The Athens Marathon is organized by SEGAS (hellenic amateur athletic association). The Athens Marathon is recognized by the Boston Marathon Association.
All of our packages guarantee race entry, fee and processing. We provide you professional and personal assistance so that you can maximize your experience in Athens and the Athens Marathon within a hassle free environment; we offer several tour packages, one of which is certain to be right for your schedule, budget and travel preferences. If you are seeking race entry only, please visit Athens Marathon: The Authentic, to register. Their website is generally available sometime in March for registration; and the marathon committee caps the number of entries each year.
The Athens Marathon is held on the second Sunday of November each year. The starting time is 9:00 AM. The Starting place is the battlefield of Marathon in the town of Marathon. The finish line is in Olympic Stadium in Athens.
There is no qualification for participation. The course is open for 8 hours. You must be at least 18 years of age to enter.
The course is asphalt. The first third is flat. The middle third is hilly. The last third is downhill. Water stations are provided every 5 kilometers. Distance markers are provided every 5 kilometers.
Apostolos Greek Tours can and does make all necessary arrangements for runners. These include hotel arrangements, transportation to and from the airport and the Marathon itself, official entry paperwork, sight-seeing in Greece etc.
Three tour packages are available:
The full 12 day tour is recommended if you have the time. There is so much to see and do in Greece, and the full package doesn’t cost that much more.
The 12 Day / 10 Night Tour includes: 12 days and 10 nights in Greece, all ground transportation, lodging at the Amarilia Hotel, race entry fees and arrangements, most meals, sight-seeing expeditions, a chance to experience the world’s most historic running event, and a lifetime of memories.
Check out the 12 Day / 10 Night Itinerary and the 6 Day / 5 Night Itinerary for complete details.
For a complete information package and booking forms, use our handy online information form today!
Sign up for your tour online, or call, fax or email Paul Samaras at Apostolos Greek Tours, Inc. We’ll rush you a complete booking package.
If you’d like to stay in Greece for longer than the length of your tour, Paul Samaras and his friendly staff will be happy to assist you in making arrangements. There is no additional charge for this service.
Each year many non-runners participate in the Athens Marathon Tour. There is plenty to see and do. All runs and clinics are optional.
$100.00 off package price for non-runners
Your children are very welcome and we will make a special effort to see that they have a good time. Please note that the minimum age to actually enter the Athens Marathon is 18 years.
Standard household current throughout Greece is 220 VAC. Electrical equipment should be used only with an appropriate converter.
In Athens and southern Greece during late October and November, we can expect mild 63° to 72° temperatures, 9î to 12î of rain, and about 200 hours of sunshine per month. Rain showers tend to be short. It may be cool in the evenings. A heavy coat will not be necessary. Take thinner layers of clothing which you can wear together.
Greece is a reasonably safe country, with comparatively low levels of crime. Bear in mind, however, that every society has its criminals and it is therefore sensible to exercise caution, stay alert and keep valuables out of sight.
Taking motion pictures and photographs in museums with a portable camera (NO FLASH) is allowed. Taking pictures with a camera mounted on a tripod is prohibited in museums. Photographing with a portable camera (NO FLASH) at archaeological sites is free. Photographing with a camera mounted on a tripod without the insertion of live subjects is allowed at archaeological sites, with the permission of the appropriate Ephorates of Antiquities and the payment of a fee.
Light, casual clothing is best for sunny, mild fall days in Greece. Breathable cottons and linens are preferable to synthetics. Skirts, sleeve less dresses, slacks, long shorts and T-shirts are acceptable in any but the most formal situations. Men may want to pack a short sleeve dress shirt and sport coat for the fanciest resort restaurants. Bring a sweater, or light wind breaker for cool evenings. Most important, you will want comfortable, lace-up shoes for exploring archaeological sites, and water-resistant sandals or shoes for the beach.
The local unit of currency is the Euro.
Euro cheques and hard currencies are freely accepted at banks, exchange bureaus. Major credit cards are widely accepted in hotels, shops and restaurants. You need not bring more than a little cash. Most purchases can be made using Visa, MasterCard. You can easily get cash advances on a credit card from ATM machines, and will get a better exchange rate if you do so.
Apostolos Greek Tours takes care of all transportation arrangements for tour participants. This includes transportation to and from the airport, comfortable chartered buses to and from the Marathon, and transportation for all scheduled events and sight-seeing expeditions. Your host Paul Samaras and his skilled assistants will be on hand to help you arrange any other transportation needed.
There are taxi stands scattered throughout Athens, but more often you will end up hailing one. This can be an adventure-and not always a pleasant one. Taxis are required to pick up as many additional passengers as possible going the same direction, so the taxi driver is unlikely to pick you up unless you are going that way too. Don’t give up if the rooftop light is turned off. Keep waving—one may pick you up!
Exercise caution in the matter of fares. Some taxi drivers are unscrupulous. If you are over charged—it probably won’t be more than $5-10 US but the frustration is best avoided—flag down any tourist police officer and report the incident. Check the meter to see that it is registering properly. Except for out-of-town trips and the period between midnight and 5 AM, it should display a number ì1î indicating that you are not being charged double fare. If the taxi picks up other passengers, everyone will end up paying the fare on the meter up the point where he gets off. If you are last in and first out, you may try to negotiate your part of the fare. We recommend “telephone taxis,î which are dispatched like those in the United States. The rate may be slightly higher, but it is worth it.
Our biological clocks are based on a day/night cycle. These are called “circadian rhythms” because they occur about every 24 hours. When flying through more than three time zones you circadian rhythm can be thrown off-gear. Efficiency, physical comfort and thought processes can be effected. Jet lag can be minimized and your biological clock reset fairly quickly.
