Spetses mini Marathon

General information

Spetses mini Marathon was first held in 2011. Greek or foreign athletes, professionals or not can race, as long as they are at least 18 years old and pay the registration fee in order to race.

The event takes places on the island of Spetses, at 54 nautical miles from the Greek capital of Athens. Athletes can be transported to Spetses: By land, via the Athens-Corinth National Road, towards the port of Costa, then using the ferry-boat to get to the island. The trip lasts approximately 2.5 hours. By sea, from the port of Piraeus, with the flying dolphins. The trip lasts approximately 2.5 to 3 hours.

Spetses mini Marathon is organized by the company "Communication Lab" company. It is held under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO), the municipality of Spetses and has the support and assistance of the Municipality of Spetses and other local bodies.

Spetses mini Marathon has been named National Champion for Greece in the category RSM Entrepreneur of the Year and "Ruban d'Honneur" recipient by the European Business Awards committee.

Course

The 5 km Run extends to the northeast part of Spetses. The route goes through the center of the island, Dapia, and the Old Harbor. It is the round of the town. The 25 km Run is a course round the island. The newly introduced 10 km Run follows an anti-clockwise route similar to the 25K course. The turning point is after Vrellos beach.

History of the event

2011: Spetses mini Marathon first took place on 16 October 2011 with 700 participants. More than 100 volunteers from Spetses helped the organization. In the 26 km. course (it was shortened to 25 km. in 2013) Yiannis Papadopoulos was first completing the race in 01:31:12. Winner of the 5 km. race was Costas Nakopoulos, crossing the finish line after 00:16:02.

2012: Swimming and children's races where added to the program for the first time. During 12–14 October 2012, over 3,300 athletes took part in several races (5 km. and 26 km. running, 1st Cross Spetses Channel Swimming Competition and the children's 1 km.). The swimming competition, featuring two distances of 2.5 km. and 5 km., drew more than 300 swimmers to be regarded as the largest swimming marathon in Greece. The winner of the 26 km. tour of Spetses with a time of 01:13:33 was Giannis Papadopoulos (2nd year in a row), while the 5 km. was won by Costas Nakopoulos for the second time. He made it in 00:14:53. In the 26 km. race, 484 runners of the starting 500 finished with an official time, while 860 runners put of 1,050 finished the 5 km. with an official time. The Cross Spetses Channel double swimming competition included two distances, one of 2.5 km. and one of 5 km. In the 2.5 km. (Costa‐Spetses), the winner was Kyriaki Liosi, with a time of 37 minutes, while Dimitris Stamatiou was the first to finish in the 5 km. (Spetses‐Costa‐Spetses) with a time of 1:15. 331 out of 340 swimmers taking part finished with an official time. 410 children took part in a 1 km. race. 380 finished with an official time.

2013: The third Spetses mini Marathon was held from 11 to 13 October 2013 and numbered more than 3,200 participants in all competitions (Footrace 5 km & 25 km, Cross Spetses Channel Swimming Competition of 2,500 and 5,000 m., Children's running Race of 1,000 m., Children's Swimming Competition). Five (5) Paralympic athletes (Alexandros Taxildaris, Makis Kalaras, Thodoris Samonas, Panagiotis Triantafyllou, Chejon Fernandez) took part in the race for the first time. The winner of the 25 km. round of Spetses was Dimitris Theodorakakos, with a time of 01:28:00. In women Magda Gazea came first. In the 5 km. race Costas Nakopoulos finished first for 3rd consecutive year, while in women Roi Danali-Apostolopoulou ranked first. For the 2,500m. distance of Kosta-Spetses, Dimitris Stamatiou was the winner in men's swimming competition. Alexandra Manetta won the women's course, while at 5,000m. (Spetses-Kosta-Spetses) the first to finish was Giannis Drymonakos in men and Marianna Lyberta in women. The World Champion in swimming Spyros Giannotis also took part as a guest. The 2nd Swimming Competition "Cross Spetses Channel" numbered more than 600 athletes classifying the competition as the biggest High Sea swimming competition in Europe. More than 500 children participated in the 1 km. footrace, while a children's swimming competition took place for the first time with the participation of about 30 children at the age of 6-12. This year a separate award was granted to the athletes that achieved the best combined results in running and swimming, participating in both competitions.

