Spartathlon

Monument in Sparta with names of Spartathlon winners
The finisher’s medal
The reverse side of the medal

Spartathlon is a 246-kilometre (153 mi) ultramarathon race held annually in Greece since 1983 between Athens and Sparta.

Origin

The Spartathlon aims to trace the footsteps of Pheidippides, an Athenian messenger sent to Sparta in 490 BC to seek help against the Persians in the Battle of Marathon. Pheidippides, according to an account by Greek historian Herodotus in The Persian Wars, arrived in Sparta the day after he departed. Herodotus wrote: "On the occasion of which we speak when Pheidippides was sent by the Athenian generals, and, according to his own account, saw Pan on his journey, he reached Sparta on the very next day after quitting the city of Athens.".[1] Based on this account, British RAF Wing Commander John Foden MBE and four other RAF officers travelled to Greece in 1982 on an official expedition to test whether it was possible to cover the nearly 250 kilometres in a day and a half. Three runners were successful in completing the distance: John Foden (37:37), John Scholtens (34:30) and John McCarthy in (39:00).[2] The following year a team of enthusiastic supporters (British, Greek and other nationalities) based at the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce in Athens and led by Philhellene Michael Callaghan organised the running of the first Open International Spartathlon Race. The event was run under the auspices of SEGAS, the Hellenic Amateur Athletics Association.

The race

The race starts at 7:00 am, usually on the last Friday of September, at the foot of the Acropolis. It runs out of Athens toward the coast and along the coast towards Corinth via Elefsis, Megara, and Kineta. The route reaches the Corinth Canal at 78.5 kilometres and the runners hit the first of six major check points at 81 kilometres.

After Corinth, the race heads toward Ancient Corinth, Nemea, Lyrkia, and at 159 kilometres reaches the top of Mount Parthenio. From there, it continues south toward Nestani and Tegea, before reaching the main Sparta highway just before the 200 kilometer mark.

Runners must pass through 75 checkpoints along the way and each checkpoint has a cut-off time. Runners outside the cut-off may be pulled out of the race, although tardiness in the first half of the race is generally tolerated. This tolerance begins to fade after sunset, and in the last third of the race organisers may pull out runners who are either outside the time limit or who display extreme fatigue.

Entry requirements

In order to run in this race an individual must meet at least one of the following requirements:

Records

Yiannis Kouros, who won the first Spartathlon, still holds the record time at 20:25:00. Kouros competed in four Spartathlons, won all four and holds the four fastest times ever recorded. In 2005, he decided to trace the steps of Pheidippides completely and ran—out of competition—the Athens-Sparta-Athens distance.

In 2008, Scott Jurek won his third straight title, clocking the fifth fastest time in the history of the race. Only Kouros (four times) has run the course faster than Jurek.

In 2007, the 25th anniversary competition had a record 323 starters, and the 2008 race had a record 151 finishers under the 36 hour cut-off time.

Following are the winners of the Spartathlon:

