Next October the Athens Classic Marathon will commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the original marathon run. This will be a signature event in The Arthritis Society’s 2010 Joints in Motion program. Whether you participate in the 10k or the marathon, this could be the run of your life. Make it a 2010 New Year's resolution.
The marathon began with the fabled run of Greek soldier Pheidippides, who served as a messenger from the Battle of Marathon. The hero of our story apparently ran the marathon distance from the battlefield to Athens non-stop (and without aid stations), burst into the Assembly exclaiming "We have won!" – and died on the spot.
Following roughly the same course as that extraordinary event, the Athens Classic covers the same ground as the first modern marathon – part of the first international Olympic Games, in 1896.
Not only are we participating and raising money for the Arthritis Society but now we are about to become part of history !!! And the counter on the website freaked me out...LOL !! 298 days 3 hours and 36 minutes until the Marathon !!!!
Here is the info I found out about the Marathon Course !!! I was most excited about the end being flat and downhill..LOL !!!!
The first 200m of the course are sloping, leading to the exit of the Marathon Start Venue. The first 4 kilometers go downhill. The runners run along the Marathonos Avenue up to the 4thkm, when they turn right and enter the Marathonomachon Street and the Marathon Tomb, which they follow for the next 2.2km. The course follows a rather circular route around the War Memorial for those that fought during the Marathon Battle (Marathon Tomb). The course is becoming flat from the 6th to the 10thkm. From the 11th to the 17thkm the course goes uphill at certain parts. Then, and before the Rafina Junction, the runners meet a steep descent. Starting from the Rafina Junction, the course goes uphill again, while the most difficult part is until the 20thkm. As the runners pass along the town Pikermi, they run through some, more or less, uphill parts of the course up to the 25thkm. The passage through the city of Pallini (27th - 28thkm) is also rising. The last and most difficult part of the course starts from Gerakas and goes up to Agia Paraskevi (30th – 31stkm). A steep ascent at the Stavros Junction is followed by a steep descent leading to the Agia Paraskevi Square. Then, the runners follow the Mesogeion Avenue, going through the districts of Chalandri and Cholargos, meeting flat and downhill parts of the course up to the finish. The most characteristic downhill part is the one that starts form the Ministry of National Defense and finishes at the Katechaki Junction (37.5km). Right after the Erricos Dynnan Hospital (38th km), the runners continue left on Michalakopoulou St. until the traffic lights of Michalakopoulou and Fidipidou Street crossroad. Following that point, they continue running on Fidipidou Street until the crossroad of Kiffisia & Alexandras Avenue. The latter crossroad highlights the 39th km, while the runners continue left on Vas. Sofias Avenue. On Vas. Sofias Avenule, the runners pass by the American Embassy, the Athens Music Hall and the Park of Freedom (Parko Eleftherias). As they reach the Hilton Hotel, they slightly turn right heading towards the Syntagma Square, passing by the Evaggelismos Hospital and Army Museum. At the last part of the course and having turned on the Hrodou Attikou Street, the runners have eye contact with the Panathinaikon Stadium. Only a few meters remain in order for the runners to enter the Stadium and run the last 170 meters inside it, before reach the finish line.
Wow...all this info is overwhelming and giving me the urge to head to the gym AGAIN today...LOL !!
Cheers !!!
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