The running of the original course was nothing short of amazing. The history, itself made the grueling course worthwhile. I mean seriously, at what other race, do you run uphill for 30km? But let's face it, there's a reason why Phidippides and the marathon came to be. If he had survived, would we have decided that it would be fun to put people through 16 weeks of intense training to run 26.2 miles?
The weather was a perfect 67 degrees F - a little chilly in the morning while waiting for the race to start. I actually draped myself in a plastic bag - who knew it could be so warm? I guess everyone especially since the race organizers were handing them out.
The spectators were beyond incredible. To say that the Greeks were proud of their history would be an understatement. A celebration of freedom, the marathon represents more to the Greeks than 42.195km and there were out there cheering everyone on, from the elites to the powerwalkers - handing out olive branches and yelling "Bravo!" and sending congratulations in both Greek and English.
The course was fully dedicated to the original run of Phiddipides, a statue in the middle of Marathon Ave. along with signs touting the original course. On a normal day, one could join a walking tour or walk along the course to relive history. But there would be no water stops along the way and no cheering section.
But the best part of the race was the 6 mile downhill and the finish in the stadium - you can't beat it!
