FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Athens Classic Marathon Oct 31
The organisers of this year's Athens Classic Marathon, on Sunday October
31, have an opportunity to launch the race into the stratosphere that its
legend and history deserves.
This year is the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon, whose legend
gave rise to the addition of a long distance race to the inaugural modern
Olympic Games in Athens 1896. Accordingly, this year's race, on the
original course, from Marathon to Athens, is a special edition of the
Athens Classic Marathon.
The event has been relatively low-key since it was revived three decades
ago, for example, there were just 3600 finishers last year, and the race
record at 2.12.42 by Paul Lekuraa of Kenya in 2008 is almost two minutes
slower than the course record of 2.10.55, set by 2004 Olympic winner
Stefano Baldini of Italy.
But the elite entry has been beefed up this year, with Jonathan Kosgei
Kipkorir of Kenya leading the pack on paper, with his 2.07.31 personal best
from Paris 2009. There are three other sub-2.10 Kenyans, as well as
Lekuraa. Leading woman is Ashu Kasim of Ethiopia, who also ran her
peersonal best of 2.25.49 in Paris last year.
But the event has proved a hit with the public across the world. The
popular entry was oversubscribed within weeks, and entries were closed last
March at 20,000.
Baldini will be one of half a dozen special 'marathon' guests, who will be
able to relive their exploits at the Museum of the Marathon in the town
itself, venue of the battle which both gave the race its name, and is still
the starting point for the event.
Museum director, Maria Polyzou has a tale of her own to tell. Two months
ago, Polyzou, who is national marathon record holder retraced the steps of
Phillipides (Pheidippides), and completed a similar legendary run, from
Athens to Sparta and back to the tomb of the fallen soldiers from 490BCE,
in Marathon. Unlike Phillipides, she survives.
A surprise entry, at least to himself, is colleague and 1968 Boston
Marathon winner, Amby Burfoot, who was presented with an entry by his
family while celebrating his 64th birthday two months ago. One way, I guess
of forcing him back on the road after knee surgery.
The municipality of Marathon, which has hosted a symposium of the
Association of International Marathons (AIMS) for the last two years will
cede place to Athens, for this year's World AIMS Congress. But the expected
200 delegates from around the world will travel to Marathon on the day
before the race for the traditional lighting of the Marathon Flame. The one
that all marathoners carry inside.
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