On the occasion of the 33rd Athens Authentic Marathon, a big celebration took place in Athens. The event that took place in the Greek capital attracted a record number of participants.
The total number of entries this year reached 43,000 in all races, while for the first time there will be an afternoon 5km route. Approximately 16,000 runners from all over the world will follow the footsteps of the legendary soldier Pheidippides on the 42km course.
The men’s winner of this year’s marathon was Greek runner Christoforos Merousis with an impressive time of two hours, 21 minutes and 22 seconds, while Japanese runner Minori Hayakari placed as the first woman to cross the finish line.
“The Marathon is a milestone. It is Athens’ pride and joy. The streets were flooded with smiles. Until next year,” noted the Mayor of Athens Giorgos Kaminis on his Twitter account.
The Athens Marathon is one of the biggest annual sports events that take place in the Greek capital, which also helps the local economy. The main 42km race was inspired by Pheidippides’ feat more than 2,000 years ago. The soldier ran from the battlefield to Athens to announce Greece’s victory over the Persian forces and collapsed dead of exhaustion.
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