Athens Marathon 2020

andyc209andyc209 ✭✭✭
Anyone running? Split into two races of 5000 runners an hour apart. Still not reached the runner limit yet it seems. Will be nice to get a race done this year.

Comments

  • Hi Im in- Entered a few weeks back. Have not booked a flight yet, have a hotel reserved but will re look at Hotel and Flight in October when I feel more confident will be able to go!!!!
    My training is going well and looking forward to doing this marathon, even though its hilly and will be a tough one.
  • andyc209andyc209 ✭✭✭
    at least that means 2 of us are running :) - worried it could be really low numbers. I managed to book with Whizz Air for £38 return - but they shifted the flights from Friday to Saturday which only leaves 4 hours before the expo closes on landing - so emailed the organisers and (how good is this) they said if you are running late we will wait an additional couple of  hours till 8pm to ensure you get your number (take note London!!) - Sounds like they really want those who are coming to enjoy it. 
  • andyc209andyc209 ✭✭✭
    Been training on some 1 in 4 hills so hopefully should be ready - been nice training on quiet roads - shame lockdown ended :) 
  • that's very good of organisers. I think race will go ahead its just weather we are able to or if there will be a stop to flights to Greece. Im hoping by November it will be ok. Possibly going to book a ultra in December as well so hopefully I will have 2 hard races to look forward to or if Athens is called off I have a back up plan so training not wasted. 
  • I am considering Athens as well. Have you entered as EU members as it looked like the UK had already been removed from the list. Visited a Greek island this month and was more than happy with covid procedures at airports etc
  • no - Uk is non EU entry - not that it makes much difference as i think the costs seem the same - organisers have been really great - been chatting with them throughout lockdown, they are really eager to get this on. Quite like the idea of being in race 2 - gives you a target knowing race 1 are an hour down the road (or up the road based on the course)
  • hi Andy, what do mean you are in race 2. what's the difference between race 1 and 2
  • In order to get the race on - and to satisfy the COVID rules - they have limited the race to 10k people this year and are splitting the race into 2 groups - each of 5000 runners - race one will start 1 hour before race 2 to allow for a less crowded start area and to space our runners along the course. You will not find what race you are in until you get your bib details but i was hoping for race 2 - gives you a target to aim at up the road.

    There is no difference between the two races - i assume it will simply be a lottery which race you may be in - there must be slow and fast runners in both to balance out the finishing time. 

    I am worried at the moment - my calf went on a long run - tightened up then a searing pain - been off 8 days now - tried a gentle 5 miles last night and it was still really sore - going to have to make a choice to either run gently to maintain some fitness but it will take longer to heal or take another couple of weeks off and lose a fair bit of fitness
  • thanks Andy for clearing that up. I thought you had to request which race you wanted. Try swimming to keep fitness up, easy runs if it doesn't aggravate it and you still have time
  • Hey. I've also registered to run the Athens Marathon. I've got back into running in lockdown and it's been great to have this to aim form. Will be gutted if they cancel it, but I do think it will be a minor miracle if it goes ahead and we are all on the starting line. 
    It's actually my dream marathon to do and only my 2nd one. Did the Edinburgh marathon in 2016. 
    Hope everyone's training is going well. 
  • welcome aboard Vanderperm- We can only hope it takes place, Im not sure how many have entered. Has anyone booked accommodation if so any recommendations
  • Hi Vanderperm - i am not to worried about the Greece side of things but actually being able to leave the UK given the way new rules are being added. 

    I have accommodation and flights booked - Wizz Air from Luton on the saturday morning - only £19 e/w so not too much risk - and i have a hotel reservation overlooking the Acropolis = Attalos Hotel (really highly rated on Booking.com) about £100 per night 
  • Hello, I'm in for this as well - if it happens! I was feeling quite confident about it when they first opened entries, but I see they recently had to cancel the half marathon (which was due to happen at the end of this month) because of a new limit on numbers for large group gatherings. I guess we'll have to see how things go over the next couple of weeks or so, and if the restrictions get lifted again. That's without even thinking about the UK side of things - I'll be really happy if we do all make it!

    Andy, that's so good of them to offer to hang around at the expo if you're delayed on the Saturday - really decent. Hope your calf is recovering now. My training is going well so far (fingers crossed; last week was my highest ever weekly mileage as part of the plan I'm following, and I am still in one piece this week) - I do have a back-up event in the UK to run if we can't get to Athens, so the training feels worthwhile at least!

    On the subject of hills, I did hear from someone who's run it and he said it wasn't as hilly as he'd been expecting from what he'd been told - more steady gentle inclines than anything too extreme - he was actually annoyed, as he ran it quite conservatively (anticipating the hills) but then felt he could have pushed it more! I've not been doing specific hill training as such, but it's hard to avoid hills where I live, so I'm hoping this will help - I've only ever run flat marathons before!

    I have flights booked but not accommodation so far - definitely fancy staying near the Acropolis - I'll probably have a look in a couple of weeks if things are still looking ok...
  • Hi Gipfel - i thought they had cancelled the half a while ago? Might be something to watch but i see they are releasing an update to the app for this years marathon this week so sounds like its all still on.

