Athens October 3^rd 2011

 GREEK ATHLETES HIGHLY EXCELLED DURING THE “29^TH SPARTATHLON”. 19 OF THE 37 THAT STARTED, CROSSED THE FINISH LINE.

 FOREIGNERS SET A DATE FOR 2012 WHEN SPARTATHLON WILL CELEBRATE THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY SINCE THE REVIVAL OF PHEIDIPPIDES ACHIEVEMENT.

 THE “STAVROS NIARCHOS” FOUNDATION IS THE EXCLUSIVE SPONSOR OF THE ORGANIZATION “SPARTATHLON 2011”

The performance of Greek athletes, which participated in the 29^th international ultra-distance race “SPARTATHLON”, was impressive. The race took place along the route Athens-Sparta (a 246 klm distance), with the participation of 285 athletes from 39 countries.

More specifically 37 greeks raced; 19 men and both of the women that started, crossed the finished line, which is a percentage over 60% for such a difficult race.

Amalia Matthaeou took the honorary 54^th place with 33h 34’.04’’. “Running is a way of living. All it takes is positive thinking and optimism. That is what kept me going.” quoted Amalia Matthaeou, the 43 year old woman from Thessaloniki, who runs since she was 10 years old and who was loudly applauded by Spartans, when she crossed the finish line before the statue of Leonidas.

Places taken by greek athletes during “SPARTATHLON 2011” are:

George Koutsioukos (13^th), Dimitrios Karahalias (16^th), George Vlachos (23^rd), Dimitrios Bessiris (24^th), Apollonios Gkogkos (47^th), Constantine Karakatsanis (50^th), Amalia Matthaeou (54^th), Dimitrios Ziamparas (59^th), Lucas Konstas (60^th), Andrew Patsis(69^th), George Kristallis (70^th), Christos Trantafillos (93^rd), John Papamichail (94^th), John Skourtaniotis (116^th), Stergios Arapoglou (120^th), Panagiotis Kalogiros (126^th), Spyros Maragkos (131^st), Sofia Kassimi (133^rd), John Apostolopoulos (140^th).

 The winner of the “29^TH SPARTATHLON” was for the second consecutive time, the Italian Ivan Gudin, and Sylvia Lumpics from Hungary was first among women athletes.

143 of the 285 athletes that started the race finished in time (within the 36 hours time limit, exactly like Pheidippides had done it), which is a sufficient number, considered the weather conditions and the difficulties of the painful race.

 The “STAVROS NIARCHOS” foundation is the exclusive sponsor of “SPARTAHLON 2011” and for a period of three years.

 The curtain drops tonight (Monday) for the “29^th SPARTATHLON” with the closing ceremony and the award of medals, during an event prepared by the international SPARTATHLON association.

 This year’s organization went along smoothly, with no serious problems, a fact underlined after the completion of “SPARTATHLON 2011” in Sparta, by the representatives of all 39 groups, participating in the race.

Everybody set a new date for 2012, when “SPARTATHLON” will celebrate its 30^th anniversary and the revival of Pheidippides achievement in 490 B.C.

 Thank you!

  FROM THE PRESS OFFICE OF THE ORGANIZATION