7 Days to Launch the History of "35th Spartathlon 2017"
The time counts backwards for the 35th International Spartathon race, which will take place on 29 and 30 September, on the 246 km Athens-Sparta route with many athletes participating. 35 years have passed since British RAF Champion John Foden and his friends managed to prove that the Historian Herodotus was right when in his reports he described that a man is indeed able to cover 250 km in two days.
The lottery for the Spartathlon race 2017 will take place in Amalia Hotel at 14/03/2017 and time 17:00
The event will be broadcast live from the website and with continuous updating in Facebook and Twitter.
Described as the world's most grueling race, the Spartathlon runs over rough tracks and muddy paths (often it rains during the race), crosses vineyards and olive groves, climbs steep hillsides and, most challenging of all, takes the runners on the 1,200 meter ascent and descent of Mount Parthenio in the dead of night.
This is the mountain, covered with rocks and bushes, on which it is said Pheidippides met the god Pan.
Spartathlon is the event that brings this deed to attention today by drawing a legend out of the depths of history. The idea for its creation is belongs to John Foden, a British RAF Wing Commander. As a lover of Greece and student of ancient Greek history, Foden stopped his reading of Herodotus' narration regarding Pheidippides, puzzled and wondering if a modern man could cover the distance from Athens to Sparta, i.e. 250 kms, within 36 hours.
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