My marathons

Alexander the Great Marathon

The organiser has not published a date. Pella
White Tower of Thessaloniki
White Tower of Thessaloniki. Photograph by Annatsach, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The course

The marathon starts at the statue of Alexander the Great in Pella and finishes on Thessaloniki's seafront at the Alexander statue on Leoforos Megalou Alexandrou.

The course in short 3 lines
  • From Alexander's birthplace to his statuePoint to point from Pella, capital of ancient Macedonia, to the Thessaloniki waterfront.
  • Small rises, long straights, always eastLow difficulty; long straights, few built-up areas until 30 km.
  • Chalkidona, the Axios and KordelioChalkidona 8 km, Axios bridge 13 km, Diavata 30 km, Kordelio 35 km.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
km 0 to 42.2LandmarkFrom Alexander's birthplace to his statuePoint to point from Pella, capital of ancient Macedonia, to the Thessaloniki waterfront.

The organiser starts the race from the statue of Alexander the Great in Pella, the birthplace of Alexander and capital of ancient Macedonia. The finish is on the Thessaloniki seafront, on Leoforos Megalou Alexandrou at the height of the Alexander statue.

Sourced

km 0 to 30GradientSmall rises, long straights, always eastLow difficulty; long straights, few built-up areas until 30 km.

The marathon page calls the course low in difficulty. Its main feature is small variations in height; the others are a steady direction to the east, long straight stretches of road and few inhabited areas on the way up to 30 km. The organiser says the course is ideal for records and big performances.

Sourced

km 8 to 42.2LandmarkChalkidona, the Axios and KordelioChalkidona 8 km, Axios bridge 13 km, Diavata 30 km, Kordelio 35 km.

After the second kilometre the runners join the Edessa to Thessaloniki road for the next 8 km to Chalkidona, which they enter at 8 km. At 13 km the road crosses the Axios river on a bridge and at 28 km the Gallikos river. The 30 km mark is at Ionia (Diavata) and the 35 km mark is in the centre of Kordelio, on Monastiriou street. At 38 km the course turns right on Giannitson street, the 40 km mark is at the Thessaloniki law courts, and 41 and 42 km are on Leoforos Nikis before the finish on Leoforos Megalou Alexandrou.

Sourced

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

5 gels for Pella, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, by the clock:

  1. km 7mile 4.4
  2. km 14.1mile 8.7
  3. km 21.1mile 13.1
  4. km 28.1mile 17.5
  5. km 35.2mile 21.8

Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side.

Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.

Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.

Anti-chafe
Compeed Anti-blister stick
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.

Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.

Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Number belt
A race number belt
Illustration · drag to turn

Compressport Race Belt

Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.

Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.

Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Electrolytes
A tube of electrolyte tablets
Illustration · drag to turn

SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20

One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.

One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.

Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Blister plasters
Compeed Blister plasters, medium, 6
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.

Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.

Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
distance
42.2 km26.2 mi

Trip

Getting a place

Entry through the organiser

Entry details on the organiser’s site →

The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.

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