Running the Athens Authentic Marathon
Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking about taking on a real bucket-list marathon race and running the original, Athens Authentic Marathon!
A year later than initially planned, I got to run the 38th Athens Authentic Marathon. It’s known as the ‘Authentic Marathon’ as it follows the fabled route of Greek messenger Philippides, who ran to the town of Marathon and back to Athens to bring news of a Greek battle victory against Persia, dying after he’d relayed the news.
Gladly, I only ran this route one-way and I’m still alive to tell the tale, so if you’re thinking about running the Athens Authentic Marathon in the future, here’s what you can expect.
You’ll discover to expect at the expo, how the race unfolds on the day and an overview my own race strategy that brought me a new personal best and my first ever time qualifier result.
But first, let’s get started by looking at the pre-race organisation.
Athens Marathon Pre-race Organisation
The first thing you’ll notice when you start to check-out the information online about the Athens Authentic Marathon is that the quality is rather poor.
The Athens Authentic Marathon website is dated and doesn’t work well on mobile. The content is also usually out of date, with information about previous runnings easily available but little to nothing about the upcoming event. It also doesn’t help that there are several other events that share the same website, so you’ll frequently find information about the half marathon, 10k and 5k races taking place around the same time as the marathon.
It’s rather frustrating.
The social media accounts aren’t much better. They’re basically dormant until a few weeks before the race, then burst into action covering all the ribbon-cutting, permit-acquiring activities runners really couldn’t care less about. Like the website, the socials were also extremely poor.
But, on the day of the Athens Authentic Marathon itself, the organisation was perfect.
I took one of the coaches to Marathon departing from Syntagma and had zero problems. There must’ve been 20–30 coaches lined up, and when the front coach was full (or full-ish) it pulled away.
After arriving at the starting point in Marathon, it was a short walk to the stadium and a 90-minute wait until the race got underway. So as on-the-day organisation goes, there was zero anxiety. It’s just a shame that level of organisation and reassurance wasn’t present on the website and socials in the build up to the race.
COVID-19 Safety Measures
This was the first Athens Authentic Marathon since COVID-19 struck so unsurprisingly there were changes from previous runnings and additional protocols in place.
At the time of running, Greece was experiencing a surge in COVID-19 case numbers so everywhere you went shops and restaurants were very hot on mask-wearing and COVID-19 certificates to prove you’re either fully vaccinated, recovered from COVID-19 or have a recent negative COVID-19 test (even to the extent of having to show a vaccine certificate and wear a mask to enter a cheap souvenir store!). At the marathon expo, you had to show your vaccine status (or other acceptable status) to enter, and you had to wear a mask while you were inside.
Masks had to be worn on the coach from Athens to Marathon on the day of the race, and the coaches left sufficient room for social distancing by departing when they were probably around 60% full.
Marathon Stadium is all open air, so there was no need to wear masks while you were there, and this year there was a staggered start over two ‘races’ and eight waves, which gave space between blocks of runners. That said, the start wave had zero social distancing and even with the best attempts of the marshals, not everyone maintained a safe distance while waiting for the starting pistol…
And speaking of waves, each wave set off about three minutes after the previous one, so as I was in Wave 3, I was over the start line by about 09:06.
I was running with a friend who was much faster than me and he was placed in Wave 1. There was a lot of very strict communication about not being able to change waves, but we managed to get it sorted at the expo so he could start with me in Wave 3. Apparently, your timing chip was calibrated to activate according to your wave start time, so, if you started in a different wave, your time wouldn’t be recorded.
Overall, the COVID-19 arrangements felt safe and proportionate and in line with what everyone else was doing in Greece at the time.
Ergo Marathon Expo
The Athens Marathon expo — known as the Ergo Marathon Expo — is located at the Faliro Indoor Hall & Exhibition Centre (previously known at the Taekwondo Centre). It’s south of the city on the coast and makes for a nice day out to watch the sailing after you’ve collected your bib.
As the expo was a straight line walk from our apartment, we decided to take an easy stroll to the exhibition centre, which was about 4km away and all downhill. It was a lovely walk and excellent weather, but when we saw the Faliro Indoor Hall & Exhibition Centre we literally ran out of road — several busy motorways and lots of excavation sat between us and the expo hall with no obvious way of crossing them.
We ran into a group of Greek guys who were also on their way there, but even they didn’t know which way to go! After about a kilometre detour, we eventually ended up on the correct side of the motorways and got into the expo after showing our vaccine certificates.
Picking up our race packs was quick and easy, you just had to show your confirmation email and photographic ID. We also managed to sort running in the same wave together, which was also very easy. My friend had the back of his bib signed and stamped to show he’d been approved to run in a different wave, while his registration was updated as well so that his timing chip would work in Wave 3.
