As every year, the programme of events for the 43rd Athens Marathon. The Authentic (AMA) is packed with activities. This year, with the return of elite athletes, the event is set to reach a new level, having been upgraded to Elite Label status.
27 ott 2026
As every year, the programme of events for the 43rd Athens Marathon. The Authentic (AMA) is packed with activities. This year, with the return of elite athletes, the event is set to reach a new level, having been upgraded to Elite Label status.
The joint announcement by SEGAS, the Hellenic Athletics Federation, and World Athletics of plans for the event’s gradual qualitative enhancement, with the ultimate goal of hosting the inaugural World Athletics Marathon Championships on the historic course in 2030, brings a series of changes to the race’s planning and organisation.
A record 85,000 runners of all ages and abilities will take part, covering distances ranging from 1,200 metres for young children to the full 42.195-kilometre marathon for adults.
The two-day race programme gets under way on Saturday at 16:00 with the 1,200m Telekom Children’s Race, alongside the corresponding SOH & Telekom Race for People with Disabilities. An hour later, at 17:00, the Telekom 5km Road Race will start, while the day will conclude at 20:00 with the 5km Universities Night Run allwyn.
Sunday, 8 November, is the day of the Authentic Marathon. The increase in the number of participants from 23,000 to 25,000 has also led to a change in the start time of the flagship race, with the first wave setting off at 08:30, earlier than in previous years.
For the first time, this year will also see runners transported to the starting line in stages, according to a specific plan. The day’s race programme will begin at 08:00 with the allwyn 10km Road Race.
Both the marathon and the 10km road race also serve as the respective Greek National Championships, attracting the country’s elite distance runners.
Ahead of the race programme, the allwyn Marathon Expo, a major exhibition and a long-standing pillar of the Athens Marathon. The Authentic, will open its doors on Wednesday, 4 November.
Two days later, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center will host the 5th Authentic Talks, a conference that has established itself as one of the leading think tanks in the world of sport. It brings together inspiring life stories from figures in sport, the arts, science and technology.
The two-day racing programme begins on Saturday morning with the Marathon Flame Lighting Ceremony at the Sacred Burial Mound of Marathon, accompanied by a series of cultural events. The programme will culminate in a tribute to Grigoris Lambrakis, the great advocate of peace, in whose memory the Athens Marathon. The Authentic is dedicated every year.
