Description Of The Race Route

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

Sunrise 05h35 – Sunset  19h11

Distance: 255 km
Total Positive elevation: 5.420 m
Total Negative elevation: 5.930 m
Asphalt Road: 154 km – Dirt Road: 101 km
Iintermediate supply stations: 28

Starting at 17.00 a.m in front of the archaeological site of Delphi, you move for 650m to a slightly uphill asphalt road then you turn left to a downhill rocky trail (the ancient Delphi-Kira path). The trail having more or less the same form of 1700m ends at a flat dirt road that moves among olive groves up to Amfisa-Nafpaktos motorway which you follow by turning left until you arrive at the 1st supply station in the area of Itea at 11 km of our route.
Leaving the station and always moving on Amfisa-Nafpakto motorway on asphalted terrain, quite often next to the sea, you arrive at the 2nd supply station in the area of Pigada at 18.5 km of our route.
The same pattern is repeated until the 3rd supply station, noting that just at the 26th km you turn slightly left into the big sideway road that goes parallel to the sea until Galaxidi station at 27.5 km.
Leaving the station and moving on an uphill road you find the main road’s bridge where you turn left until you meet the above main road and move on it. At this point we must note 2 things. First, you must always move on the LEFT side of the main road, opposite to the car direction. This is necessary both for more safety as well as because the route direction signs will be marked on this side of the road. Second, it is necessary for the athletes to carry a head-torch after it gets dark so that you can distinguish the signs as well as to be seen by passing cars.
Moving always on the main road and after approximately 9km course from Galaxidi station on a relative up going road, you meet 3 tunnels. Cross the first 2 tunnels them through the sideway road but the 3rd one you have to cross it very carefully through the main road. Leaving the tunnels behind and 3km afterwards you arrive at the 4th supply station in Ag.Pantes area at 39.4 km of our route.
Leaving the 4th station and always moving on the main road and after about 4.5km you meet a fork. At this point you leave behind the main road and follow the left coast road which 3.5km afterwards leads you to the 5th supply station in Eratini area at 48.8 km of our route.
Leaving the station and moving for 3.7km on the coast asphalt road you re-enter the main road and after approximately 5km you meet, on your left, a new coast road which you follow. For 200m until you arrive at the 6th supply station in Ag.Nikolaos area at 57.9 km of our route.
You keep moving for 700m and you enter again the main road again. After 5km you meet, on your left, a coast road which you follow for 1600m until you re-enter the main road and follow it for 2.5km. At this point the runners should pay special attention since it is the first time that you have to move on the right side of the road so that you can follow a path, go under the main road and after crossing a farm, find the coast road where the 7th supply station is, at beach Sergoula in Spilia area at 67.9km of our route.
Leaving the station and moving on coast asphalt road after 4.8km course, at the end of the road and having passed a water spring on your left, you turn right onto an uphill road where just before the bridge that you find, you turn left to meet the main road. 3km afterwards you move with big caution to the right side of the road into the sideway road which you follow and at once turn left, go under the bridge and keep moving for 1km until you meet again the coast road in Marathia area where you turn right and after 500m you arrive at the 8th supply station at 77.4 km.
Leaving the station, you move for 700m on coast asphalt road then you enter a trail and 1200m afterwards into a small path. The path ends after 700m (at this point the beach ends too) and the asphalt road begins. 400m afterwards you enter the main road and turn left. After 3.7km course on the main road you turn left to a 500m downhill trail and then to asphalt road where after 1km you arrive at the 9th supply station in Monastiraki beach at 85.6km from the starting point.

You leave the station and in the next 4.7km you follow straightforward the big coast road until you re-enter the main road. After 800m you meet a traffic light and you go slightly left following the road for 3.3km and just at 106.3 km of our route, after having crossed a bridge you veer left, down to Antirio. Moving on asphalt road for 800m you go through an underpass, beneath the Rio-Antirio motorway. When the underpass ends, you turn left and after 600m you enter the right pedestrian road of Rio-Antirio Bridge. After a 2.9km course on the bridge you pass over to Rio where the 11th supply station is as well as the 1st central station, in front of the HOTEL APOLLON just at 111,1 km from the starting point.

