Athens Marathon: Elevation Profile, Course Map & Pace Calculator
The original: Marathon town to the marble Panathenaic Stadium along the route of the 1896 Olympic race. From km 10 to km 31 the road climbs nearly 250 m almost without a break, then gives most of it back on the drop into central Athens — pace the climb by effort or GAP rather than raw splits and the descent will pay you back. November air is cool; the history is unmatched.
The Athens Marathon is among the hilliest big-city marathons — rated 5/5 on our difficulty scale. Over the official 42.195 km (26.2 mi) the course gains about 1260 ft (380 m) and loses 1030 ft (310 m), with a net climb of 70 m (230 ft). Grade-adjusted pace says the toughest stretch arrives at kilometre 30 (near mile 18.5), demanding about 18% more effort than the same distance on flat ground. The steepest pitch on course reaches 9.5%. The climb to Stavros runs from mile 5.5 to 19.5 (km 9.0–31.2) and climbs 760 ft (230 m) over 22.2 km at an average 1.0% — about 6% more effort than the same ground run flat.
Course stats
| Distance | 26.2 mi (42.195 km) |
|---|---|
| Location | Athens, GR |
| Total ascent | 1260 ft (380 m) |
| Total descent | 1030 ft (310 m) |
| Net elevation | +230 ft (+70 m) |
| Steepest grade | 9.5% |
| Difficulty | 5/5 |
| Field size | ≈20,000 runners |
| Race day | Second Sunday of November |
| Elevation from | global surface model |
Global surface model: it reads rooftops and tree canopy as terrain, so the total ascent here is an upper bound. No open terrain model covers this country yet.
Kilometre-by-kilometre splits (grade-adjusted)
Grade-adjusted (GAP) splits for a 4:00:00 finish, computed from the course's elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model: uphill kilometres get more time, downhills less, at even effort. Splits scale proportionally for any other goal time — the interactive pace calculator on this page computes them exactly.
| Kilometre | GAP pace /km | GAP pace /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:25 | 8:43 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 5:25 |
| 2 | 5:20 | 8:35 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 10:45 |
| 3 | 5:31 | 8:53 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 16:16 |
| 4 | 5:30 | 8:51 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 21:46 |
| 5 | 5:32 | 8:54 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 27:18 |
| 6 | 5:40 | 9:07 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 32:58 |
| 7 | 5:31 | 8:53 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 38:29 |
| 8 | 5:40 | 9:07 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 44:09 |
| 9 | 5:47 | 9:19 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 49:57 |
| 10 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 55:43 |
| 11 | 5:55 | 9:32 | +32 ft (+10 m) | 1:01:38 |
| 12 | 6:16 | 10:05 | +66 ft (+20 m) | 1:07:54 |
| 13 | 5:58 | 9:36 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 1:13:52 |
| 14 | 5:32 | 8:54 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 1:19:24 |
| 15 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 1:25:10 |
| 16 | 6:34 | 10:35 | +92 ft (+28 m) | 1:31:44 |
| 17 | 4:51 | 7:49 | -95 ft (-29 m) | 1:36:35 |
| 18 | 5:09 | 8:18 | -60 ft (-18 m) | 1:41:44 |
| 19 | 5:45 | 9:16 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 1:47:30 |
| 20 | 6:25 | 10:19 | +80 ft (+24 m) | 1:53:54 |
| 21 | 6:23 | 10:16 | +77 ft (+23 m) | 2:00:17 |
| 22 | 6:05 | 9:48 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 2:06:23 |
| 23 | 6:02 | 9:42 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 2:12:24 |
| 24 | 5:54 | 9:29 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 2:18:18 |
| 25 | 6:36 | 10:37 | +99 ft (+30 m) | 2:24:54 |
| 26 | 6:14 | 10:03 | +64 ft (+20 m) | 2:31:08 |
| 27 | 6:00 | 9:39 | +40 ft (+12 m) | 2:37:08 |
| 28 | 6:08 | 9:53 | +54 ft (+16 m) | 2:43:17 |
| 29 | 5:30 | 8:52 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 2:48:47 |
| 30 | 5:49 | 9:22 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 2:54:37 |
| 31 | 6:37 | 10:39 | +101 ft (+31 m) | 3:01:14 |
| 32 | 5:07 | 8:14 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 3:06:21 |
| 33 | 5:11 | 8:21 | -48 ft (-15 m) | 3:11:32 |
| 34 | 5:17 | 8:30 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 3:16:49 |
| 35 | 5:29 | 8:50 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 3:22:19 |
| 36 | 5:28 | 8:48 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 3:27:47 |
| 37 | 5:07 | 8:14 | -56 ft (-17 m) | 3:32:54 |
| 38 | 5:17 | 8:31 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 3:38:11 |
| 39 | 5:18 | 8:32 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 3:43:29 |
| 40 | 4:55 | 7:55 | -83 ft (-25 m) | 3:48:24 |
| 41 | 5:23 | 8:39 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 3:53:47 |
| 42 | 4:58 | 7:59 | -81 ft (-25 m) | 3:58:44 |
| 42.2 | 6:28 | 10:24 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 4:00:00 |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Athens Marathon flat or hilly?
