Athens Marathon Race Prep

Athens Authentic Marathon: a hilly point-to-point course in Athens. Pacing by section, fueling, and race-day tips.

Use TrainPace to plan a simple, repeatable strategy for Athens Marathon: pacing targets, fueling basics, and course/elevation awareness.

Pace calculator: training zones + race pace
Fuel planner: carbs/hour + gel timing
Elevation analysis: hills, grades, and difficulty

How to prepare for Athens Marathon

Plan pacing, fueling, and course strategy for Athens Marathon using free calculators and GPX elevation analysis.

Pick a realistic goal time: Use a recent race result or time trial to set a starting point.
Set training paces: Calculate easy, tempo, threshold, and interval paces for your training block.
Build a fueling plan: Estimate carbs/hour and gel timing that you can practice in long runs.
Review course elevation: Upload a GPX to spot key climbs and decide where to adjust effort.

Athens Authentic Marathon course guide

The Athens Authentic Marathon follows the route from the town of Marathon to the Panathenaic Stadium. The first 10 km are flat or gently downhill. After that the road climbs, with the hardest stretch at km 30–31. The finish is inside the Panathenaic Stadium, on 170 m of track.

Athens Authentic Marathon at a glance
Fact	Value
Location	Athens, Greece
Distance	42.195 km (marathon)
Usually held	November
Course	hilly, point-to-point
Official site	https://www.athensauthenticmarathon.gr/en/

Course highlights

Start in the town of Marathon
Loop around the Tomb of the Fallen, km 4–6.2
Nea Makri, km 6–10 (flat)
Stavros junction climb, km 30–31
Finish in the Panathenaic Stadium

Athens Authentic Marathon pacing strategy

Do not run hard early, even though the first 4 km are downhill. The climbs from km 11 to 31 will cost time, so run them by effort and not pace. Save energy for the steep downhill after km 31 and the flat final streets.

Pacing by course section
Section	Terrain	Advice
km 0–10	Downhill to flat: Marathonos Avenue, the tomb loop, Nea Makri	Run easy; do not bank time on the downhill.
km 11–20	Rolling climbs, steep downhill before Rafina junction, hardest climb km 17–20	Run by effort and accept slower splits on the uphills.
km 20–31	Alternating climbs; km 25, km 27–28 (Pallini) and km 30–31 (Stavros junction)	Keep effort steady; slow on climbs and do not surge.
km 31–42.2	Steep descent to Agia Paraskevi, then city streets, notable downhill at km 37.5	Control your descent to protect your quads, then build to the finish.

Fueling notes

The official site lists 15 supply stations every 2.5 km from km 5 to km 40, with water at all stations and gels, bananas and sponges at selected ones. Take a gel just before the climbs begin around km 11 and again before km 25.

Race-day tips

Practise hill running and downhill running; the climb runs from about km 11 to 31 and the descent after
The course is uphill from the middle, so plan a slow first half pace
Use the 2.5 km aid stations to stay hydrated
Check the official GPX file for your own pacing plan

Frequently asked questions

Is the Athens Marathon hilly?

Yes. Wikipedia says the course is uphill from the 10 km mark to the 31 km mark. The official site names km 30–31 at Stavros junction as the hardest climb.

Where does the Athens Marathon finish?

It finishes inside the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, after 170 m on the track.

When is the Athens Marathon held?

It is held in early November, usually on the second Sunday of the month.

Facts checked 2026-10 against the sources below. Race details change from year to year — confirm with the official site before race day.

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