Press Release - Athens Marathon - 7/25/16

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

           "Athens Marathon. The Authentic" on November 13
  
     Running Boom in Athens: 50,000 entries and Elite Runners return 
                          to the Authentic Race

The "Athens Marathon. The Authentic" (AMA) continues its run of success 
despite the tough economic situation for Greece as a whole. The organisers 
of the first ever classic marathon race in history, which leads on the 
original course from Marathon to Athens, have announced that the elite 
field will be restored to the event on November 13 after a one year break. 
In addition, the race is certain to make history, since for the first time 
more than 50,000 runners are expected to register for the various events in 
the Greek capital. They will include a record of at least 18,000 who will 
run this classic marathon course.
 
In the days before the "Athens Marathon. The Authentic", organised by 
SEGAS, the Hellenic Athletics Federation, the 21st World Congress of the 
Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) will also 
take place in Athens, the birthplace of the marathon race and host of AIMS 
headquarters since 2011. 2016 will also mark the fourth year that Athens 
will host the "AIMS Best Marathon Runner" Awards. These will be presented 
to the best marathon male and female runners of 2016, chosen by a vote 
amongst all 400+ AIMS members.

After a year of intensive bank capital controls in Greece, the Authentic 
Marathon will be able this year to resume recruiting international runners 
for its elite field. In 2015 this had to be curtailed due to the bank 
capital controls which had deprived SEGAS from the legal framework to make 
proper financial arrangements with the international elite athletes. 
Nonetheless the race proved a success in the circumstances with a record 
number of more than 43,000 athletes entered for the various distances in 
2015. The return of the elite athletes ensures the Athens Marathon regains 
its true international status. The organisers are keen to recruit top 
runners who are capable of breaking the course record. In 2014 Felix Kandie 
of Kenya ran 2:10:37 to break by 18 seconds the time of Italy's Olympic 
champion Stefano Baldini which had stood for ten years.

Before the winner of the 34th edition of the "Athens Marathon. The 
Authentic" crosses the finish line in the Panathenaic Stadium on November 
13, an important special ceremony will also take place in that same venue 
which staged the first Olympics of the modern era in 1896. This will 
commemorate the first Olympic Marathon race, held 120 years ago. The 
ceremony will be organised in conjunction with the Hellenic Olympic 
Committee and the organisers expect huge numbers of spectators in the 
historic marble arena.

In the meantime the Authentic Marathon has clearly aroused great interest 
in running among the Greek public. Proof of this was provided on just one 
day in spring this year when the organisers opened online registration for 
participation. Within 10 hours races for the shorter distances of 5 and 10k 
were completely sold out. "The success of the Athens Marathon is a 
contribution to people's awareness of a healthier lifestyle. That is really 
the biggest legacy of the Athens Marathon for the Greek public," said 
Kostas Panagopoulos, President of the Hellenic Athletics Federation.

More information and online entry is available at: 
www.athensauthenticmarathon.gr

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