Distances: Marathon (42.195 km) · 10 km · 5 km
Opening: date unknown
Closing: 2026-09-25 · time unknown
The Athens Marathon. The Authentic follows the historic route that, according to legend, Pheidippides ran to bring news of the Athenian victory at Marathon in 490 BC. The race starts in the town of Marathon and finishes in the breathtaking all-marble Panathenaic Stadium, which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Along the way, runners pass the Marathon Tomb, the burial mound of the Athenians who fell in the battle. It is one of the most challenging major marathon courses in the world, with a long climb from roughly 10 to 31 km, followed by a descent into the heart of Athens over the final kilometres. The 2026 edition carries special significance, marking 130 years since the first Olympic marathon in 1896.
Timing weights apply to climbs, not turns. Elevation totals use the smoothed profile used by Index.
C = min(100, (mean raw weather burden / 150) × distance exposure factor × 100). Weather is averaged by local race hour across three full years.
Touch the route or chart to select a point.
Total elevation gain
≈ 73 m
Total elevation loss
≈ 77 m
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Nearest airport
Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International AirportATH