Men

Time = hours:minutes:seconds

Year 1st Nationality Time2ndNationalityTime3rdNationalityTime
2015 Florian Reus  Germany 23:17:31 Dan Lawson  United Kingdom 23:53:32 Hansen Kim  Denmark23:54:37
2014 Ivan Cudin  Italy 22:29:29 Florian Reus  Germany 23:57:13 Andrzej Radzikowski  Poland25:49:05
2013 João Oliveira  Portugal 23:29:08 Florian Reus  Germany 25:29:54 Ivan Cudin  Italy25:54:49
2012 Stu Thoms  Germany 26:28:19[3]Tetsuo Kiso  Japan26:36:23Markus Thalmann Austria27:14:25
2011 Ivan Cudin  Italy 22:57:40Yuji Sakai Japan24:22:24Michael Vanicek Germany24:55:59
2010 Ivan Cudin  Italy 23:03:06Jan Albert Lantink  Netherlands23:31:00Jan Prochaska Germany24:56:00
2009 Ryōichi Sekiya  Japan 23:48:24Lars Skytte Christoffersen  Denmark24:32:00Jon Harald Berge Norway 25:10:00
2008 Scott Jurek  United States 22:20:01Markus Thalmann  Austria24:52:09Lars Skytte Christoffersen Denmark 25:29:41
2007 Scott Jurek  United States 23:12:14Piotr Kurylo  Poland24:29:41Valmir Nunes  Brazil25:37:40
2006 Scott Jurek  United States 22:52:18Ryōichi Sekiya  Japan24:14:11Masayuki Ohtaki (Otaki, Ōtaki)  Japan25:19:12
2005 Jens Lukas  Germany 24:20:39Jean-Jacques Moros  France25:03:30Markus Thalmann Austria26:34:42
2004 Jens Lukas  Germany 25:49:59Markus Thalmann Austria26:20:02Martin Juri Australia27:19:15
2003 Markus Thalmann  Austria 23:28:24Valmir Nunes  Brazil25:30:35Jean-Jacques Moros  France26:26:16
2002 Ryōichi Sekiya  Japan 23:47:54Markus Thalmann  Austria25:16:56Jeffry Oonk Netherlands26:58:55
2001 Valmir Nunes  Brazil 23:18:05Jens Lukas Germany24:46:51Ryōichi Sekiya  Japan 25:27:30
2000 Masayuki Ohtaki (Otaki, Ōtaki)  Japan 24:01:10Jens Lukas Germany24:59:54Cees Verhagen Netherlands25:35:50
1999 Jens Lukas  Germany 25:38:03 Jean Pierre Guyomarch France27:08:57Jun Onoki Japan27:16:36
1998 Kostas Reppos  Greece 25:11:41Kenzi(Kenji) Okiyama Japan26:13:13 James Zarei United Kingdom26:44:04
1997 Constantinos Repos  Greece 23:37:00Kenji Okiyama Japan25:55:00Rune Larsson Sweden28:11:00
1996 Roland Vuillemenot  France 26:21:00Mravlje Dusan  Slovenia27:55:00Roy Pirrung United States27:56:32
1995 James Zarei  United Kingdom 25:59:42Vasilios Chalkias  Greece27:49:46Kazuyoshi Ikeda Japan28:12:00
1994 James Zarei  United Kingdom 26:15:00Kenji Okiyama Japan 25:55:00 Peeter Kirppu  Estonia26:07:00
1993 Rune Larsson  Sweden 25:57:12Jean-Claude Lapeyrigne  France29:48:00Schutze W.D.  Germany29:50:38
1992[4] Rusko Kantief  Bulgaria 24:08:13Paul Beckers  Belgium25:05:48 Roy Pirrung  United States 28:33:02
1991 Seppo Tapio Leinonen  Finland30:25:07János Bogár  Hungary 24:15:31George Stoakes  United Kingdom30:50:35
1990 Yiannis Kouros  Greece 21:57:00János Bogár  Hungary 24:49:19 Rune Larsson  Sweden 25:28:48
1989 János Bogár  Hungary 24:15:31 Rune Larsson  Sweden 24:42:05Seiichi Morikawa Japan26:08:18
1988 Rune Larsson  Sweden 24:41:46James Zarei  Iran 25:59:42Georges Makris Greece26:47:00
1987 Patrick Macke  United Kingdom 26:41:51 Rune Larsson  Sweden 27:26:00 Seppo Tapio Leinonen  Finland27:56:32
1986 Yiannis Kouros  Greece 21:51:00 Erno Kies-Kiraly  Hungary 26:07:00 Peter Mann  Germany 26:41:00
1985 Patrick Macke  United Kingdom 23:18:00Dusan Mravlje  Yugoslavia24:39:22Jean Calbera France24:42:00
1984 Yiannis Kouros  Greece 20:25:00Dusan Mravlje  Yugoslavia23:44:00Patrick Macke  United Kingdom 24:32:05
1983 Yiannis Kouros  Greece 20:29:04 Dusan Mravlje  Yugoslavia24:40:38 Alan Fairbrother United Kingdom 27:39:14

Women

[5]

