BEST LACONIA COASTS

ARTICLES

In the spring of 490 BC, the Athenians sent to their ally, Sparta, the herald Pheidippides requesting their help in order to face the Persians in Marathon. According to Herodotus¢s accounts, Pheidippides arrived in Sparta the «next day of his departure from Athens». It was the climax of human strength! Two and a half thousand years later, the British John Foden, a RAF Wing Com­mander and marathon run­ner, came to Greece in Octo­ber 1982 with a group of colleagues and run the same course as Pheidippides, confirming the truth of Herodotus¢s accounts, since the three runners crossed the finish line in front of Leonidas¢s stat­ue in Sparta within a time ranging from 36 to 39 hours! In 1984, the International Spartathlon Associa­tion was founded, which organizes the Spartathlon race in late September, with the most renowned in­ternational marathon runners participating. In 1984, Giannis Kouros was the first to cross the finish line in 20 hours and 25 minutes, the shortest time to date. From Lakonia, Kostas Mihalopoulos was the one to participate and cross the finish line. Contact details: tel. 210 3227756.