Mountain run to Mount Olympus - Greece

When is it held? On Sunday June 24, 2012. Olympus Marathon is the international mountain running event in Greece. The route itself revives the sacred trail ancient Greeks followed to Olympus, where they ascended every year in order to honor and sacrifice to Zeus. The athletes reach up to 2800m starting from almost zero altitude (3m) at the starting point in Dion, just below “Zeus’ throne”, one of the highest and steepest peaks of the mountain in magnificent scenery. The race, covering approximately 44km, is completed in Litochoro town, situated at 300m above sea level. The track of the route crosses the eastern side of the mountain and the view the athletes enjoy at its highest parts, is truly breathtaking. Ascending, from the start to the highest point of the route, is continuous and covers over 2800m of total elevation gain in about 21 km.

In the morning at 10th June 2011 Catalan athlete Kilian Jornet, broke a new record reaching the summit of Mount Olympus and descending from mythical mountain, with a time of 5:19:45 h. The route was 45 kilometers long, with over 2.800 meters upward slope in the first 22,6 km, a total upward slope of 3,508 meters and a total downward slop of 3,228 meters. “I felt good on the way up, although my legs were slightly tired, from these last days training, I guess. The technical side of things went very well and I really enjoyed the descent, which was long and technical.”

The anecdote of the day arrived when Kilian took the wrong route by mistake and reached the Summit of Mount Stephanie “I took the wrong route and climbed to the summit of Mount Stephanie, where I realized a mountain ridge was keeping me away from Mount Olympus. I tried to go round it but was unsuccessful, so I had climb down the path and take the right way to Mount Olympus. It took me about 20 minutes, but, as I say: “More kilometers means more fun.” “It gave me the chance to enjoy new views”. Kilian Jornet at Mount Olympus in GreeceKilian wasn’t alone in this challenge, since “there was an excellent atmosphere, with a great number of Greek runners who supported me all along the run and the children from Litochoro school who came to keep me company in the final meters”.