian Empire in 546 B.C. extended from Asia to Egypt to what is now Turkey. This great empire built the first Suez Canal which linked the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea.
So, you want to have a really long race that eventually will attract the best runners from around the world. Unlike other races with boring names like the "mile" and the "400 meter," with their well-defined distances, your race commemorates an ancient Greek town with an unusual route totaling somewhere around 24 to 26 miles.