Athens, Greece

 

Leaving Pallini the route commenced a steep ascent from the suburbs of Gerakas to Stavros Junction, followed by a steep descent into Agia Paraskevi Square. The route continued through the districts of Chalandri and Cholargos alternating between flat and downhill sections, beneath Calatrava Bridge, past the massive “The Runner” sculpture and finished in the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.

The Panathenaic Stadium was originally built as a racecourse in the 6thC BC. Two centuries later a stadium made out of limestone was built on this site for the Panathenaic Games which differed from the Ancient Olympic Games. Whilst they both took place every four years, the Panathenaic Games gave prizes such as amphorae, large ceramic vessels filled with high quality olive-oil or drachmas (money) as a reward, whereas the Olympic Games awarded a garland of olive leaves. The Panathenaic Games lasted longer, dedicated a full day to poetry recitals, had a torch race and only allowed Athenians to take part unlike the Olympics where any male from Greece could take part. As prestigious as the Panathenaic Games were to the Athenians they were not as important as the Olympic Games.

The stadium was reconstructed in 144AD in marble quarried from Mount Penteliko near Pallini. It is the only marble stadium in the world today. By 4thC AD the festivals and games were banned and the stadium was abandoned. Falling into ruin, the marble was reused in other buildings. With the centuries passing the remains of the stadium was covered by vegetation until it was discovered during archaeological excavations in the 1800s. 

Wanting to revive the ancient Olympic Games as a modern event, the stadium was rebuilt once again, in the same marble, just in time for the inaugural 1896 Modern Olympics. An estimated 80,000 spectators attended the event. It took another 108 years before the games returned to the Panathenaic Stadium when Athens hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics. The stadium hosted the archery event and was the finishing point for the marathon race event. 

Walking through the stadium I could imagine the ancient games with chariot races, athletics and even musical events taking place as the spectators roared and cheered from the stands. On either side of the track’s bend are two identical double-headed statues with Apollo on one side and Hermes on the other. Both Apollo and Hermes are members of the 12 Olympians, the most important gods in Greek mythology. 

At the entrance to the stadium to the far right is a statue of Georgios Averoff, the benefactor who sponsored the 1896 reconstruction, as tribute for his generosity. Opposite the stadium is a copy of Konstantinos (Kostas) Dimitriadis’ bronze statue of a discus thrower. What makes this statue important is that Kostas, a distinguished sculptor of Belgian-Greek heritage, competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics not as an athlete but as an artist. Art competitions were part of the Olympic events until 1948. During the competition Kostas presented the discus thrower statue in the Sculpturing category and won the Gold medal. The original statue is in Randall’s Island Park, New York City.

The original distance at the 1896 Olympics was set at 40km (24.85mi) based on the alleged distance Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens. The distance remained that way for both the 1900 and 1904 Olympics. However, in 1908 at the London Olympics the marathon distance was extended to 26.2mi (42.195km) starting at Windsor Castle and finishing in front of the Royal Box in the White City Stadium (a stadium that was specifically built for the 1908 games and has since been demolished). The extended distance was standardised in 1921 and since the 1924 Olympics onwards it has been the official marathon distance. 

Fast forward to the 21st century and at least 800 marathons are held annually around the world. Although the majority of runners are recreational athletes there are many prestigious events that require a marathoner to meet a particular qualifying time in order to participate. The most prestigious is the Boston Marathon which is also the oldest marathon race in the world that started in 1897 the year after the very first modern Olympics.

It’s been wonderful to travel in the steps of marathon athletes and legendary Pheidippides but now I’m ready to hang up my shoes or at the very least take a load off my feet and have a final feast of Greek cuisine.

Ouzo is Greece’s national drink. With its aniseed flavour, this clear alcoholic beverage turns cloudy if mixed with ice or water. It is often served as an aperitif to open up the appetite. Sipping slowly, I prepared my tastebuds for an entrée of grilled Halloumi cheese. This brined cheese that’s similar in texture to mozzarella, imparts a deep salty flavour that mellows when grilled. It was drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette and accompanied by half chopped cherry tomatoes topped with oregano leaves and cracked pepper. For the main dish I chose a serving of Stifado, a slow-cooked beef stew in tomato sauce, with caramelized shallots atop potato puree. Finished off with a strong brew of Greek coffee as I reminisced about my journey.