Time = hours:minutes:seconds

Year 1st Nationality Time2ndNationalityTime3rdNationalityTime
2015 Katalin Nagy  United States 25:07:12 Alyson Venti  United States26:50:51 Szilvia Lubics Hungary29:18:44
2014 Szilvia Lubics  Hungary 26:53:40 Katalin Nagy  United States 28:55:03 Eva Esnaola  Spain 30:52:41
2013 Szilvia Lubics  Hungary 28:03:04Antje Krause Germany30:07:15Heike Bergmann  Germany30:22:03
2012 Elizabeth Hawker  United Kingdom 27:02:17[3]Leonie van den Haak  Netherlands28:42:36Szilvia Lubics  Hungary 29:45:56
2011 Szilvia Lubics  Hungary 29:07:39Ruth Podgornik Res  Slovenia32:17:19Mimi Anderson United Kingdom32:33:23
2010 Emily Gelder  United Kingdom 30:17:03Heather Fouwdlink-Hawker United Kingdom32:43:00Yoshiko Matsuda Japan33:31:00
2009 Sumie Inagaki  Japan 27:39:49 Yoshiko Matsuda Japan31:16:00Lisa Bliss United States 32:27:00
2008 Sook-Hue Hur  South Korea 30:03:22Stacey Bunton  United States31:25:59Heinlein Marika  Germany31:39:19
2007 Akiko Sakamoto  Japan 31:09:24Vrigitte Bec  France31:56:03Kimie Noto  Japan32:11:05
2006 Sumie Inagaki  Japan 28:37:20Takako Furuyama Japan 31:40:31 Mary Larsson-Hanudel United States 31:41:56
2005 Kimie Noto  Japan 30:23:07Elke Streicher  Germany32:19:59Anke Drescher Germany32:52:23
2004 Kimie Noto  Japan 29:57:40 Hiroko Okiyama Japan31:01:17 Anke Drescher Germany 32:55:26
2003 Akiko Sakamoto  Japan 29:07:44Sumie Inagaki Japan29:38:54Barbara Szlachetka  Germany31:50:23
2002 Irina Reutovich  Russia 28:10:48Hiroko Okiyama Japan30:25:49Mayumi Okabe Japan31:33:35
2001 Alzira Portela-Lario  Portugal 30:31:41Kimie Funada(later Kimie Noto) Japan33:49:17Heike Pawzik Germany34:41:10
2000 Hiroko Okiyama  Japan 29:16:37Mary Larsson United States30:56:16Helga Backhaus Germany31:35:24
1999 Anny Monot  France 35:38:08Kimie Funada(later Kimie Noto) Japan35:41:31---
1998 Mary Larsson  Sweden 28:46.58Kimie Funada(later Kimie Noto) Japan29:32:21 Helga Backhaus Germany29:53:49
1997 Helga Backhaus  Germany 30:39:00Kimie Funada(later Kimie Noto) Japan33:36:00Heike Pawzik Germany33:46:00
1996 Helga Backhaus  Germany 29:33:00Kimie Funada(later Kimie Noto) Japan33:36:00Heike Pawzik Germany33:46:00
1995 Kimie Funada (later Kimie Noto)  Japan 29:32:21Helga Backhaus  Germany 30:41:00Miyako Yoshikoshi Japan35:40:31
1994 Helga Backhaus  Germany 30:39:00Kazuko Kaihata Japan34:12:17Miyako Yoshikoshi Japan34:33:21
1993 Sigrid Lomsky  Germany 32:46:17Marie Bertrand France33:47:12 Miyako Yoshikoshi Japan34:18:00
1992 Hilary Walker  United Kingdom 31:23:30Mary Hanudel-Larsson United States33:47:00 Miyako Yoshikoshi Japan33:47:52
1991 Ursula Blasberg  Germany 34:42:45------
1990 Anne-Marie Deguilhem  France 34:07:41Pascale Mahe France 35:08:03Mary Hanudel-Larsson United States 35:31:30
1989 Mary Hanudel (later Mary Larsson)  United States 31:57:23Monika Kuno Germany34:10:00Eiko Endo Japan 34:36:49
1988 -
1987 Hilary Walker  United Kingdom 31:23:30 Waltraud Reisert  Germany35:31:56---
1986 Mary Hanudel (later Mary Larsson)  United States 31:46:45Waltraud Reisert  Germany 33:21:00---
1985 Mary Hanudel (later Mary Larsson)  United States 34:10------
1984 Mary Hanudel (later Mary Larsson) United States30:27:00 Marcy Schwam
Lorna Richey (later Lorna Michael)
 United States
 United States
34:15:10---
1983 Eleanor Adams  United Kingdom 32:37:52------

