 43rd Athens Marathon Authentic 7-8/11/2026 |
| The return of elite runners to the 43rd Athens Marathon. The Authentic immediately paid dividends. With ideal marathon weather conditions and a favourable tailwind, the course record of 2:10:34, set by Edwin Kiptoo in 2023, was broken yesterday by Ethiopia’s Manazot Taferi, who crossed the finish line in 2:10:03 – an outstanding performance on one of the toughest marathon courses in the world. |
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| In the women’s race, while the course record remained intact, the event record was smashed by fellow Ethiopian Yatane Dousha, who clocked 2:30:04 on her marathon debut. The previous record stood at 2:31:06, set in 2010 by Lithuania’s Rasa Drazdauskaite. “I am very happy to have come to Greece and won the race. Of course, I am pleased with the victory and the record, but I was hoping for an even better time. I believe I will come back and try to achieve an even faster result,” said Taferi. Women’s winner Dousha, just 20, added: “I am very happy because this was the first marathon of my career and I chose Athens for my debut. I really wanted to run here because I knew it was a challenging race. When I set off, I had a feeling I was going to win, and I am delighted that things worked out so well. I want to come back next year and run even faster.” |
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| It was not only international athletes who set new records. Greek runners also enjoyed outstanding performances, perhaps inspired by the presence of athletes capable of running well under 2:10. Several produced the races of their lives. One such athlete was Kostas Stamoulis, who claimed the national marathon title. Stamoulis ran faster than ever before to win the Greek National Marathon Championships, held as part of the 43rd Athens Authentic Marathon, clocking an impressive 2:17:37. It was the second-fastest time ever recorded by a Greek marathon runner on the classic course. Matina Noula went one better, setting a new Greek course record in the women’s race. Facing serious domestic competition for the first time during her three-year spell of dominance, she did not simply break the previous mark – she obliterated it, finishing in 2:35:13. That was almost four minutes faster than the 2:39:10 set by Maria Polyzou back in 1997. |
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| In total, seven records fell over the two-day event – two course records and five event records – while more than 78,000 runners tested their endurance at Greece’s premier running event. The weekend proved an outstanding success and provided an encouraging first test as Athens moves towards certification as the host city of the first independent World Marathon Championships, scheduled to take place in 2030. Thousands of spectators had packed the stands of the Panathenaic Stadium from early morning, cheering on runners as they completed their races. As the hours went by, those arriving at the stadium proved just as creative as the participants themselves, with colourful banners carrying congratulatory messages, flags and even fancy dress adding to the atmosphere in the stands, while runners also embraced equally imaginative outfits. |
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| As in previous years, there were also those who, having successfully completed the marathon, decided to begin a new chapter in their lives. To huge applause from the crowd, several runners got down on one knee and proposed to their partners at the finish line. The Athens Authentic Marathon will once again welcome runners of all ages and abilities, across all distances, on the second weekend of November 2027. |
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| Text Credits: Athens Marathon Photo Credits: Athens Marathon Video Credits: ICARUS Sports |