Athens Marathon (Greece)

Course: **** I would usually rate this course with three stars: while the first half is nice, the second half is strip mall after strip mall, but what could they really change unless they deviated from the first run? Nothing! It's the original, it's special, and that's what runners from all over the world come for. It is what it is. Organization: *** Could easily be a five star organization, but there are two major flaws for which I deducted one star each: 1. Late start The race starts quite late. It could be so much nicer, and the temperatures much cooler, if it started at sunrise. I took a shuttle bus (very efficient) at 6:15 am, arrived at the start shortly past 7 am, and waited for two more hours until the race started then. 2. Trash The amount of trash created by runners was incredible, easily the most that I have ever seen at a race. While I appreciated receiving an entire water bottle that I could carry from stop to stop, half empty bottles were tossed away everywhere along the course outside the city centre, sometimes even creating a hazard. Separate receptacles, as announced by the organisers, could not be seen. I would suggest offering cups (or refill stations) as a default, and then bottles upon request. Spectators: ***** Great support even outside the city limits. Loved the energy from the community. Thank you.