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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 101 to 111]
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Joseph Lim from New York, USA
(11/9/2005)
"Meaningful and Historic First Marathon" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran this race this past Sunday as my first marathon and I absolutely loved it. Having had no marathon racing experience in the past, I really had no expectations and overall, I found the organization of the race superb and the drinks/sponges very well supplied. As a first marathon, I had a great time and would love to run it again. Getting the bib/race packet was indeed an adventure, but fun! It took me, a fellow Italian runner, and French runner around 1.5 hours to finally find the bib packet building! More specific directions and stating which one is the easiest would have been helpful. Signs on the metro/tram stops directing the runners to the correct destination would be helpful too. Once there, the pick-up was fast and there were hardly any lines. Only around 3,000 runners ran this race and I think that the race is small enough to get a great pool of diverse runners yet not big enough to be 'overwhelmed.' I'm from New York City and the NYC Marathon always gets over 35,000 runners, which can be overwhelming for a first-time marathoner. Typical Central Park races in NYC get around 2,000-5,000 runners twice a month, so I was comfortable with running this marathon in terms of the number of runners. This is the most 'international' race I've ever participated in and it definitely gave a different perspective to my running. The bib is made out of cloth. All the runners are supportive of each other (regardless of the language barrier) even though there was minimal ('spartan') crowd support. But I bet the original marathon must have been worse over 100 years ago in terms of support (water/crowd/Gatorade). Bottled water, Powerade, and/or personalized bottled drinks were given at every 2.5 KM starting at the 5-KM mark. I found this very helpful. There was 1 porta-john at each of the water stops and this is enough for 3,000 runners. Roads are closed to traffic. There is no expo and don't expect to have one. You can buy Athens Marathon t-shirts and polo shirts all over Plaka district. Bag pick-up at the end of the race was efficient -- it only took 5 seconds for the volunteer to find my bag after reading my bib number. As a 23 year-old, I couldn't afford taking a tour, so I booked my own flight and hotel room with friends (who are non-runners but very supportive of my race!) It's quite easy. The registration website is written in English and Greek. However, a lot of participants were part of tours and running clubs (you can tell from their t-shirts). The day before at the pasta party, it was cool to see club members wearing their tracksuit uniforms (Poland, various Greek clubs, Bourse de Paris, etc.). Make sure to bring your own Gu gels or PowerGels for I didn't see any being sold in Athens, nor do I know of where to find them in Athens. Overall, a great first-time experience! | |
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H. M. from Washington, D.C.
(11/8/2005)
"Great historical course" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I was really nervous about running this course due to rumors about poor organization, running out of water and unbearable hills. I couldn't resist the temptation however and decided to sign up for it anyway. I'm so happy I did. The course was not nearly as bad as I had anticipated. I trained in a hilly area and ended up wondering where the really tough hills were. The organization was pretty good as well, which may have been because of improvements from having the Olympics there last year. After the 5K-mark there were water stations every 2.5K as well as sponges and Powerade at every other station. I would like to see more crowd participation and more marketing for the marathon though. I know NYC is on the same day but you can't run that one every year! There also weren't any products (hats, shirts...) that you could buy at the expo which I would have liked. You do get a nice t-shirt in your package as well as a nice keychain and a medal at the end. It was an awesome experience running into the Panathinaiko Stadium and highly recommend this marathon! | |
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M. B. from Brussels, Belgium
(11/8/2005)
"Well organized must-do." (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Athens Marathon (Greece)s
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I have to agree that finding the so-called expo was quite an adventure. Also, it would have been nice to have something to eat at the aid stations (although I can live without). But these are the only complaints I would express. I found the organization very good and having experienced the 2003 chaos at the finish line (lost bags), I have to say that it ran more than well this time. Spectators: OK, they were few. But very supportive and friendly. This is a tough and not-so-scenic race. Also beware: There is a 6-hour limit. But it is a must for every marathoner and Athens has a lot to offer besides the marathon, so it is worth the trip. Congratulations, Athens, for an excellent race. | |
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T. B. from Hamburg, Germany
(11/7/2005)
