This route is all about history, and is following the steps of the 490 BC Battle of Marathon. The most important battle in the whole history. (Yes; there are no records - or reason to belive - that Pheidippides started in Marathon, but this additional section is added to connect more to the history. It was when they, the Athenians got news about ships coming in - that they send out the messenger Pheidippides from Athen to Sparta to ask for help.)
Starting at Marathon beach, the route goes straight to the Marathon tumuli (that houses the ashes of 192 Athenians who fell during the Battle of Marathon). Then it follows the route for the Athen Authentic Marathon. This first addition section, Marathon beach to Acropolis, is a route variation of the current In the footsteps of Pheidippides
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Then from Acropolis of Athen, follow the Spartathlon route to the King Leonidas statue in Sparta. Then kiss the foot, and return back the same route to Acropolis. Back in Athen, head over to Panathenaic Stadium and follow the "Athens Authentic Marathon" route to Marathon. And then return back to finish at the Panathenaic Stadium.
This route is a combination of two very well known routes.
i) Sparathlon ULTRA race (246 km) from Acropolis to Sparta. Check out the details here: https://www.spartathlon.gr/el/ (This is the most famous road ultra marathon in the world). Following the exact same route as the race, once arrived at Sparta, run the exact same route back again.
ii) Once arrived back again at Acropolis, run the easiest way to the where the Authentic Athen Marathon starts and follow that official route, ref. https://www.athensauthenticmarathon.gr/site/images/stories/route/route_marathon_full.jpg to Marathon, then return and run the same route back to Athen stadium.
Legends are saying that the combination of these two routes, are - more or less - the track that the messenger Pheidippides executed year 490 BC