2014: The 4th Spetses mini Marathon came to an end with a record-breaking number of participants and with more visitors than any other year. For three days (10–12 October) the island of Spetses welcomed more than 10.000 visitors and athletes, both professional and amateur. The Hellenic Olympic Winners Association, professional athletes such as Spyros Giannotis, Pericles Iakovakis, Sofia Bekatorou, Athanasia Tsoumeleka, Giannis Drymonakos and Christos Bofilios, the Paralympic athletes Alexandros Taxildaris and Makis Kalaras as well as Christos Konstantakopoulos representing “Perpato” (Association for People with Kinetic Disabilities) were present. The winner of the 25 km. round of Spetses was Giorgos Valavanis, with a time of 01:39:21. In women Popi Astropekaki won the first place. In the 5 km. race Costas Nakopoulos finished first for one more year, fourth in a row, while in women Roi Danali-Apostolopoulou ranked first for the 2nd consecutive time. In Swimming races, Nikos Simantiras won the 3,000m. race from Kosta to Spetses, while Aikaterini Gkioni won the women's course. At 5,000m. (Spetses-Kosta-Spetses) the first to finish was Nikos Kyriazopoulos in men and Emmanouela Kyriazopoulou in women. The swimming champions Spyros Giannotis and Giannis Drymonakos also took part as a guests. The 3rd Swimming Competition "Cross Spetses Channel" numbered more than 800 athletes classifying the competition as the biggest High Sea swimming competition in Europe for a second consecutive. More than 500 children participated in the 1 km. footrace, while 40 children at the age of 8-12, finished the swimming competition. For the second year there was a separate classification for athletes that opted for a Run+Swim combination of sports.

2015: 7,000 athletes from 27 different countries, visited Spetses to participate in the 5th Spetses mini Marathon. The event (9–11 October 2015) consisted of: 3 Running races (5 km, 10 km, 25 km), 2 Swimming races (Bogazi Channel Cross 3 km and 5 km), 2 Kids’ Races (500m and 1 km), 2 Kids’ Swimming Races (150m and 300m) and the Kids’ Race 500m “My 1st Spetses mini Marathon”. Deniz Dimaki and Magda Gazea crossed the finish line together, coming 1st in the 25k race. Grigoris Skoularikis was the winner of the Men’s race. Kostas Nakopoulos and Roi Danali-Apostolopoulou won the 5k running race for yet another year – while the winners of the 10k were Kostas Drossos and Emmanouela Margaroni. In the 3000m swimming the winners were Giorgos Daniil and the teenager Ekaterini Gkioni – while the winners of the 5000m swimming were Nikos Simantiras and Vicky Kouveli. 600 children participated in the 1 km footrace, while 60 children at the age of 8-12, finished the swimming competition.

2016: 10,000 people, from 30 different countries, gathered at Spetses to take part or watch the 6th Spetses mini Marathon (October 7–9). The three-day event comprised Running races 5k, 10k, 25k, Swimming races – Bogazi Channel Cross 3,000m and 5,000m, Kids’ Races 500m & 1000m, Kids’ Swimming Races 150m & 300m and the Kids’ Race 500m “My 1st Spetses mini Marathon”). Moreover, the 1st Spetses SUP event took place, with the support of top athletes, such as the swimming champion Giannis Drymonakos. On his first participation in Spetses mini Marathon, the top Greek marathon runner, Christoforos Merousis, set a new record time for the 25k race at 1:26:15, while Deniz Dimaki took the first place in the 25k women’s race crossing the finish line at 1:44:32.

Charity

From 2013 Spetses mini Marathon encourages the "Run for a Cause" program, which offers participants the chance to support an institution or a charity of their choice. The institutions supported in 2013 were the non-profit N.G.O. "Together for Children (Mazi gia to Paidi)" and the non-profit foundation "Desmos". Moreover, that year the Organizing Committee introduced the Spetses mini Marathon Sustainability Initiative focusing on raising awareness for the environment as well as undertaking ecological actions during the Spetses mini Marathon.

Status

Spetses mini Marathon has become a prestigious athletic event with an international recognition and interest. The organisation has been nominated for several awards among significant and meritorious organizations and it has been named as one of ten “Ruban d’Honneur” recipients for The Chairman's Selection Category in the 2014/15 European Business Awards. Furthermore, it is the only athletic enterprise that participates in this European institution. In 2014, a judging committee composed by distinct members of the tourism industry awarded Spetses mini Marathon for its significant contribution at Sports Tourism category of the 2014 Greek Tourism Awards. Such distinctions have reinforced the status of the event that is now considered to be a reference point and a successful case study in the fields of sports and tourism.