The expo offerings were pretty good, with two floors of stalls and very well attended, even if the official marathon stall was pretty small (about 30sq m) and running low on stocks of small and medium merchandise.
We spent around 45 minutes at the expo, which was enough, then grabbed some lunch before heading back into the City Centre.
Getting to Marathon
On race day, it was a fairly early start as the coaches to Marathon began leaving from various points throughout Athens at 05:30, with the last coach scheduled to depart around 06:15. There were dozens of coaches lined up near Syntagma where we boarded our coach, so it was very quick and easy to get on the transport.
And even though it was before sunrise on a Sunday, the Greek parliament guards were still doing their routines, and with only a handful of runners around it was an excellent opportunity to take photos or a short video!
On the coach, there was an information tape playing, explaining in Greek and English what to expect, as well as giving a little history behind the race. So by the time you reached Marathon about 45 minute later, you’re fully briefed and raring to go.
Marathon Stadium Start Village
Marathon Stadium is the ‘start village’ for the race and is virtually all outdoors. There is a small indoor area at the back, but unless you were queuing for toilets you were ‘strongly advised’ to go outside (COVID, and everything…).
The stadium itself is a bit run down but there was plenty of room, and if you arrived early enough, you could get a cheeky Strava Segment in round the running track.
There were dozens of toilets and portaloos everywhere round the stadium, so you never had to queue long for the toilet (although some did… while others decided to go al fresco…). Free water and bananas were available so you could keep fluid and carb levels topped up.
The Olympic Flame is also at Marathon Stadium, and if you time it right you can go and hold the torch. Unfortunately, we were in our start pen by then so could only look on in envy.
Athens Authentic Marathon Course
Running the Athens Marathon requires planning for three very different sections, which I’ll refer to as the First Half, the Hill and the End Bit. While it frustrated me a lot planning my race strategy, as conventional wisdom is to run even or negative splits that just aren’t feasible on this course, it made for a very exciting race in the end.
And don’t read the map left-to-right like a lot of people mistakenly do — the route starts in the east and heads south then west into Athens, not the other way round!
The Athens Authentic Marathon has one of the highest elevation gains of any major international marathon, with a total of 332m (1,089ft) elevation gain across its 26.2 miles. Most of that elevation gain comes in a brutal 8-mile section that begins about halfway through the race and continues relentlessly until you pass kilometre marker 31 (about 19.5 miles in).
But the good news is that the rest of the race — the End Bit — is virtually all downhill, including one of the most charitable last 800m I’ve ever experienced at a race.
After the 5km mark there are water stations every 2.5km in line with international race standards, as well as frequent toilet stops and aid stations. So from a provisions perspective, it was extremely well appointed.
First Half of the Athens Authentic Marathon
The first half of the Athens Authentic Marathon is pretty much flat. There are a couple of minor climbs, but these only last for a few hundred metres, so they can be safely taken at a constant pace.
After leaving Marathon Stadium the route is fairly straight, save for a dog-legged detour about 5km around the Marathon Tomb. On the wide-open road — made less congested by the staggered start waves — it was easy to find a comfortable pace and lock it in, following the blue racing line as closely as I could.
I even made a friend during this section, getting to chat to a Greek guy who was aiming for a similar finish time to me. So it was nice to be able to chat while grinding down the miles.
The support through this section is sporadic as the setting is quite rural, but when you run through a village there’s a massive surge in energy as the whole place seemed to be out supporting the runners. There were also children and ladies handing out olive twigs for luck, so I took a small one and stuffed it into my pocket. It was a unique souvenir for a finish line selfie!
The Hill
About halfway, The Hill starts. I clocked it starting at 13.5 miles, and it went on for the next 8 miles with only a couple of short sections flattening out a little.
I was nervous about The Hill, even though I’d trained on a lot of hills back home and had simulated an 8-mile, 180m (580ft) elevation gain run a few weeks earlier. But I’d never attempted something like this after running a fairly pacy (for me!) half marathon beforehand.
My coach had recommended I do ‘something’ while running up the hill to take my mind off it. ‘Counting to four’ and ‘pretending to click pens with my thumbs’ were two techniques he suggested had been shown to take the mind off pain, so I planned to give them a go. The ‘count to four’ suggestion fit well with a breathing technique Jack Daniels, PhD recommends of using two strides to breathe out and a two strides to breathe in.
So I applied the ‘count to four’ and breathing technique for a good part of The Hill, but also took the opportunity to learn a bit of Greek from my Greek running friend. I learned how to say ‘thank you’ (‘Efharisto’ or Ευχαριστώ) and tried it out on the crowds, with him correcting my terrible pronunciation so I could try again later.
I think I got it in the end!
