9th International Marathon ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Marathon was born in Marathon of our Greece in 490 B.C. by the heroic effort of the soldier Phedippides who ran this distance to announce to the Athenians the victory of the Greeks, falling dead due to the overexertion. Today in every corner of the world thousands of marathons are being conducted, making thus this sport the one with the most participants in the world and the word marathon, the only common one among all spoken dialects worldwide.

The International Marathon “ALEXANDER THE GREAT”, refers to the route Pella-Thessaloniki. Pella is the ancient capital of Macedonia and the birthplace of the great Commander, whereas Thessaloniki is the modern Hellenic metropolis of Macedonia. This International Marathon which symbolizes one of the most recognizable personalities of humanity, Alexander the Great, is not just a major and International sporting event. It is a path in history, a path in ancient Greek culture, a Path full of Greece.

The first International Marathon “ALEXANDER THE GREAT” was held on the 16th of April in 2006, and was the result of a vision of a great amount of people who represent athletic and cultural institutions all over Greece. MEAS TRITON of Thessaloniki, licensed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and under the auspices of SEGAS, HOC, the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO, and with the cooperation of 52 bodies, institutional supporters, organizes the top sports event for Northern Greece. This event is of social, cultural, environmental, tourist and above all historical significance and it is the perfect representative of our city, of our Macedonia and our country, though out the world .

The International Marathon is member of the International Marathons Association (AIMS) and it is included in the official and annual calendar. As a consequence, no other marathon in the world is allowed to use the name of Alexander the Great.

More information here.