Record Number of Volunteers to Help Out at this Year’s Athens Marathon

Photo source: Athens Marathon

A record number of volunteers will be lending a helping hand at this year’s “Athens Marathon. Τhe Authentic” event on Sunday, when some 35,000 runners from across the globe will do their best to reach the finish line at Athens Panathenian Stadium.

Some 2,200 volunteers, the oldest being 86 and the youngest 12, will be on hand to offer assistance to the runners, their families and support teams in order to ensure a smooth-running event.

According to the organizers, the number of those interested in volunteering is on a steady rise with some 1,950 volunteers offering their services in 2013 compared to 1,800 in 2012.

In the meantime, organizers invite runners and friends to offer their old or used shoes for families in need through the ongoing “Let Them Run Again” program at the Ergo Marathon Expo, at the Faliro Olympic Indoor Hall (Taekwondo Hall), through to Saturday 8 November.

The “Let Them Run Again” program, which gathered 300 pairs of shoes when it was first launched last year, is a joint initiative of NGO Institute Team for the World Environmental Alliance 2004+ and Global Challenges.

On the sidelines of the marathon, volunteers will be collecting used clothing, which will also go to charities.