Alexander the Great Marathon

The Alexander the Great Marathon is Greece's flagship point-to-point marathon, run each spring between Pella -- the ancient capital of Macedonia and birthplace of Alexander the Great -- and Thessaloniki, the modern capital of the region. First held on April 16, 2006, the race has grown into the biggest sporting event in Northern Greece, drawing a combined field of roughly 16,800 runners across the marathon, 10K, 5K, and a free 1,000m children's race in recent editions. The marathon starts at Pella's central square, in front of the statue of Alexander the Great, at roughly 43 meters above sea level, descends onto a highway, then follows a long, mostly straight, constant east-facing route with small altitude fluctuations to the finish on Thessaloniki's coastal road (Megalou Alexandrou Avenue), by the city's own Alexander the Great statue. The race is a full member of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) and held IAAF Bronze Label Road Race status in 2010 and 2011. Betting company bwin has been the event's title sponsor in recent years, though the name is kept sponsor-neutral here since that sponsorship has varied over the race's 20-year history. The men's course record is 2:11:37, set by Kenya's Moses Arusei in 2006, and the women's course record is 2:28:22, set by Algeria's Souad Ait Salem, also in 2006. The 21st edition takes place on Sunday, April 4, 2027.