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The 31st Athens Classic Marathon is taking place today with the participation of athletes from around the world. In parallel, a road race of 10 km is taking place, and the road race of 5 km has already finished. The start was given at 9:00 a.m. in Marathon. A total of 233 men and women will compete for the title of the best marathoner in the presence of many celebrities.

There have been restrictions in traffic since 6 a.m. and public transport routes have been changed. The route of the marathon is the following: Marathonos Avenue - Marathonodromon Street - the area of the Hill of Marathon - Maratohnodromon Street - Marathonos Avenue - Mesogeion Avenue - Michalakopoulou Street – Fidipidou Street - Vassilis Sofias Avenue - Irodou Atikou Street – Panathinaikon Stadium. The competition is expected to be completed by 5:30 p.m.

The number of runners who competed in the road race of 5 km was around 8,000, and the same number of runners will take part in the road race of 10 km. Winner of the road race of 5 km is Costas Nakopoulos, champion of Greece in the distance of 800 m. At the finish, he said that he was very pleased that he won, but this year's route seemed easier to him. Nakopoulos won last year's race, too.

Winner in the road race of 5 km for women was Catherina Merousi. World champion in the marathon in 2011 and 2013 Edna Kiplagat of Kenya, who took part in the short distance, said that she was very happy that she had participated in the most famous marathon in the world this year.

The classic marathon

The start of the marathon was given at 9:00 a.m. The first four kilometres of the route are slightly downhill. Athletes will run along Marathonos Avenue, and after the fourth kilometre, they will go left on the Marathonomahon Street near the Hill of Marathon for the next 2.2 km. The route runs almost in a circle around the monument to the Battle of Marathon.

The route is level from the 6th to the 10th kilometre (Nea Makri). From the 11th to the 17th km, there are minor ascents. A sudden downhill follows up to the junction of Rafina. Then, the route is downhill to Pikermi. The final and most difficult stage of the route starts at the region of Gerakas – the uneven area of Stavrou (the 30th-31st km). This long and intensive climb is followed by a sudden descent that leads to Agia Paraskevi Square.

After that, marathon runners will continue along Mesogeion Avenue, through Halandri and Holargos, where level sections and inclines alternate up to the end. The most characteristic descent is the one that starts from the Ministry of Defence and ends at Katehaki (37.5 km), where runners will pass under the bridge. Immediately after the Erikos Dinan hospital, athletes will continue to the left along Mihalakoupoulou Avenue to the traffic lights at the intersection of Mihalokopoulou and Fidipidou. Following Fidipidou Street, they will reach the 39th km on the corner of Vassilis Sofias Avenue.

Then, runners will pass by the American Embassy, Athens Concert Hall and the Park of Freedom (40 km), which is the last stop for water. At the Hilton Hotel, they will turn right to Syntagma Square, along Vassilis Sofias Avenue and continue to the Evangelismos Hospital and the Military Museum. In the last section of the route, runners turn left along Irodou Atikou Street (41.2 km ), passing by the Presidency and the National Park, up to Panathinaikos Stadium. After entering the stadium, they will run the last 170 metres of the route.

The road race of 10km

This is taking place in parallel with the marathon and begins and ends at Panathinaikos Stadium. It has been held since 1998, and the current route was established in 2004. The competition is evaluated with a Grade A of the International Athletics Federation IAAF.

The winners

This year's winner in the Athens marathon is Kenyan Hillary Kipkogey. He finished with a time of 2:13:59 and was greeted by the applause of the audience at Panathinaikos Stadium. His countrymen Nikson Kimmel and David Ruto ranked second and third. The first Greek who finished the race was Christoforos Merousis with a time of 2:23:59.

Kenyan Nancy Rotich finished first in the competition for women with a time of 2:41:40. Ukrainian Svitlana Stanko ranked second and Magda Gazea from Greece - third with a time of 2:46:03.