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Athens Marathon (Greece) Runner Comments
Back to Athens Marathon (Greece) Information & Reviews
Course 4.2 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 3.7
Number of comments: 140 [displaying comments 91 to 101]
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C. E. from USA - Texas
(11/14/2006)
"Tough course, few spectators but plenty water." (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 The second half of the course was much tougher than the first. Good organization - the coordination of runners to the start was good and having a building to wait in before the race began was greatly appreciated. The course could have been more scenic. There was just drinks at the finish - no food or fruit were provided. | |
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Mark Dabbs from Running Ambassador, Walsall, England
(11/10/2006)
"Athens completes the Grand Slam of European cities" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Having run previously in Paris, Rome and Berlin - part of the big four capital cities in Europe - I was keen to run the original course. I had read that some of the organization in past races was poor, but I could not fault it for this year with a new focus on the event being a classic. We were bused out to marathon and then made our way back. Support was sparse during the early part, I admit, but near the end and finishing in Panathanaikis Stadium could not be beat. Every runner should do the big four. | |
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N. S. from USA
(11/10/2006)
"Bravo! Bravo! This is a must-do marathon!" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The historic significance of this marathon is only one reason you should run this event. The new organizers did a fantastic job and we always felt well taken care of. We are from the US and when reached the airport, went to the booth for the event and were given a free pass for local transportation during our entire stay. This made traveling around the city extremely easy and free! The packet pickup was easy to get to by TRAM. The pasta party was included with registration fee, which was a very nice event (even though they needed more tables for people to sit at) and it was nice to meet and see the different running groups from the various countries in their matching running gear. There was no real expo, but we didn't really expect as much. It was nice that they included a GU gel in our pickup packet, as well as one on the course. The goodie bag had lots of neat little things in it, including a keychain, pin, and towel. The day of race was a cool 40 degrees at start. They had buses that took you to the start and we were concerned about standing out in cold for two hours before the race, but found shelter inside the changing room, which kept us nice and warm. Then, when going outside to begin the race, the sun was brightly shining, which made for a very enjoyable start. There were olive branches passed around, which runners promptly put in their hair, tucked on their clothes, or carried. The course itself had a long incline, so be prepared for that and do not start out too fast. The course was marked in kilometers (versus miles), which was fun because it added the bit of foreign flair to the event. There were speculators cheering, "Bravo, bravo!" along the course and especially through the city areas. There were ample aid stations and they provided FULL bottles of water, which made it easier to carry than a cup. They also had Powerade, a GU station, and some energy bars along the way. The finish was spectacular!!! What a way to finish in the most historic stadium ever!! Good job - this is an event not to miss! | |
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D. C. from Lafayette, Louisiana
(11/10/2006)
"Challenging, but enjoyable" (about: 2006)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my second marathon, but the first that I was able to run the entire time. I didn't go with the tour group, but found a nice hotel near the stadium for a great price. The organization was fine and we had no trouble getting to the packet pick-up by taking the tram. The spectators were few and far between, but they were very supportive, even for us slower runners. The course is challenging, with a lot of time spent running uphill. Fortunately, by the end, the hills are behind you and I was able to increase my pace for the last 5 miles. I expected warmer weather and was very unprepared for the low temperatures. I had to buy a windbreaker the day before the race, which made the cold weather bearable. It took me 4.5 hours to finish and there was still plenty of water, sports drinks, and Gu on the course. Everything went really smooth at the finish. I had no trouble finding my bag, returning my chip, etc. There was also a photographer who photographed everyone crossing the finish line. Overall, it's definitely worth running this marathon and spending some time in Athens. We had a wonderful trip and really enjoyed the city. It's easy to get around, even if you don't speak the language, the people are friendly, and the food is wonderful (I'm vegan and had no trouble finding delicious food). If you have a chance, be sure to visit one of the islands.... Beautiful. | |
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Ed Lyell from Crete, Greece
(11/9/2006)
"Outstanding" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon had the best on-course support I have ever received. An outstanding job from the race organizers and volunteers. From the race start to the end, the same level of support that was given to the frontrunners was provided to the back-of-the-packers. Runner needs were provided for and course control was provided by a police officer every few hundred yards. It was a very safe and efficient marathon. Even though I live in Greece, I traveled with Apostolos Greek Tours and found this to be a great value. Packet pick-up was at the pasta party at our hotel. Paul, the tour organizer, was very helpful and looked after every runner's needs. He even provided a special aid stations at the 1/2 marathon and the finish. To give you an idea of service. I left a shirt at the 1/2 and Paul mailed my shirt back to me. In addition to Paul, Jeff Galloway was on the tour. I was lucky enough to run with Jeff and Barbara Galloway almost the entire marathon, till Jeff and Barbara smoked me at the end. Jeff paced me to set a PR for a very hilly course. I would recommend this marathon to any runner looking for a great course with outstanding support. I would also recommend going with Apostolos Greek Tours since there are some problems finding the packet pick-up on your own. And if you want to really see Greece, this is the best way to go. | |