The Athens Marathon is among the hilliest big-city marathons (5/5 difficulty). Total ascent is about 1260 ft (380 m) over 26.2 miles.
How much elevation gain does the Athens Marathon have?
About 1260 ft (380 m) of total ascent and 1030 ft (310 m) of descent, for a net change of +230 ft (70 m). Elevation comes from a global surface model, which reads rooftops as terrain in a built-up area, so treat the total ascent as an upper bound.
What mile is the climb to Stavros on the Athens Marathon course?
The climb to Stavros runs from mile 5.5 to 19.5 (km 9.0–31.2) and climbs 760 ft (230 m) over 22.2 km at an average 1.0% — about 6% more effort than the same ground run flat. Twenty-two kilometres of near-continuous ascent from km 9 to km 31 — the reason the original Marathon-to-Athens route has the reputation it does. Elevation on this course comes from a surface model, so the figure reads high.
What is the hardest part of the Athens Marathon course?
Kilometre 30 (near mile 18.5) is the toughest split on the course by grade-adjusted effort. Grade-adjusted pace puts it at roughly 18% more effort than flat running. The steepest grade on course is 9.5%.
When is the Athens Marathon?
The Athens Marathon is typically held on the second Sunday of November. The next edition is expected around November 8, 2026. Confirm the exact date on the official race website.
How many runners take part in the Athens Marathon?
The field is roughly 20,000 runners.
What pace do I need to run the Athens Marathon in my goal time?
At an even pace: 3:00:00 needs 6:52/mi (4:16/km); 3:30:00 needs 8:01/mi (4:59/km); 4:00:00 needs 9:09/mi (5:41/km); 4:30:00 needs 10:18/mi (6:24/km); 5:00:00 needs 11:27/mi (7:07/km); 5:30:00 needs 12:35/mi (7:49/km). On this course, grade-adjusted pacing shifts a few seconds per mile between uphill and downhill splits — the pace calculator on this page computes those splits for any goal time.
Plan your Athens race
Named climbs on the Athens Marathon course
- The climb to Stavros runs from mile 5.5 to 19.5 (km 9.0–31.2) and climbs 760 ft (230 m) over 22.2 km at an average 1.0% — about 6% more effort than the same ground run flat. Twenty-two kilometres of near-continuous ascent from km 9 to km 31 — the reason the original Marathon-to-Athens route has the reputation it does. Elevation on this course comes from a surface model, so the figure reads high.
Marathons with a similar profile
- Rome Marathon — 1240 ft (380 m) ascent
- Mexico City Marathon — 1360 ft (410 m) ascent
- Austin Marathon — 1070 ft (330 m) ascent
- Charlotte Marathon — 1010 ft (310 m) ascent
How Athens Marathon ranks
- Hilliest marathon courses — ranked 2 of 20 (1,260 ft (380 m) of climbing)
- Hardest marathon courses — ranked 1 of 20 (5/5 — 1,260 ft (380 m) up, 1,030 ft (310 m) down)
- Marathons with the hardest finish — ranked 1 of 10 (hardest at km 30 (mile 18.5) — 18% over flat effort)
Official race site: https://www.athensauthenticmarathon.gr/