As Greece continues the battle against Covid-19 under a new lockdown, public life is increasingly subject to restrictions and the Athens Marathon was not exempt.

Indeed, on November 2 the Organizing Committee announced the cancellation of the race scheduled to take place on November 7-8.

There is, however, a silver lining to this unfortunate outcome: The Marathon will take place in virtual form, with participants invited to an alternative event titled “Athens Marathon. The Authentic – 2020 Virtual Special Edition.”

The race is organized in the following way: Runners around the world can run any course of the 42.195, 10 or 5km distance between November 8-22, and as many times as they want – should they wish to improve their time and rank. Every time they complete a run, participants must submit their time to the Virtual Athens Marathon free mobile app called “Athens Marathon and Half.” The ranking list is published on the app at the end of each day.

The entry fee in the Virtual Athens Marathon covers the costs of the race kit that each participant will be mailed at the end of the Marathon. It includes the medal, the official Marathon T-shirt and the participation certificate.

With this initiative, the Virtual Athens Marathon Organizing Committee has sent a message of solidarity to the running community around the world and invited runners to participate in this new and different experience brought about by the pandemic. Additionally, the committee expressed its optimism that the global health crisis will be resolved in the near future, adding that “All together, we will create the circumstances for a healthier and brighter 2021.”