Leaving the Rio station and moving on asphalt road you follow the route direction signs, marked on the road surface, until you meet the old national highway which you cross over, very carefully, to the opposite side. You continue following the route signs until you arrive at Haradro River. You pass through the 4-5m long river to the opposite shore. The depth of the river is estimated to 10-20cm at that time. The athletes should have foreseen to use waterproof bags supplied by the organization or carry a 2nd pair of shoes to change. Once you have crossed the river you move left to an uphill road noting that from now on a 10km continuous uphill route begins reaching at a 1000m altitude. Climbing always on asphalt road you arrive at the 12th supply station in Haradro area at 119.2 km of our route. We should emphasize that there is plenty of cold running water from a spring located just behind the station. Moreover keep in mind that from now on you move on a dirt road for several km.
Leaving the station and moving uphill towards Panahaiko Mountain, you enter the peripheral road just at 120.8 km. Ascending on a dirt road you finally reach the highest peak of the mountain at 125.6 km and as we mentioned before at a 1000m altitude. From here after the dirt road begins to descent until the 13th supply station in Pournarokastro area at 131.9 km of our route.
Leaving the station, you enter a 500m uphill rocky trail and at the end of it you follow a rural ascent dirt road for about 2.5km. In the next 2.5km the road has an almost flat course until it meets a sharp descent road. At the end of this road at 137.8 km, another downhill cement road begins that later turns into an asphalt road until the 14th supply station outside Kefalovryso village, an idyllic location next to a waterfall at 139 km of our route.
Leaving the station and moving on asphalt road with an ascending slope, 2km afterwards you pass to a downhill road until 143.3 km. At this point the athletes should be very careful since you leave the main asphalt road behind and set down the right descending cement road which a little bit later turns into a sharp ascending road until the 15th supply station in Latseika area at 145.1 km.
Departing from the station and moving on a small uphill road you enter a trail full of stones for about 800m until you meet a 100m long, narrow passage which you must pass through, very carefully. Keep in mind that for more safety you can use a rope that will be put there for your convenience. After crossing the passage and having passed a running water spring on your left, you head right, down to a dry river. For 1200m you move along the riverbed onto a ground full of stones and rocks and some water in a few spots. Just after a 1200m riverbed course and following the route signs, you are heading right, up to a passage among bushes and trees that surround the riverbed until you find a meadow which you cross through into a rural road which 650m afterwards meets a slightly uphill cement road. You are now in Ag.Paraskevi area at Topolova. After a 700m course on cement road you enter an asphalt road and at 148.6 km you go straight into a 300m trail until you meet the asphalt road again and follow it by heading left until the intersection with the main road at 150.4 km. At the intersection you turn right for 3.2km towards Halandritsa. You pass a water spring on your left and you meet a downhill path which you follow for 1100m until you arrive at the 16th supply station in Mirali village square, an area full of water springs and hospitable people at 154.9 km of our route.
Leaving the station and after a 100m course you go left, down the dirt road and after a descending course of 1.8km you meet the E4 highway which you cross over very carefully. You keep moving on a downhill trail until you meet an asphalt road again at 159.6 km where you must turn left and move on until you arrive at the 17th supply station in Valmantura area at 162.2 km.
From here until the next station and by following a continuous uphill course, the runners should be very observant as far as the route signs are concerned because in many occasions you have to get out of the asphalt road and get into trails until the intersection outside Kalousi at 168.7 km where you meet an asphalt road and by following a right course you arrive at Kalousi village where the 18th supply station is at 170.3 km of our route.
Leaving Kalousi and moving on asphalted terrain for 1.6km, you turn left to Alpohori. The asphalt road will turn into a rural dirt road with a descending slope for approximately 6km until you meet the asphalt road outside the village and after following it straightforward you arrive at Alpohori, a very picturesque village for those who will visit it during the daytime. At this point you are in the 19th supply station among running water springs at 178.8km.
Leaving the station, you move on asphalt road with a sharp ascending slope until a point outside Spartia village at 180.5km where you turn left into an uphill trail, apart from some downhill trails in between, until you meet an asphalt road at 186.6km where you turn right, up to Kalentzi village square, a village of significant political history. This is the 20th supply station and the 2nd central station with what comes with it, at a 900m altitude and just at 187km of our route.
Leaving Kalentzi and 600m afterwards you turn right onto a rural dirt road with descending slope until you meet after 4km the asphalt road once more. At this point you turn left onto the asphalt road and after a 900m course you enter Koumperi village having a water spring on your left. You keep moving on the same road for another 1300m until you meet Drosia village which you pass and 900m afterwards just at 194.6km you turn left into a dirt road which you follow until you arrive at Pteri village where the 21st supply station is at 198km and a 520m altitude. There is also cold running water in this village.
