The Rhodes International Marathon returns on 30 April with great champions, athletes from 60 countries and the Marathon Flame!

Ο 8th International Marathon of Rhodes will take place on Sunday 30 April 2023 with the participation of well-known Greek runners and athletes from 60 (so far) countries of the world. The race will be "illuminated" by Flame of the Authentic Marathon which will be hosted for the first time in Rhodes, while the parallel programme of the Marathon is interesting.

Details about this year's event were revealed by the President of the Organizing Committee of the Marathon of Rhodes, Marietta Papavasiliou at a press conference held in the conference room of the South Aegean Region with the participation of the vice president of the O.E. and president of the EAS SEGAS Dodecanese Vassilis Zika, the Deputy Head of the Culture Department Christos Bardou, the President of the Municipal Organization of Culture and Sports of Rhodes - D.O.P.A.R. (President of DERM.A.E. and PROTOUR), Alexandros Koliadis and the technical director of the match, Nikos Polias, in the presence of sponsors, supporters and friends of the event.

Η Mrs Papavasileiou revealed that one day before the race, on Saturday 29 April, he will arrive in Rhodes with a delegation of representatives of the Municipality of Marathon and the central SEGAS the Marathon Flame and that for its reception, its arrival in the city centre and the lighting of the altar, a special event will take place, the details of which will be announced soon. Also, this year the children's 1000m race has been included in the Marathon programme again, while for one more year, the Children's Gallery of Greece, in cooperation with the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the National Olympic Academy, is organizing, on the occasion of the Rhodes Marathon, a nationwide painting competition for kindergarten, primary, secondary and high school students attending schools in Greece and abroad on the theme: "SPORTS AND MUSES".

Then, the President of the Organizing Committee,  Marietta Papavassiliou referred to the athletes who will take part in the event, who are: Vasiliki Konstantinopoulou, Charalambos Pitsolis, Katerina Asimakopoulou, Evangelos Malioglou, Rania Reboulis, Michalis Hadjioannou, Konstantinos Houvardas and the "veterans" CGeorge Malliaris and Vlasis Karavasilis.

Finally, she expressed her thanks to the co-organizers, sponsors, supporters, volunteers and all the contributors of the Rhodes Marathon. She also referred to the live broadcast of this year's and next year's race from ERT3, noting that the agreement is a great success for the Rhodes Marathon, as it gives the opportunity to even more people to get to know the event. In addition, the live broadcast will be an excellent opportunity to promote the island.

"The Rhodes International Marathon is a race that has earned a special place in the hearts of all of us. It started its course in October 2014 and has taken its own special route, now occupying a place among the major running races around the world. Indeed, the Rhodes Marathon has become a top sporting event. It takes place on one of the most beautiful islands in Greece, which has enabled us to design a unique coastal route and is ranked among the most important racing events in our country because of its organizational and functional excellence. The official approval of the Federation of SEGAS, as well as the International Road Marathon Federation-AIMS & the International Association of Athletics Federations-IAAF, certify its validity and ensure its international recognition. We are waiting for you all on 30 April", said among others the Mrs Papavasileiou.

STATEMENTS MADE AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE:

Vassilis Zeikas

"The Rhodes Marathon is a unique sporting event that is an ideal model for the synthesis of sport, culture, tourism promotion and local development activity. It includes routes that cover the entire age range, giving the opportunity for sports participation - motivation to the citizens of Rhodes and visitors. It highlights values such as volunteering, social contribution, solidarity, participation, fair play and competition, as they have been highlighted and taught since ancient Greece and continue to this day. It gives the opportunity to athletes and sportsmen of all ages, to members of the running movement, to high school, high school and primary school students to feel the joy of participation and movement, aims beyond the improvement of the mental and physical health of citizens, to promote true human relations and to defend all those values and ideals that make a society active and able to cope with today's circumstances. It welcomes participants from abroad and from the rest of Greece due to the beginning of the tourist season. It gives the opportunity for cooperation between the co-organisers and the participation of all the island's stakeholders, mobilising associations, clubs and voluntary groups.