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p. p. from athens,greece
(11/7/2006)
"Dont try it!" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 I am from Greece and this was my first marathon. I didn't expect such a mess. So many mistakes from the organization and the local authorities, and no spectators except from the last KM. Next time I'll try a marathon in Europe or even the States. | |
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F. R. from La Mirada, CA
(11/16/2005)
"Once-in-a-lifetime experience" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Like several others here my wife and I opted for the marathon package from Apostolos Tours, and I'm glad we did. The race itself was a lot of fun for me, I took pictures along the way. While 'the hill' did slow me down a bit I found it runnable all the way through. Jeff Galloway told us what to expect as far as the course, support, and finish facilities and everything happened as he said it would. There was water every 5K and some stations had full bottles of Powerade (I swear it tasted different than in the States). The local spectator support is small; they're curious at first then enthusiastic as the race goes on. By the way, after running into the stadium you HAVE TO climb to the top row of seats (under the Olympic rings), the view is spectacular. As far as Apostolos is concerned, I can't praise them enough; they took care of EVERYTHING, from picking us up at the airport to the smallest detail like helping us mail postcards home. They took care of all the race details like registration and bib pickup. They provided us with an aid and drop-bag station at the half-way mark. Any runners finishing after the 6-hour limit were met with a closed stadium, no official time, and NO MEDAL; Paul secured medals and certificates for those runners on his tour who finished after the 6-hour mark; there was even a chase vehicle that kept track of the slowest runner that was part of the tour just in case they couldn't finish. As far as the rest of the tour was concerned, it ran like clockwork. We were always made aware of the next day's schedule and activites. Paul, Jill and Maria pointed out the best places to eat and/or shop, Jeff gave great running clinics both at the hotel and during the bus rides, and the sites we went to were absolutely awe-inspiring. If we wanted to go someplace on our own Paul gave us specific help on how to get there and back, including what bus, tram and metro lines to use. It was an experience my wife and I won't soon forget and we couldn't have done it without Apostolos Tours. | |
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P. S. from London
(11/15/2005)
"The marathon to run" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon and it was a wonderful experience. I don't know why people are complaining about the organization, going to Falliro to pick up the bib was little bit difficult and inconvenient but nothing too bad. It's far from central Athens that's the only problem. Get the tram from Syntagma and get off at Falliro and you won't have a problem. I found the organization on the day very good. Buses were there to pick us up, I left my stuff with no problems and all was fine for me to concentrate on the race. There is water, sponges and later isotonic drinks every 5KM. Spectators were few as people said but very supportive. Entering the 1896 all-marble stadium was something I will never forget. I did like the fact that they actually put the medal on my head instead of having to pick it up from a box!! My only complaint is that the water was little farther down the stadium but in the state I was everything was in slow motion!! No problems with picking-up my bag, found it within few seconds. Overall this is a great marathon to run; I loved the fact that we were only 3,000, so there was plenty of space for everybody to run at their own pace. Run this marathon. | |
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Joseph Lim from New York, NY
(11/11/2005)
"Quiet, Peaceful, and Historic for 1st Marathon" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This is THE marathon and the only one that can boast being the 2004 Olympic route (1896 is similar, but not the exact route; it finished at the same stadium though). This was my first marathon and a lot of my friends thought I was crazy for not doing New York City as my first marathon (which is on the same day). Since this is my first, I really had no expectations and I found the race organization to be superb. Finding the race packet pick-up was indeed an adventure - took me 1.5 hours to find it (along with an Italian and French runners). As you can see, this marathon is truly 'international' - especially for such a small-scale marathon (3,000 people). Course was great! Only around 3000 people ran. Powerade/sponges/water bottles/personalized bottled drinks were plentiful and found every 2.5KM after the 5K. You don't hear upbeat type music along the route, but I did hear church-type music twice along the route. I also smelled yummy doughnuts twice along the route. Spectators were minimal. Most of the support came from friends of fellow runners who stationed themselves along the route. Most of the crowd is at the all-marble Panathinaiko Stadium. You can buy Athens Marathon souvenir t-shirts all over the Plaka district afterwards. | |
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J. H. from Germany
(11/9/2005)
"Outstanding running among the footsteps of history" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was my third marathon (first internationally). The bib pickup was difficult to find, but from the time I met up with the shuttle to the starting line, it was very organized. The only thing I would encourage the race organizers to consider is adding fruit (oranges, bananas) along the route, say every 5K, with the PowerAde. Also, add fruit at the finish line. Water at the finish was not enough. It was an awesome experience running past the statue of Phedipidees along the route and into the Panathaniko Stadium at the end. |
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