At the sacred place of Dion, situated at the foothills of the mountain, Zeus, the supreme god figure, was worshipped and once a year believers would set off to climb up the peaks to offer him their gifts. At this same place, athletic games the “Olympia” were held, where according to history Alexander the Great himself -whose kingdom was neighboring Olympus- took part by competing for the “one stadium” run. In 1938 Mt. Olympus was declared a National Park and in 1981 it was listed by UNESCO among the preserved natural monuments of the world. Mount Olympus is situated in Northern Greece in just a few hours drive away from Athens, the Capital of Greece, and the mountain's feet reach out to the coastline to the Aegean Sea.

Olympus Marathon's Logo was inspired from the Greek mythology and shows Zeus sitting on his throne.

“Olympus Marathon” is partly a revival of the Ancient Greeks pilgrimage to the peaks of the mountain. The race will start from the archaeological site of Dion, at an altitude of 5m above sea level and just 3km away from the coastline. The trail mounts up through dense forest vegetation and magnificent scenery on the way, to meet 20 km later the alpine slopes of the upper mountain, where all competitors will be able to enjoy the tremendous and breathtaking view extending some 2,500 meters below their feet. The highest point of the route is at 2,780m, just below the peak named "Zeus Throne" with its most distinctive shape, where according to the Greek Mythology, Zeus was believed to sit in. The trail then descends to the springs of Enipeas, the only river flowing through the heart of the mountain, and passes along its valley to climb down to the town of Litohoron, the most important resort in the area, located at Olympus foothills at an altitude of 300m. The overall distance athletes are expected to cover reaches 48km and the total elevation gain exceeds 3,100m.

The inaugural event is scheduled for Saturday June 26, 2004. The race will start with the sunrise (6:05 a.m.), right from the archaeological site of Dion. Organizers estimate that the first athlete will cross the finish line after some 5 hours, whereas a 12 hours cut-off time will mark a valid finish for the last athletes. The weather conditions prevailing in the area late in June are expected to be ideal with fair weather generally and temperatures ranging from 5 to 35ο Celsius. The entire route will be marked out and the athletes will be fully supported by the organizers with numerous refreshment stations.

The race is open to both men and women, aged over 18 and no qualifying time is required. Each participant will be given a race T-shirt, a map and a cap. Top athletes will purse prize money. All finishers will receive a certificate and a commemorative silver-plated medal, an almost identical copy of an ancient Greek coin, dating back to the times of Alexander the Great, which depicts Zeus sitting on his throne (this representation taken from the Ancient Greek Mythology was also used as logo of “Olympus Marathon”). Online registration will be available through the official race website from late January to June 10th, 2004, or until participants’ number reach 300. “Olympus Marathon” is organized by “Adventure Zone”, with the support of Municipalities of Litohoron and Dion and the local Alpine Clubs.

Full information (i.e. rules, prize money, itinerary etc.), can be found in the official race website www.olympus-marathon.com by the 20th of January, 2004 (the website is currently under construction). Full race details will be available in 6 different languages. For advance information on the event, you can now contact the organizers at info@olympus-marathon.com