"Its a must for real marathonfreaks" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 I did it, because of the historic meaning. The course is great, all the uphill-passages - i love it. But you should be a real freak doing it. The organization is not what i would call good. Finding the BIB-pickup was an adventure. Drinks along the course were ok, but no bananas or similar were given. After finishline I expect something to eat, like cake, fruits, soup.... But all I got was some water and juice. Showers ? Whats that ? I Had a flight back home just after the race, so that I could have my shower about 24 Hrs after finish, not very funny. Everyone who wants to particiapte in crowded races with many spectators won't get familiar with this race, because there are only very few along the course, only the last 300 meters are crowded. But this race is nonetheless a MUST and I'm thinking about a second start there next year. | |
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K. M. from New York, NY
(11/6/2005)
"Good marathon, tough course" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I was pleased with this year's Athens Marathon. Although there are few to no spectators along the route except towards the end, it is quite cool to run amidst the 'history.' The route itself isn't exactly scenic, either... but it is what it is. Finishing in the stadium is definitely the highlight. I thought everything was well organized and had no complaints. I did not go with a tour company. The course was definitely tough; I had driven the route when I was in Athens this summer, and at the time did not perceive it to be as much uphill as it was. It was a good challenge. The race drew lots of people from many countries, so it was fun to talk to lots of different people. Everyone was friendly. Would definitely recommend this to do once in your marathon career. | |
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N. S. from Fargo ND
(6/27/2005)
"Lots of fun!" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I agree with JD from New Jersey. This was so much fun I want to do it again. Apostolos really does take all of the hassle out of traveling to a foreign country, especially here because it really was Greek to me. | |
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J. D. from New Jersey
(6/20/2005)
"Great and Historic" (about: 2004)
50+ previous marathons
| 4-5 Athens Marathon (Greece)s
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This is a great race but the only way to do it is with the great people with Apostolos Greek Tours. They take care of all the details so the only thing I have to worry about is the race. They even went and picked up our race numbers for us and had them ready to distribute while we were visiting the Temple of Posideon. Like I said, they took care of everything. I will definitely go with them again and again. | |
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Chrissie Keavy from Chicago, IL
(12/8/2004)
"Hot, Hilly but Historic" (about: 2003)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 I think the best reason to run this marathon is for the bragging rights. It was extremely hot the year I ran (in 2003) and about 13 miles of the course are uphill. There is very little crowd support, and you have to run for miles through small rundown towns. There are some nice mountains off to the right, and once you get into Athens, running through the city is pretty cool. The packet pick-up was a mess. We waited about an hour to get our shirts because they just didn't have enough people working it. Gear check was awful. They just threw our bags in the middle of the finish area. There was little food or drink after for the runners. The Gatorade-type drink they had was gross. But, how many people can say they ran the Athens Classic Marathon? DO IT! | |
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Lillian Demoski from Alaska
(12/2/2004)
"Apostolos Greek Tours was awesome!" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was in Athens to walk the marathon, & it was to be #13. Just before the marathon I injured my back and could not participate in any event except as a cheerleader for the runners and walkers. Apostolos, Paul Samaras specifically, put forth an excellent package that my husband and I enjoyed. We appreciated the concern and care shown all participants before, during and after the marathon, and on the extended tour portion. I planned to walk; I knew we started early through Paul's efforts w/the Greece government; I knew we wouldn't be timed. We received information packages and I did ask a lot of questions. The thought of that-13 mile hill was daunting, but I wouldn't recommend hurting your back to get out of it! Paul even ran in with one of the participants. I had a wonderful time and everything met and exceeded my expectations. I heartily recommend utilizing Apostolos Greek Tours for the marathon and for the wonderful presentation of Greek history by knowledgeable and caring people. We had Maria and she was the best guide. | |
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Gretchen Klein from Alaska
(12/2/2004)
"An excellent event and tour group" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Athens Marathon (Greece)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Thank you for all your time and energy Jill, Jeff, and Paul. I am very sorry anyone would say such unkind things. I truly enjoyed the kindness of the Greek people. It was a pleasure learning more about your great country. I am so very glad you took care of all the arrangements and tours. I know first hand how hard it is to plan events, organize tours, banquets, and still keep a smile on your face. It was a top-notch tour and it was a fair price. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! The race was great too! |
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