Being the first Greek event to be distinguished at the World Tourism Awards in London, the Costa Navarino Challenge is one of the biggest events in Greece’s sports tourism calendar. In the birthplace of the Olympic Games, visitors from all over the world will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in more than 30 sporting activities and 15 Olympic sports.
With the motto “sport unites people,” the Costa Navarino challenge hopes to generate positive emotions, highlight the authentic values of sporting participation, promote the Olympic spirit, and acquaint travelers with the landscapes of Messinia and its unique history. Whether you want to test your stamina by running a marathon near the beautiful beach of Voidokilia, paddle your way around Navarino Bay on a sea kayak tour, make friends by taking part in a beach volleyball tournament or test your agility in a beach yoga session, there is enough variety for everyone.
© Angelos Zymaras
Navarino Challenge will honor this year the man who made Greece proud at the Tokyo Olympic Games, the gold Olympic medalist in long jump Miltos Tentoglou as well as his coach George Pomaski, who is behind all of his important achievements. Tentoglou and his coach will provide people of all ages with an opportunity to try out their jumps and attempt to surpass Tsiklitiras’ world record of 3.47m. Other role model athletes and Olympians will also be there, such as Greek-American ultramarathon runner Dean Karnazes, to serve as aspiration and provide participants with a motivational booster. More accessible routes will be available as well.
On the same day, the 1 km children’s route will be held in two groups, for children 10-14 years old and kids up to 9 years of age.
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On October 16, a sea kayak tour around the island of Sphacteria will take place. On the same day, separate beach volleyball tournaments will be held for men and women, under the supervision of former International Greek Volleyball player Michael Triantafyllidis. While the next day, on Sunday 17, a mixed tournament will be held.
Taekwondo, basketball tournaments for children, boxing and kickboxing lessons for all ages, CrossFit, intensity training, beach yoga, Pilates, tennis cross-training, cycling, and golf lessons will all be offered at the event as well.
Considering the current health regulations, the event will be supervised with strict specifications set by the appropriate authorities. Therefore, entrance to events will be possible only by showcasing a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test result against Covid-19.
Find more information about the Navarino Challenge 2021 here.
