sport
Athens Marathon Returns to Historic Battlefield Start in November 2026
Major races and training options highlight the city's running infrastructure ahead of next year's events.
How we reported this
The Athens Marathon is set for November 8-9 2026 over the full 42.195 km distance with a start at the original Marathon battlefield.
These dates sit roughly 16 months out and line up with a busy local calendar that already lists the Spartathlon for September 2026 along with the 14th Athens Half Marathon in March 2026. The half marathon is expected to draw around 30,000 runners through the city center. Runners and organisers are now planning routes and training that rely on established local venues rather than temporary setups.
Venues that anchor daily training
The SNFCC Running Team runs free group sessions at Stavros Niarchos Park open to anyone aged 15 and over. These recurring workouts use the park's paths and open spaces to build base fitness for longer events. Mount Ymittos supplies trail options with distances reaching 46 km and entry fees between 7 and 50 euros depending on the chosen race length. Both sites give Athens runners year-round access without needing to travel outside the immediate area.
Calendar details and next steps
The Spartathlon covers 245 km and already carries a September 2026 listing alongside its 2025 date of September 27. Runners checking availability can review listings on finishers.com or athensrunners.gr for entry windows and course notes. Those seeking regular sessions should visit the SNFCC Running Team page for current meeting times at the park. Local event platforms such as trainerday.com and eventbrite list additional trail and road options that use the same core venues.
Anyone preparing for the November 2026 marathon or the March half marathon can start with the park sessions and then add longer trail work on Mount Ymittos as distances increase. Checking the listed sites now lets runners lock in entries before fields fill.