After leaving the station and having covered about 600m ascending asphalt road just where there are 2 shrines on your left, you enter another downhill trail until the entrance of Skiadas village where you meet the asphalt road again that will lead you close to the exit of the village next to cold water springs. This is the 22nd supply station at 203.8km and an altitude of 480m.
You continue your course on an ascending asphalt road and 1200m afterwards you go right into a downhill trail. After 1300m course into the trail and having passed sheep-pens on your right, just at 206.3km, you meet a path on your left which you must follow.
Here we have to put aside the route description in order to inform the runners that the next 5km are some of the most difficult ones in the whole race, especially as far as the correct direction is concerned since there are no prescribed paths. In many cases the route goes through meadows and olive farms so the runners must follow the route direction signs very carefully.
Entering the path and after many course alternations between meadows and trails, you reach Peneus river that separates Achaia from Elia and which the athletes must cross over to the opposite shore. During the race period the depth of the water is estimated between 15-20cm. The organization will care for placing a rope for those who want to avoid possible slips but the athletes should look ahead and carry a 2nd pair of shoes and socks in order to change once you have crossed the river. Just when you cross the river, you cross another meadow and when you meet a rural dirt road that goes parallel to the riverside you turn left and after a 300m course you go right, into an olive farm with an uphill slope. You cross the farm, you pass through meadows and small paths, always uphill until you meet another rural dirt road, about 100m higher the river’s one, and turn right where 900m afterwards you arrive at the 23rd supply station in Kapeli area at a 460m altitude and just at 211.4km of our route.
You leave the station and take the asphalt road towards Panopoulo village and after crossing the intersection to Amaliada you move for another 1100m where you leave the asphalt road behind and turn right into a trail that leads you into the famous forest of Foloe. It is the only flat forest in Greece, covering 218.000 acres, consisting of acorn trees, enrolled in NATURA 2000 due to its importance appreciated from the ancient times. You move through the forest trails and always by paying attention to the route signs. Just after 4km course inside the forest you meet an asphalt road, you go left and after 300m you turn right into a new trail that 1km afterwards leads you to an asphalt road. You turn right and after a 1500m course you arrive at the 24th supply station in Zireika area at a 590m altitude and just at 220.4km of our route.
You turn left to a rural dirt road that leads you into Erymanthian Boar gorge. According to Greek mythology it was in this gorge that Hercules threw his net to capture Erymanthian Boar. After 1km course, the road begins to descent down to Peniakos Ladonas River, an area of amazing natural beauty just at 224.5km, at a 330m altitude. After crossing over the bridge, the road steeply ascents for 1km where it meets an asphalt road at a 470m altitude. (Note that 300m before the asphalt road you must see a water spring on your right). Turn left and 1100m afterwards you arrive at the 25th supply station in the small village of Pefki with water springs in the middle of the village at a 530m altitude and just at 226.6km.
You leave the station and you move on an ascending asphalt road that in the next 3.7km turns into descending and then you meet on your right a rural dirt road which you follow descending for 2.5km into Palea Persena, an abandoned village that takes you to horror film scenery. This is the 26th supply station at an altitude of 500m and just at 232.8km.
Leaving the station and following the dirt road, you pass through an olive farm without obvious path just by following the route signs and after crossing a small ascent road, it becomes descent a bit later leading you to Neraida(Fairy) village an amphitheatric village as you see it descending from above. According to locals the village took its name after the fairies that used to live there due to the water springs located in Enipeas River. Arriving at Neraida village, an asphalt road begins while at the exit of the village you can see a cold water spring on your right. You leave the village behind and meet the Lestenitsa River Bridge. Just after crossing over the bridge you turn left and after 50m you turn right to a rural dirt road. After a sharp uphill road 2.3km long and the last of our route, you enter an asphalt road and then you arrive at the 27th supply station in Kryoneri village with many water springs at the village square, at an altitude of 450m and just at 242km.
Leaving the station and moving for 1800m to a slightly uphill and later downhill road you meet on your left a trail which you follow. The trail 500m afterwards becomes rugged, narrow and steep so the organization will look after placing a rope in two points to ensure the safe passing of the athletes. After a 1200m course from the trail entrance, you go down through an olive farm until you meet a rural dirt road with a smooth downhill slope which after 4km course leads you to the last supply station, the 28th, at Kladeos village at an altitude of 120m and just at 249.3km.
You leave the station and having already entered onto asphalt road towards Ancient Olympia, you pass the villages Magiras and Koskinas and moving always on asphalt road you arrive in Ancient Olympia and after crossing the towns’ main roads you finish in front of the archaeological site where all finishers are presented with an olive wreath as a reward for this superhuman effort.
Being worn out, exhausted, sleepless with aches all over your bodies, yet, you are full of magical experiences and the wonderful feeling that you surpassed your limits and achieved something that very few people in the world can accomplish.