At the end of autumn he decided to get acquainted with Cyprus, and at the same time start getting acquainted with local marathons. Run a marathon in Cyprus? Easy if you are ready to cover a distance of 42 kilometers! And competitions for all tastes will definitely be found, because every year on the island there are 4 famous marathons, which attracts running fans from around the world. Let's learn more about these marathons!
- Official name: Limassol Marathon
- Venue: Limassol (Cyprus)
- Distances: 42, 21, 10 km.
- Entry fee: from 36 €
- Date: March
- Coating: asphalt
- Website: limassolmarathon.com
- Certification: AIMS, IAAF
Limassol Marathon - one of the most important competitions of the annual European series marathon races. Held in Cyprus since 2006. The event usually lasts two days, and thousands of runners take part in it. For example, in 2015, the Limassol Marathon gathered more than 10,000 participants from 50 countries. And in 2019, during the 13th race, almost 15,000 runners took part in various distances.
The program of the Limassol Marathon is quite traditional and includes the classic 42 and 21 kilometers, a distance of 10 kilometers. But you can't do without interesting things, because the world-famous marathon is a good reason to draw attention to some important social issue. For example, in 2016, the manager of one of the animal shelters Andrew Brown marathon run in a dog suit to draw attention to the shelter.
- Official name: Cyprus Marathon
- Venue: Pathos (Cyprus)
- Distances: 42, 21, 10 km.
- Entry fee: from 60 €
- Date: March
- Coating: asphalt
- Website: logicomcyprusmarathon.com
- Certification: AIMS, IAAF
Cyprus Marathon - the main road race in Cyprus, which is also considered one of the best in the world in terms of organization. Held since 1999 in the historic city of Paphos. Thousands of runners from more than 60 countries visit this multicultural one every year sporting event, to cover an important distance and enjoy the beautiful scenery and pleasant Mediterranean climate.
Marathon program consists of three distances: a full marathon, a half marathon, a 10-kilometer race. The marathon starts from the rock of Aphrodite Petra to Romio - the birthplace of the goddess of love and beauty - and ends in the medieval castle of Paphos.
- Official name: Larnaka Marathon
- Venue: Larnaca (Cyprus)
- Distances: 42, 21, 10 km.
- Entry fee: from 50 €
- Date: November
- Coating: asphalt
- Website: larnakamarathon.com
- Certification: AIMS, IAAF
Larnaca Marathon - annual marathon and half marathon races held in the port city of Larnaca on the south-east coast of Cyprus. In total, 4 such starts have already taken place. From 4 to 8 thousand running fans took part in each of them. For example, in 2019 the number of runners reached 4.5 thousand, among 266 were able to overcome the entire marathon, and 693 athletes ran a half marathon.
The Larnaca Marathon program includes several standard distances (42, 21 and 10 kilometers).
From 2021 marathon in Larnaca turned into a unique running event - the first "green" marathon in Cyprus. The main theme of the competition was the reuse of resources and care for the environment, and the same principles were followed during the race. In addition, it was at this race that the distance of 42 kilometers was first overcome by a runner with visual impairments without physical accompaniment - thanks to the fact that the coach explained route by mobile phone using a digital map. The marathon was joined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus with the team "Foreign Ministry and Friends", which included employees of foreign diplomatic missions from 23 countries.
- Official name: Nicosia Marathon
- Venue: Nicosia (Cyprus)
- Distances: 42, 21, 10 km.
- Entry fee: from 12 €
- Date: December
- Coating: asphalt
- Website: nicosiamarathon.cy
- Certification: AIMS, IAAF
Nicosia Marathon - the main sporting event of the capital of Cyprus, held since 2010 under the auspices of the Cyprus Athletics Federation. The first race of this name was held on the occasion of the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon between the Greeks and the Persians, but then the program included only a half marathon and a distance of 4.6 kilometers. But even for the first time and with a small selection of competitions, this event gathered more than 5,000 participants in Nicosia. In fact, the marathon was added to the program during the second race in 2012.
Now the start program is more diverse. In addition to the marathon and half marathon, participants can choose distances of 10 and 5 kilometers. The themes of the competition are thematic and charitable races, for example for UNICEF or the Cyprus Cancer Community. For distances of 42 and 21 kilometers, the age limit is set from 18 years. And in general to participate in running event fans of all ages can run, so it's no wonder that the oldest runner in the Nicosia Marathon was 76-year-old Cypriot Andreas Pampakas.