All-time top 50 performances

Athlete Time Country Year Place Age
1. Yiannis Kouros 20:25:00 GRE 1984 1 28
2. Yiannis Kouros 20:29:04 GRE 1983 1 27
3. Yiannis Kouros 21:51:00 GRE 1986 1 30
4. Yiannis Kouros 21:57:00 GRE 1990 1 34
5. Scott Jurek 22:20:01 USA 2008 1 34
6. Ivan Cudin 22:29:29 ITA 2014 1 39
7. Scott Jurek 22:52:18 USA 2006 1 32
8. Ivan Cudin 22:57:40 ITA 2011 1 36
9. Ivan Cudin 23:03:06 ITA 2010 1 35
10. Patrik Macke 23:08:41 GBR 1990 2 35
11. Scott Jurek 23:12:14 USA 2007 1 33
12. Florian Reus 23:17:31 GER 2015 1 31
13. Patrik Macke 23:18:00 GBR 1985 1 30
14. Valmir Nunes 23:18:05 BRA 2001 1 37
15. Markus Thalmann 23:28:24 AUT 2003 1 39
16. Joao Oliveira 23:29:08 POR 2013 1 36
17. Jan Lantink 23:31:22 HOL 2010 2 52
18. Kostas Reppos 23:37:00 GRE 1997 1 31
19. Dusan Mravlje 23:44:00 YUG 1985 2 32
20. Ryōichi Sekiya 23:47:54 JPN 2002 1 35
21. Ryōichi Sekiya 23:48:24 JPN 2009 1 42
22. Dan Lawson 23:53:32 GBR 2015 2 42
23. Kim Hansen 23:54:37 DEN 2015 3 40
24. Florian Reus 23:57:13 GER 2014 2 30
25. Ohtaki Masayuki 24:01:10 JPN 2000 1 34
26. Rusko Kantief 24:08:13 BUL 1992 1 34
27. Ryōichi Sekiya 24:14:11 JPN 2006 2 39
28. János Bogár 24:15:31 HUN 1991 1 27
29. Jens Lukas 24:20:39 GER 2005 1 39
30. Piotr Kurylo 24:29:41 POL 2007 2 35
31. Lars Christoffers 24:31:45 DEN 2009 2 37
32. Patrik Macke 24:32:05 GBR 1989 1 34
33. Dusan Mravlje 24:39:22 YUG 1983 2 30
34. Dusan Mravlje 24:40:38 YUG 1984 2 31
35. Rune Larsson 24:41:46 SWE 1987 1 31
36. Jean-Dominique Calbera 24:42:00 FRA 1985 3 37
37. Rune Larsson 24:42:05 SWE 1988 1 32
38. Jens Lukas 24:46:51 GER 2001 2 35
39. János Bogár 24:49:19 HUN 1990 3 26
40. Marcus Thalmann 24:52:09 AUT 2008 2 44
41. Jan Prockaska 24:55:58 GER 2010 3 44
42. Jens Lukas 24:59:54 GER 2000 2 34
43. Jean-Jacques Moros 25:03:30 FRA 2005 2 35
44. Paul Beckers 25:05:48 BEL 1992 2 30
45. Katalin Nagy 25:07:12 USA 2015 4 36
46. Jon Berge 25:09:38 NOR 2009 3 40
47. Kostas Reppos 25:11:41 GRE 1998 1 32
48. Markus Thalmann 25:16:56 AUT 2002 2 38
49. Masayuki Ohtaki 25:19:12 JPN 2006 3 40
50. Ryōichi Sekiya 25:27:30 JPN 2001 3 34

[6]

References

  1. Herodotus, The Persian Wars, Chapter 6, paragraph 106
  2. Spartathlon 1983-2007, page 23, Published by the International Spartathlon Association, Athens, Greece
  3. 1 2 "Finishers". Spartathlon. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  4. bg:Спартатлон#mediaviewer/File:Spartatalon finishers 1992.jpg
  5. http://www.spartathlon.gr/en/results/finishers.html
  6. Spartathlon 1983-2007, International Spartathlon Association, 7 Kodrou street, 10558, Athens, Greece

External links

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