Thessaloniki Gets Ready for 17th International ‘Alexander the Great’ Marathon

Kick off of the 16th International Marathon “Alexander the Great”. Photo Source: ATGM.

Thessaloniki in northern Greece is preparing to host the 17th International ‘Alexander the Great’ Marathon-bwin that is scheduled to run on April 30.

The sports event launched in 2006 to globally highlight a historic route between Pella – Alexander the Great’s birthplace – and Thessaloniki and promote a healthy lifestyle.

In 2021, the marathon saw 10,000 participants from 41 countries.

Routes for 2023

An athlete during the 16th International Marathon “Alexander the Great”. Photo Source: ATGM.

The marathon’s organizing committee finalized the timetable of the Pella-Thessaloniki historic marathon route (kick off at 07:30 am) and the accompanying 10 kilometer (kick off at 08:30 am) and 5 kilometer (kick off at 12:30 pm) Health & Power Walking Races and the 1,000 meter (kick off at 08:30 am) Elementary School Students Race, where people of every age and skill can run or walk and break their own personal records.

All races will share a finish line at the Alexander the Great statue square by Thessaloniki’s promenade.

Parallel events

Thessaloniki’s promenade during the 16th International Marathon “Alexander the Great”. Photo Source: ATGM.

The marathon’s organizing committee this year is dedicating its program of parallel events to families.

The parallel events program will include: a series of educational games and creative activities running under the “Kids Athletics” title; an elementary school students’ traditional dance festival; a children’s chess championship; and guided and walking tours

According to the organizing committee, the parallel events aim to transform Thessaloniki into an ideal sports destination for local and visiting families.

The event’s group registration deadline is on Friday, March 31, and the individual registration deadline is on Wednesday, April 5.

The 17th International Marathon “Alexander the Great”– bwin is organized by MEAS Triton with the collaboration of the Thessaloniki Municipality and the Central Macedonia Region.

It will run under the auspices of the: Greek National Commission for UNESCO; AIMS; Greek ministries of Interior, Culture and Sports, Tourism and National Defense; Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) and the Hellenic Olympic Committee.

The event is supported by the Thessaloniki Tourism Organization and the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS) as well as the municipalities of Pella, Ampelokipi – Menemeni, Chalkidona, Delta and Kordelio – Evosmos and a group of other institutional and volunteer bodies.