19th International Marathon Alexander the Great

The 19th 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 capital 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 race was born in Marathon, Greece in 490 BC, from the heroic effort of the hoplite messenger Pheidippides, who ran the distance to announce to the Athenians the victory of the Greeks, falling dead from the exertion. Today, thousands of marathons are held in every corner of the world, making the race the one with the most participants on the planet and the word “marathon” the only one common to all spoken dialects worldwide. The International Thessaloniki Marathon “MEGAS ALEXANDROS” covers the route from Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia and birthplace of the great Strategist, to Thessaloniki, the modern Greek metropolis. The marathon, which features as a symbol one of the most recognizable figures in human history, Alexander the Great, is not just a great international sporting event, but a journey through history, a journey full of Greece, from ancient Greek civilization to the present day.

The 1st International Thessaloniki Marathon “MEGAS ALEXANDROS” took place on April 16, 2006 and was the result of the vision of sports, social and cultural organizations from all over Greece. The M.E.A.S TRITON Thessaloniki was licensed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and under the auspices of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the Hellenic Athletics Federation, the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Greek National Tourism Organization, and the Municipality of Thessaloniki.