For all the worry I had about The Hill beforehand, it turned out to be absolutely manageable. My highest elevation gain over one mile was 138ft (42m), but most miles had an elevation gain of just 50–60ft (15–18m).
My race strategy worked a treat through this section and I was actually ahead of schedule by the time The Hill ended at kilometre marker 31… but not before the most brutal segment, where you run down — and then back up — a motorway fly-under, which was a killer. But once you’re over the top, the road bends to the left and you can see it’s all downhill from now on.
The End Bit
At this point in the race, more than 20 miles in and knowing the hardest part was probably over, it was a bizarre feeling. But I’d had some sage advice from people who’d ran the Athens Authentic Marathon before, who told me:
Don’t put your foot down too quickly after the top of The Hill as many people who do this end up collapsing
After running uphill for so many miles, the sudden change in terrain puts a strain on different muscle groups as you head downhill, and for many people their knees just give way, and they collapse. After running so closely to my race plan up until this point, the last thing I wanted was to put my foot down too hard and fall over, so I gave it half a mile or so before increasing my pace.
The End Bit isn’t all downhill, there are flat sections and a sneaky incline just before the final turn, but the support really ramps up to cheer you on. Entering Athens was an incredible buzz, with massive support either side of the course and a lot more cheer stations as well.
And after that last turn, it’s another downhill segment straight into the Panathenaic Stadium and finish line. This must be one of the most charitable ends to any race I’ve ever ran as you can give it all you’ve got left without worrying about making it up another hill or round a tight bend.
It was fantastic!
And ending in the Panathenaic Stadium — location of the first Modern Olympic Games in 1896 — really is something to behold. And you’ll want your best smile/ grimace on as you enter the stadium as the finish straight is littered with photographers snapping away at your sprint finish.
Then it’s time to grab your medal — the 38th running has a fabulous double-sided medallion with Philippides on one side and the Panathenaic Stadium track on the other.
I can honestly say this race is up there with the very best, a cracking course and an exceptional finish line. I’d do it again without hesitation!
Athens Marathon Race Strategy
Coming back to my race strategy, I’d pondered it for months as The Hill means you must adapt your race plan from what would be considered ‘best practice’. Running even splits isn’t possible on this course as the elevation changes so vastly, while keeping your powder dry for later in the race seems like a waste considering the first half is flat as a pancake and you’ve got the benefit of miles of downhill segments at the end to sweep you through to the finish line.
My target was a Chicago Marathon time qualifier time, so I needed to come in sub-3:20.
I’d also ran a PB in a virtual marathon the previous year in 3:18, so my goals for Athens were to nail a Chicago Marathon time qualifier spot and, if possible, chalk up a new personal best. This meant my goal pace was about 7:34 mins/ mile over the marathon distance, but even splits were out of the question due to the 180m (560ft) of elevation on the 8-mile stretch of The Hill.
I didn’t know how much The Hill was going to take out of me, so I set a pace range for the last 5–6 miles, knowing if I was in that ballpark I’d hit my goal.
My race strategy looked like this:
· First Half: 7:00 mins/ mile
· The Hill: 7:30 to 7:45 mins/ mile
· The End Bit: whatever I had left in the tank, but as close to 7:00 mins/ mile as I could manage
This left quite a bit of wiggle room at the end as I knew I’d tire but didn’t know by how much.
The First Half went 100% to plan, I maintained a steady 7:00 mins/ mile throughout (even having to pull back my pacer friend at times to stop me from running too fast!) and hit The Hill bang on target.
To my utter amazement, The Hill turned out to be a lot kinder than I’d anticipated. I managed to hold a 7:20 mins/ mile pace for large portions of it, slowing only to 7:45 mins/ mile for the really steep sections, which were thankfully few and far between.
And for the End Bit, I managed to pull back to 7:00 mins/ mile for a couple of miles before fatigue set in and I dropped back to 7:30 mins/ mile. But hitting that last 800m downhill home stretch I accelerated to 6:45 mins/ mile to cross the finish line, which shows you just how charitable that last segment is!
I finished in a time of 3:08:31, way ahead of both my goals. My time was also a Boston Qualifier time and would’ve got me into the 2022 running but unfortunately the Athens Authentic Marathon was 48 hours after the close of the Boston Marathon qualifying period.
But there’s always another chance to improve my time and get that BQ next year!
When will you run the Athens Authentic Marathon?
I can honestly say this was one of the best races I’ve ever experienced. The course was incredible, gave you lots to think about and was an energising mix of quieter segments followed by raucous support as you ran through the towns and villages — and then Athens itself.
If this race is on your bucket list, I’d highly recommend signing up and living your dream.
You won’t be disappointed!
If you’ve liked this race report, you can check out my other reports on Running the New York Marathon and Running the Great North Run.
Follow me on Instagram and share your own running journey with me.