The Rhodes Marathon is the only race in Greece and not only that takes place with the participation of almost all local bodies, the bodies of all levels of local government. It gives the opportunity to local businesses to support their place by participating financially in the organization and the needs that arise as sponsors to provide services and goods necessary for the organization and conduct of the race.

Christos Bardos

"I would like to mention three words that characterise our Regional Authority: the first is innovation, the second is extroversion and the third is prestige. As far as innovation is concerned, we are the only Region that has created such a project at international level, while extroversion promotes not only Rhodes, but the whole South Aegean and our islands all over the world in the best way, the most qualitative and healthy way, such as sport. As far as promotion is concerned, there are the people who know the subject, can... take off the Rhodes Marathon and take it one level higher than in previous years. We are very proud to stand by you and hope that this event will continue to be an institution in the years to come.

Alexander Koliadis

"Antonis Kampourakis and the municipal authority in general have shown in the last three years that these events should not only be supported financially, but we show in practice to the organizers and volunteers that this is our obligation. One of these great events on our island is the Marathon and everyone deserves congratulations, because I know how difficult it is for each of us to use our precious time with our families or businesses to contribute to the best possible event. I also know how responsible people are all on the organizing committee and how seriously they take the event, because it's not easy to set this whole thing up. Hosting, for example, the flame takes a lot of work and effort and I have found through working with them that they know the subject very well and we are obliged not only to provide our help, but to be on their side whenever they want to organise something like this. I am sure that everything will go very well, the spotlight will be on our island, ERT-3 is by our side and for the first time a marathon in the region will have such television coverage. I am very happy that the Rhodes Marathon is not only about the athletes, but it is about Rhodians and young children".

Nikos Polias

"I am very pleased that we continue this excellent cooperation with the organizing committee, the bodies and the volunteer groups of the Rhodes Marathon and that there is a response from the society of the island. After the two years of the coronavirus there was an uncertainty, not only in the Rhodes Marathon, but in general in road races around Greece about what the next step is. Last year, we won the bet, and the Rhodes Marathon was present in a dynamic and successful way. It is the only race and perhaps even surpasses the one in Athens with such a high percentage of participants from abroad. We have runners coming from more than 60 countries. From New Zealand to America, from Singapore to South Africa and of course from Europe, either individually or organised.

-Registrations are ongoing and those interested can register for the Marathon, Half Marathon, 5 and 10 km distances on the race's website https://www.rhodesmarathon.gr

-Co-organizers of the race is the Civil Non-Profit Company MARATHON OF RHODES, η EAS SEGAS Dodecanese, η Region of South Aegean and the Municipality of Rhodes-DOPAR. Also, the race is supported by the Dodecanese Chamber of Commerce, the Rhodes Hotel Association and the Museum of Modern Greek Art of the Municipality of Rhodes (New Wing), under the auspices of the EEA. It is carried out with the certification of the SEGAS and the International Road Marathon Federation AIMS, on an excellent coastal route that "runs" through the most important sights of Rhodes.

-The major sponsor of the 8th International Marathon of Rhodes is under armour. Big Sponsor of the 5 km race & Volunteer Sponsor is the club H HotelsCollection. The sponsor of air transport is Aegean Airlines. Sponsor of Maritime Transport is the BlueStar. The hospitality sponsor is the group Mitsis Hotels. The official sponsors are  SunriseHotel, KAYKAS, BAP P.KOUGIOS S.A., CITROEN Paraskevas, RodosCycling, RoufasFurniture.

Communication sponsors are, the ERT3, the Radio The Catcher in the Rye, η ThreeSixtyMarketing, η Innews, and the Antenna Satellite.

-The promo video of Match

https://www.facebook.com/roads2rhodes/videos/754221059240176

-For more information:

https://www.rhodesmarathon.gr/

https://www.facebook.com/roads2rhodes/

https://www.Instagram.com/roadstorhodes/

FROM THE MARATHON PRESS OFFICE