Less than a week remains until the 42nd Athens Marathon, the Authentic, which will be held on Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9.
The program of this year’s race opens on Wednesday, November 5 with the press conference at the Palaio Faliro indoor stadium.
The central figures of the press conference will be the protagonists of the race, who are none other than the athletes. Last year’s winner, Charalambos Pitsolis, and the winner, Stamatia Noula, will be on the panel to talk about this year’s race and their personal goals.
On the same day, at 12:00, the largest sports exhibition, OPAP Marathon EXPO, will open its gates, as well as the registration center, from which runners will receive their participation numbers.
As part of the event, on Saturday, November 8, from 14:00-22:00, Amalias, Panepistimias, Akadimias & Vas. Sofias streets will be closed. On Sunday, November 9, Marathonos, Mesogeion, Vas. Sofias & Vas. Konstantinou avenues will remain closed from 07:00 – 21:30.
George Karathanasis runs his 69th marathon with his son
This year’s Marathon also features marathon runner George Karathanasis, who at 63 years old, continues to run with the same passion that accompanied him since his teenage years.
Since the 1990s, Karathanasis has also opened the “door” to the Paralympic movement, taking on the role of an escort for blind runners. He started with Kostas Stavridis, with whom he participated in the Berlin World Championships in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters, while in 2004 he ran in the Athens Paralympic Marathon with Nikos Tsatsaklas, who then took 11th place. The two have shared 26 marathons in total, a feat that has “tied” them together for life.
In recent years, the finishing touches have continued unabated, but now the baton has been passed to the family. Karathanasis has already run twice with his younger son and once with his older son, with each finish accompanied by emotion.