    The big worry now is the EU talking about all visitors to EU countries having to quarantine for 14 days on arrival if they come from a country with a rate over 50 in 100,000 which is virtually every country - might have to see how that plays out as it would probably mean no international runners could race - like i say its on talk so far - not official yet.

    Leg much better this week so trying to get the miles back up ready for a good week next week. 
  • So it just gets more and more interesting doesn't it. 
    I emailed Athens marathon a few weeks ago and to there credit they came back very quickly. They are doing everything to keep it on, but ultimately the Greek government can cancel at anytime. 
    I've booked a hotel that I can cancel free of charge but not flights. I live in Edinburgh, so no direct flights and issues needing to quarantine coming back afterwards. Not booking flights until late October until I know its almost certainly on or off.
    On a plus note, my training is going really well. Feel very fit and hitting my targets. 
    Hope everyone else's training is going well. 
  • This will be ( hopefully) my 9th year in a row , flying from Manchester on the easyjet flight on the Friday and back on the Wednesday , the cost this year is 100 euros instead of the 45 euros I have paid every other year but it’s still worth it , fantastic teashirt and medal , first 20 miles is gradually uphill but not steep , last 6 miles is all downhill into Athens , stopped in attalos hotel before which is pretty good but a good walk from the stadium, I stop in the Athens gate hotel with fantastic views , brilliant rooftop bar and close to the stadium (highly recommend) , if you’re struggling to pick up your race pack you can always get someone to collect it for u ( I picked a pack up for somebody a couple of years ago with their ID so if anyone needs help let me know with that or anything else  🤞 
  • hi all-
    It's not looking good in Greece at the moment. Cases have gone up just like in UK, however its not on the list yet. Im also not going to book flights until end of october or even 1st week of November. Ive booked hotel Friday to Monday on booking.com but might try and change that from Thursday to Monday as some of the flights are late pm. Ive entered a ultra for beg of January so my long runs don't go to waste and am planning on upping my mileage from next week so the Athens marathon if it goes ahead will be a training run/race in prep for the ultra.
    Good to hear training going well and thanks for tip about the course. Lets keep our fingers crossed
  • Martin - i have the Attalos hotel - how far is it to walk back from the stadium? it seems close to the pickup points for the transport to the start though. Suppose we will not get much in the way of sight seeing done if stuff is restricted. Is the downhill to Athens punishing down hills? Finally got my new Saucony Endorphin Speeds - after months of trying - amazingly fast - found my self doing 5.30pm pace quite easily on a 8mile tempo run the other night - not chance of holding that for 26 miles though - been worth the wait. 
  • I've just got an email from The Athens Marathon saying it is cancelled. Gutted. 
    Has anyone else?? 
  • yes - just trying to see what i can do with my Easyjet flights - just when i couldn't be more sick of this paranoia when i see Whitty and Valance on the TV i could console myself knowing i was going to Athens - now thats gone - not going to bother with an virtual races - going to be a crammed Autumn season next year with Manchester moved to the autumn as well 
  • Hope you get your money back on the flights. 
    I am not a seasoned marathon runner and have gone through quite a transformation in lock down. From smoking, being over weight and not being able to run 2 miles in March, I am heading out to run 22 miles this weekend, don't smoke and have lost 15 kilos.
    I'm running a virtual marathon on 8th November. Who knows what the future holds, but right now I'm in the best shape of my life. 
  • Venderperm - congratulations - hope you keep going - i am going to continue training although it looks like it could be next Autumn before any races are on - problem is now motivation over the dark winter months will be difficult - can;t believe it will have been potentially over 2 years since last marathon - London 2019 before the next big race!! 
  • GipfelGipfel ✭✭✭
    Hi all, just popping in to add my commiserations about the cancellation - can't say I'm surprised, given the way things were going, but it's a real shame anyway. They mentioned something about deferral arrangements, so let's hope we can all be there next year! I did enter on a bit of a whim (seeing as it was the only event that looked as if it was going ahead at the time), but the more I read about it, the more I looked forward to it - definitely going to have to do it in the future.

    Vanderperm, that's an amazing transformation - hope your virtual marathon goes well and that you can continue it all afterwards. Andyc209, hope you find something decent to enter before next autumn - I know exactly what you mean about the motivation - all this is really hard on us race lovers who usually structure our year around various events - I hate the travel restrictions too! I know it's not the same as the big marathons, but I'm keeping an eye on the small races happening now - instead of being in Athens, I'll now be doing a marathon around a lake in Milton Keynes with a maximum of 50 participants, which will probably be the smallest race I've ever done, but it'll be so nice to pin a race number on at least!
  • Hi, anyone applied for a refund for Athens 2020? I did but received nothing and emails to organisers have gone unanswered. Thanks !
  • GipfelGipfel ✭✭✭
    Thanks for the reminder, Doody1. I went in yesterday to select the refund option, but I just got an error saying that I'd already selected my option (which I'm sure I hadn't properly - I may have clicked on the link, but I definitely didn't provide any bank details!). I emailed them and am yet to hear back - will keep you posted...
  • Hi I deferred my entry to next year. I did email a couple of times to see if it had gone through. I got email back a few weeks later. Im sure they will get back to you.
Sign In or Register to comment.