At a glance
246 km
From the Acropolis to Sparta, in 36 hours at most.
Saturday 7:00
The start, on the last Saturday of September.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
On the pedestrian street Dionysiou Areopagitou.
Since 1983
Every year, with runners from all over the world.
The story
In 490 BC, before the Battle of Marathon, the Athenians sent Pheidippides to Sparta to ask for help. Herodotus writes that he arrived the day after he left Athens. In 1982 five Royal Air Force officers, led by John Foden, ran the route to see whether it could be done, and three finished. A year later the first Spartathlon took place. Yiannis Kouros, Greece's most famous ultramarathon runner, won it four times.
The three oldest runners of the year, aged 62 to 68.
A 5th-century BC statue of a hoplite from Sparta. The race ends at the modern statue of Leonidas, in the town.
Painting by Luc-Olivier Merson (1869). The story of Pheidippides inspired both the Marathon and the Spartathlon.
Photos: Softniky (CC BY-SA 4.0), George E. Koronaios (CC BY-SA 4.0), Luc-Olivier Merson (public domain), Wikimedia Commons.
What you'll see at the start
Runners gather from 6:30 on the pedestrian street in front of the Herodeion, below the Acropolis. At 7:00 the race starts. There are a few hundred runners and you see them from very close. Ahead of them lie a day and a half of running, with a climb over Mount Parthenio in the night. No ticket or booking needed; just stand at the edge of the pedestrian street.
The start is on the pedestrian street below.
The Herodeion and Philopappos, from the Acropolis.
Photos: Julian Lupyan (CC0), George E. Koronaios (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.
How to get to the Herodeion
- Ioulianou 50 → Victoria station: 3 minutes on foot.
- Line 1 (green): towards Piraeus, one stop to Omonia.
- Line 2 (red): towards Elliniko, three stops to Akropoli station.
- Akropoli station → Herodeion: come out onto Dionysiou Areopagitou and walk west along the pedestrian street, with the Acropolis on your right, about 7 minutes to the Herodeion.
About 25 minutes in total. The metro starts early in the morning, so you easily arrive by 6:30. By taxi the trip takes about 10 minutes at that hour.
🏃 From Ioulianou 50 to the start
Line 1 to Omonia, Line 2 to Akropoli station and 7 minutes on foot. Tap the Herodeion for the route in Google Maps.
Kathy's tip: grab a coffee to go and arrive by 6:40 to get a spot near the start line. The same weekend usually also brings the European Heritage Days, so after the start head up to the Acropolis for free.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Spartathlon in 2027?
We expect the start on Saturday 25 September at 7:00 (estimate). The race takes place every year on the last weekend of September.
Where exactly is the start?
On the pedestrian street Dionysiou Areopagitou, in front of the Herodeion, below the Acropolis.
Can I run it too?
Only if you've recently run a qualifying race, e.g. 100 kilometres in under 10 hours. There are about 400 places and there is often a draw.
Where does it finish?
At the statue of King Leonidas in Sparta. The limit is 36 hours, until 19:00 on Sunday.
— Kathy
