Athens is set for significant road closures and travel disruption this weekend as the annual Athens Authentic Marathon and its accompanying races take place on November 7 and 8. Around 75,000 runners are expected to take part in the events, which will affect roads, public transport, and access to popular tourist sites.
Road closures and affected routes
Rolling closures of roads began on November 5 in preparation for the running events. On Saturday November 7, the 5km road race, the 5km universities night run, and the kids race 1,200m will take place. The 10km road race and the marathon race will follow on Sunday.
The race will start in the coastal town of Marathon and head towards central Athens, passing the Tomb of the Athenians, Pallini, and Gerkas. The route then continues along Mesogeion Avenue and Vasilissis Sofias Avenue.
No vehicles will be allowed in the city centre of Athens or anywhere around the Panathenaic Stadium from 3pm to 9pm on Saturday, or from 5am to 6:20pm on Sunday. This includes roads such as Vasilissis Amalias Avenue, Syntagma Square, Panepistimiou Street, and Ardittou and Vasileos Konstantinou avenues, which surround the finish line.
Public transport and airport access
Public buses and trams will be diverted to avoid the affected routes. Movement through transit hubs like Syntagma, Evangelismos, and Hilton will be suspended, with tram services terminating before the marathon route and stopping at Fix station instead. Taxis, airport shuttles, and tour buses will also be impacted.
For those arriving in the city, the X95 airport bus will have a temporary final stop at the General Military Hospital instead of its city-centre Syntagma terminus, meaning passengers will need to use another form of transport for the rest of the journey.
The Athens Metro will be unaffected, and train frequencies will be increased on lines one, two, and three to accommodate the influx of passengers. For travel to Athens International Airport, taking Metro line three or the Proastiakos train is advised.
Impact on tourist sites
The races will finish at the Panathenaic Stadium, a popular tourist attraction located just 1000m from the Syntagma, Acropolis, and Evangelismos metro stations. Only organising staff and finishing runners will be allowed on the track, with spectators restricted to a designated area, so visits to the stadium itself may need to be rescheduled.
However, several major sites will remain largely unaffected by the closures, including the Acropolis, Parthenon, Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, and Hadrian's Library. With many runners expected to enjoy drinks or dinner after the race, visitors are advised to reserve tables for food or drinks as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
