Spartathlon

Described as the toughest race in the world, the Spartathlon traverses rough trails and muddy paths (often raining during the race), passes through vineyards and olive groves, ascends steep slopes, and, most challenging of all, takes runners on a climb and descent of 1,200 meters on Mount Parthenio in the middle of the night. This is a mountain covered with rocks and shrubs, where, as legend has it, Pheidippides encountered the god Pan. The SPARTATHLON is a historic ultramarathon race held annually in September in Greece. It is one of the toughest and most satisfying ultramarathon races in the world due to its unique history and background. The Spartathlon retraces the footsteps of Pheidippides, the ancient Athenian long-distance runner, who in 490 BC, before the Battle of Marathon, was sent to Sparta to seek help in the war between the Greeks and the Persians. According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, Pheidippides arrived in Sparta the day after he set out from Athens. Since 1984, the International Association "Spartathlon" has been established, which has continuously organized the race every September since then.