Four hundred athletes from 56 countries will be in Athens on Saturday, September 27 to participate in this year’s Spartathlon. The annual 245-kilometer (152 miles) ultrarace kicks off at the foot at the Acropolis early in the morning and runners have 36 hours to reach Sparta, where they hope – as tradition calls – to touch the statue of Spartan warrior King Leonidas.
The race is inspired by the legendary run of Pheidippides, the Athenian messenger who, in 490 BC, covered the same distance in a day and a half to seek Spartan aid before the Battle of Marathon.
To facilitate the event, traffic police will be closing off roads in the municipalities of Athens, Egaleo, Chaidari, Aspropyrgos, Elefsina, and Megara along the route starting at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday. These include Iera Odos Ave. (from Pireos Ave. to the Kifissos bypass), Athinon Ave., the emergency lane of the Athens-Corinth highway, and parts of the Old Athens-Corinth highway.
The 43rd Spartathlon is made possible thanks to the support of hundreds of volunteers who staff 76 checkpoints along the route. This year marks the first time the Greek Guiding Association (GGA) has joined the volunteer effort.
Last year, Greek ultrarunner Fotis Zisimopoulos, claimed his fourth consecutive victory, reaching Sparta in just 18 hours and 13 minutes.
“The Spartathlon is a bridge between culture and sport, and we are proud that Greece is hosting this unique event and sending out its historic message,” said Vangelis Polymeris, President of the Spartathlon Association.
The race is held under the auspices of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the ministries of National Defense and Tourism, and with the supervision of the International Ultra Distance Federation (I.A.U.), highlighting its role as not only a supreme test of endurance but also a celebration of peace, friendship, and solidarity.
* The 43rd Spartathlon kicks off at the foot of the Acropolis at 7.00 a.m on Saturday, September 27.
