Athens Marathon closes roads across Attica as more than 85,000 runners race

Race day schedule

The 43rd Athens Authentic Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, 8 November 2026. The classic 42.195 km course starts at 08:30 in Marathon and finishes at the Panathenaic Stadium, with the scheduled programme running until 18:15. NewsIT reports more than 85,000 runners from 124 countries, a number it describes as a record for the event, and about 25,000 of them are expected on the full marathon course. The 10 km race runs earlier, from 08:00 to 10:10, starting on Vasilissis Amalias Avenue near Syntagma Square and finishing at the same stadium. Its route runs out to the Police Academy on Mesogeion Avenue, turns around there, and returns through Mesogeion, Michalakopoulou and Feidippidou avenues.

All races (more than)85,000

Classic 42.195 km (expected)25,000

All races (more than)

85000 runners

Classic 42.195 km (expected)

25000 runners

Data from the article text

Road closures across Attica

Traffic arrangements have been in force since Thursday, 5 November, and police expect staged measures to remain in some places until Monday, 9 November, across several municipalities along the route. On Sunday, Vasileos Georgiou A' closes in full from 04:00 to 13:00, and central streets including Akadimias, Vasilissis Amalias, Syngrou, Panepistimiou and Stadiou close from 05:00 to 13:00. Marathonos Avenue closes in both directions from the start to Kato Souliou from 05:00 to 13:30, with later sections shut from 07:30 to 15:00 and from 08:00 to 16:45 further along at the Stavros junction. Mesogeion Avenue, between Stavros Agias Paraskevis and Katechaki, closes from 08:30 to 18:30, and traffic police warn that the heaviest pressure will fall there on Sunday morning. The bans cover traffic, stopping and parking, and extend to bicycles and e-scooters. Exits from Attiki Odos toward Rafina and Pallini are restricted, and exit 15 toward Marathonos Avenue stays closed, with bans applying in different time windows.

Public transport and weather

The ΣΤΑΣΥ transport operator has reinforced services on all three metro lines for passengers travelling on race day. Tram Line 6, by contrast, terminates at the Fix stop until 22:00. Forecasts for the course call for sunshine with a few sparse clouds, north-northeast winds of up to 4 Beaufort, and higher humidity until halfway before it falls. Morning temperatures are expected to be 9-11 °C, rising to 13-15 °C at midday in central Athens. Local rain is forecast for western Greece, especially the Ionian islands, and possibly in parts of the central and northern mainland, where Attica is expected to see 9 to 14-15 °C.

What to expect

The event programme began on Saturday, 7 November, with 5 km races and youth events, including races for children and athletes with disabilities. Closures begin as early as 04:00, and the 10 km race is scheduled to finish at 10:10 while the marathon field moves toward the stadium through the morning. Traffic police urge drivers to check the restrictions in advance and plan their journeys early.