Help the International Historical Hyper Distance Race”Euchidios Athlos” in Greece

Help the International Historical Hyper Distance Race''Euchidios Athlos'' in Greece

The Organizing Committee needs your Help to orginize as good as possible the 19th Euchidios Athlos that will take place on 12-13 May 2018.

Specifically we need :

New office equipments and furniture for our base (new high end pc, scanner, fax, printer etc)

VHF/UHF for communication during the race

A drone for videos and photos during the race and ceremony events

Proffesional audio panel and speakers for ceremony of trophies

Electronic timing and in-line electronic recording (chip timing system for race results)

History of Euchidas Assosiation.

During summer 479 B.C, at the foot of Mt Kitheron and just outside the imposing walls of the township of Plataea located in the plain, the most important and decisive battle of the Hellenic army against the Persians took place. It was an overwhelming victory for the Hellenic army. The victorious army were delighted. However, the Plateans were not reassured. They believed that the presence of the barbarians in their land had contaminated the sacred flame burning in the altar of their town.

Soon after the battle, they called their soldier runner, swift-footed Euchidas. His mission was to run to Delphi and bring back holy fire from the altar of Apollo temple. The exhaustion of the soldier after the battle was considerable but the mission was even more considerable and holier. Euchidas ran immediately off. He followed a difficult course through ravines, forests, mountains and narrow paths. He reached Delphi and purified his body in holy Castallia Spring. He then took the fire from the altar of Apollo Temple and ran back to Plataea performing a journey of 1,000 stadia in 24 hours, which is approximately 182km/113 miles. Euchidas delivered the holy fire to the sovereigns and immediately after expired passing to eternity.

The Revival 1993.............2.472 years later

The feat of the runner Euchidas is a source of inspiration and also great challenge for a modern runner, like Panayiotis Antonopoulos when in admiration reads this page of our national history. In 1-2 May 1993 Antonopoulos Panayiotis attempted to revive Euchidas feat and his attempt was crowned with success. He ran the distance alone accompanied by one person and a driver as a support team. He reached Delphi in 12 hours and returned to Plataea in 14 hours bringing back the holy flame from Delphi.

One year later in 1994 Panayiotis Antonopoulos and some of his friends and co-athletes founded an association called the “ Hellenic Triathlon and Long-Distance Sports Association - Euchidas”. The objective of the association is to organize Euchidas race in any form (torch relay, single or return race). Since it was founded, the Association has organized Euchidas torch relays from Delphi to Plataea carrying the holy flame from Delphi to Plataea, but the main ambition and objective of the Association has always been the realization of Euchidios Athlos in the form of a competition.

The Race

The aim was achieved in 2000 and since then Euchidios Athlos is an annual event. There have been 17 Euchidios Athlos organized so far, 4 of them during the night and 9 during the day.

The Hellenic character of the race, its historical background the natural beauty of the route, and the fact that it is organized by athlete- runners attract more and more athletes who wish to run this “ classical” historical distance of 107,5km from Plataea to Delphi. The organizers cater for the following important points during the race so that the athletes enjoy the majestic route and finally reach the finishing line of a historical race: Excellent singposting, food and drink supply in the 28 checkpoints, physiotherapy at two points, vehicles for assistance and support.

The runners have to cross western Beotia from north to south. The course is as true to the original path followed by Euchedas as possible. The relief of the area is quite sharp with high uphill and downhill grades. The race is rather difficult but beautiful and interesting at the same time, since it goes through interesting archaeological areas. The athletes ascend and descend the beautiful Mount of the Muses, Mt Helicon to reach 1.050m running through landscapes of unique beauty. The athletes finally reach Delphi, the centre of Earth, they drink water from Castallia spring, they are crowned with laurel and warm applause greets them.

In 2005 a new venture took place. There were two races organized:

1. Euchidios Athlos from Delphi to Plataea, 107,5 km long
2. The whole lenth of Euchidios Athlos from Plataea to Delphi and back to Plataea 215 km which constitutes the revival of the initial Euchidas feat.

For more infos and photos visit Euchidios Athlos website:

http://www.euchidiosathlos.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=3&lang=el

You can find also many infos from long distance's running websites around the world and wikipedia.