Charalambos Pitsolis finished first in the 41st Authentic Marathon, as he covered the 42,195 meters of the historic course in 2 hours, 18 minutes and 56 seconds.Panagiotis Karaiskos finished in second place (2:19:50) and Giorgos Benis third (2:21.40).
The first woman to finish was Stamatia Noula, who covered the distance in 2 hours, 40 minutes and 19 seconds, followed by Gloria Privilezio (2:41:58) and Panagiota Vlahaki (2:47:24).
The 41st Authentic Athens Marathon (AMA2024) kicked off on Sunday, at 09:00, with 21,000 runners expected to cover the historic route from the Marathon to the Panathenaic Stadium.
This year marks 128 years since the first marathon held during the revival of the Olympic Games.
The 41st “Athens Marathon, the Authentic” is a race inspired by the journey of the hoplite soldier who carried the message of victory to Athens after the Battle of Marathon. In the spring of 1896, in the first modern Games, athletes from five countries lined up at the Marathon bridge, at the starting point, to cross the track to the Panathenaic Stadium. The thread was first cut by the Greek athlete Spyros Louis, in a victory that went down in history symbolizing effort, overcoming physical and mental limits, as well as endurance. The presence of the experienced, also Greek runner, Harilaos Vasilakos, who finished second and together with Louis became the first two winners in the History of the Road Marathon was also important.
In its current form, it has been held since 1983, dedicated to the great Greek doctor, Balkan athlete and pacifist Grigoris Lambrakis.