This marathon was as organized as anything else done in Greece. You must appreciate Mediterranean Europeans to understand this. The course was very challenging and not meant to be run as a PB type of race. Finishing in Panathanaikos Stadium is breathtaking and worth all the hills during the race. It is a must do for any marathoner who appreciates the history of the sport and doesn't mind a challenging race.

Come on guys, tough run and course, but would you really want not want to run this?! My worst moment was seeing the police with their sidearms so nonchalant at Mile 23. You will not find a better feeling than running into THAT stadium, COME ON!!!!!!!!!!

With the Olympic Committee overseeing this race as a precursor to the Olympics, I hope they learned a thing or two. Bad information was given to runners. Several people were told they could start early in order to finish on time and turns out it wasn't true. They were forced to get in the van - therefore, not finishing. They worked really hard for this race to end up with nothing. We were also told we could leave our things on the bus, but then later told we had to put them in a bus. All 3,500 runners rushed at once to one bus. It was a mess. Forget trying to find your bag afterwards as it was dumped in the stadium. There was no food or water at the end of the race, which was unbelievable.

The course was rough as construction was going on. They actually let a tour bus unload right in front of a water stop and thought nothing of it. Also almost no spectators. It was disappointing that there weren't more sites along the way but I guess it was the original route, so what can I say.

Apostoles Tours was okay, but don't try to get in touch with them after the race. They won't return your calls.

They needed to pick another hotel closer to things that could be accessed by foot. The bus rides got old fast.

Go for the longer trip, make friends and get lots of names and addresses. Those people are a great source of info for later races.

I was totally disappointed by this one. The course was on an unfinished highway/road for the most part. Didn't pass through any famous sites. The organization is terrible. Many people lost their bags. And, it took me more than an hour after race to find my own bag. The official tour operator, Appollo Tour (I think) is also not helpful.

The Olympics coming to its homeland in '04 may have caused some detours, traffic snags, etc.. However, the welcome, spirit, and excitement overshadowed the modernization tribulations of this historic race.

Apostolos Tours was a grand host!! Without their guidance, support, and patience in partaking in such an incredible event, city, and country, I can understand others' negative comments on such a glorious opportunity.

Doing your homework before travelling overseas for an event such as this will lead to a much better marathon and sight-seeing experience. I did mine and intend to come back next year.

Greece is such an interesting country and the people are very warm and wonderful once you get out of the hustle and bustle of Athens. The race course was very scenic as long as you could overlook the orange safety fence and the construction for the 2004 Olympics.

Overall, the challenge of the 14 miles of uphill running and the history behind the marathon are the reasons why I went to Greece to run this race anyway. It was challenging and I feel like after finishing Athens, I can finish decently anywhere. This race is really physically and mentally challenging race, but if you beat it, it is something you will never forget! The best part of the experience besides running and finishing in the original Olympic Stadium was the wonderful old Greek women spectators, yelling 'Bravo' when a woman runner would pass. They were very encouraging for this American in a foreign country.

As for the race, it not very organized. At the last minute the race officials decided that we could not leave food, gel or drinks with our tour group as we had been promised earlier in the day, so we just lost all of our stuff. At the beginning of the race there were not adequate port-o-cans and the ones available, were overflowing. Next the race organization lost our checked bags in transit between Marathon and Athens in the staduim after the race. Now, I have been trying to get race pictures from 'Intime' since November 2003 and it is now January 2004 and I have yet to get a response from them after 20 plus e-mails. As for the future; I plan to try Athens again this year, to try to reduce my time. I am always willing to give something a second chance, especially a race that is such a cool place with such wonderful people.

It was great running my first marathon in the country of my birth. The organization was good - the only glitch was shirt size; seems that all they had was L - otherwise flawless. From the bus ride to the start to the interaction with the international crowd, everything was great. Everyone was friendly. There were a number of spectators along the route, especially at the beginning of the course. Some of the churches had their doors open, and it was nice hearing liturgy as well. Race seems easy at start, but is a continuous climb! Plenty of water and support along the way. Once entering the old olympic stadium all the pain went away. I will do the race again in Nov. 2005.

This is a great experience for any runner. Check out the article written by Randy Accetta in the August 2003 issue of Runner's World magazine to get an idea of what the course is actually like. The course is open for 6 hours, but, like any marathon, including Boston, they do allow traffic on the road at the start of the course after about 4 hours. However, none of the participants, even the slowest runners, had to run with automobiles. If you travel with Apostolos Greek Tours, you can even start an hour early, if you are worried about that. The crowds are sparse, but those who are around give a good cheer as you run by. The scenery is beautiful, as you run past olive orchards, and through small towns, and over the hills oustide of Athens. Towards the end you come down from the hills and enter the hustle and bustle of the city. You pass beneath the Acropolis and finish in the all-marble stadium that was built for the first modern Olympics in 1896. Pretty special indeed. This one is not to be missed.

The highlight is finishing in the 1896 Olympic Stadium, while the lowlight is the course (3 stars only because it is the original). It starts off OK at Marathon Village (except for the road being flooded knee-deep when I did it), but runs through suburb after suburb. The hills are almost a welcome diversion from the monotony of the course - nothing to see and very few supporters (Greeks think you are crazy - they complain about the traffic delays that the race causes).
This year (2003) will be the worst ever because in preparation for the 2004 Olympics, the route is almost entirely being remade. From the start point at Marathon up to about 31KM (20 miles), there is not a single meter which is not in road works (no exaggeration). Depressing.

Tail-enders should watch out - after 4hrs they let the traffic back on (seriously bad news, if you don't know Greek drivers).

I agree it is a good one to have on your CV - but suggest you leave it until November 2004 (if they can be bothered to do one post-Olympics), or even 2005, because they may have finished the road works by then.

This was my second marathon and it was a great experience. The history of Greece and the history of marathon racing was evident throughout - the race begins in the town of Marathon! With a few kilometers left I looked up and saw the Acropolis looming in the sky - talk about a pick me up. I also travelled with Apostolos Tours - I'd never travelled with a group before but Jill and Paul were terrific - and Jeff Galoway added even more history and running advice that made the experience a fantastic one. Now the course has a long uphill and it is not one to get your PR, but if you want a real running experience this is a great marathon.