<
Stone-built villages, traditional bridges, unique sights such as the imposing Vikos Gorge, Skala Vradetou, the Voidomatis River, the protected area of the natural wealth of the Vikos-Aoos National Park as well as the region’s rich biodiversity, created the ideal setting for this year’s Zagori Mountain Running. The race took place July 21-25.
Participants had to encounter the high temperatures of the three days and the new challenges of the modified, for this purpose, routes and starting times.
More than 2,500 young and old athletes and more than 10,000 visitors watched the race in Zagori.
The athletes who took part were from 35 countries and 5 continents, such as U.S.A., Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Morocco, Djibouti, Pakistan, Lebanon, Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Northern Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Estonia, Ukraine, Austria, Malta, Serbia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Israel, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Cyprus, North Macedonia, and Greece.
New TeRA 60km race & the ultimate 44+km marathon
On Saturday, 22 July, the first race started at 04:30 in the morning from the manorial village of Tsepelovo, with the modified, due to the high temperatures, TeRA 60km race offering countless joys and thrills to the participants. In the men’s category, Fifth Element athlete Alexandros Tzoumakas finished first with a time of 6:34’:43’’, Evangelos Noulas was second with 6:37’:43’ and Charalambos Kalaboukas finished third with 6:45’:16’’.
In the women’s category, the Austrian Sophia Schnabl finished first with a time of 8:08’:07’’, Niki Zioga was second with 8:16’:51’’ and Nikoleta Tzavara of The North Face was third with 8:42’:43’’.
See all TeRA results here.
The top mountain running event of the summer continued with the Marathon+ 44km taking place at Voidomatis Springs, Megalo Papigo, and Astrakas Refuge.
In the men’s category, Dimitrios Eleftheriou finished first with a time of 4:43’:36’’, Vassilis Balamotis was second with 4:46’:29’’ and Konstantinos Giannopoulos was third with 4:53’:36’’.
In the women’s category, the Olympic rowing bronze medalist Christina Giazitzidou finished first with a time of 5:21’:52’’, Georgia Kanouta was second with 6:34’:25’’, and Irini Gioti finished third with 6:49’:54’’.
See all Marathon+ 44km results here.
Thousands of participants in the 21km & 10km at the “place beyond the mountain”
On Sunday, July 23, the competitive and more massive mountain routes were held.
The Half Marathon 21km started from Tsepelovo, with the athletes running to the Tymfi mountain complex and passing from the Kipoi village, the three-arched bridge, the Kokkoros bridge, and Koukouli village. In the men’s category, Emmanuel Pourikas finished first with a time of 1:49’:02’’, which was also an event record, Nikos Ponireas was second with 1:52’:14’ and the French Laurent Vicente finished third with 1:55’:49’’.
In the women’s category, Lemonia Panagiotou finished first with a time of 2:23’:49’’, Chrysanthi Sfakianaki was second with 2:42’:28’’ and the Serbian Tijana Panic was third with 2:44′:17”.
See all Half Marathon 21km results here.
The Entry Race 10km took place afterward, with participants swarming about the route, facing the unique view of the Vikos Gorge and passing through the Skala Tsepelovo. In the men’s category, George Kalapodis finished first with a time of 0:44’:22’, George Dimoulas of The North Face was second with 0:44’:42’’ and Stavros Ginis finished third with 0:44’:57’’.
In the women’s category, Stavroula Papadopoulou finished first with a time of 1:00’:48’’, Evangelia Gialamatzi was second with 1:01’:08’’ and Thalia Zoi finished third with 1:01’:12’’.
See all Entry Race 10km results here.
Hundreds of children were in the ZAGORAKI race
The children’s ZAGORAKI Race by ZAGORI Natural Mineral Water brought together more than 300 children, 3 to 12 years old, who ran the 1km distance with their favorite water as their ally in hydration!
The children were warmed up by the fitness trainer Emmi Siouzou with a pleasant dynamic exercise program with music.
At the end of the ZAGORAKI Race, 3 gifts for outdoor activities were raffled off to 3 lucky little runners while all the children enjoyed non-carbonated GREEN orangeades.
As part of the children’s race, 3 children’s books “Trechontas o Teri egine xefteri” by Leftheris Plakidas, and 1 book, “Swimming beyond the limits” by the ultra-swimmer Spyros Chrysikopoulos, were also raffled.
ZAGORI Mountain Running race is an integral part of the society and culture of Zagorochoria.
The event supported Make-A-Wish Greece
The organization of Zagori Mountain Running supported Make-A-Wish this year to fulfill the wishes of children with serious illnesses. In particular, the event’s collective wristband was offered for purchase to participants and visitors, and all proceeds were allocated for the active support of the vital work of Make-A-Wish Greece.
Unique Prizes for the Nature of Zagori
This year, the prizes for the Zagori Mountain Running 2023 winners were handmade clay sculptures, crafted with love and artistry by the artist Renevi Polonyfi, of the School of Fine Arts of the University of Ioannina.
These unique works of art were truly special and represented the natural beauty of the Zagori region. The theme chosen by the sculptor for the prizes was the “birth of the flower,” which perfectly aligns with the race’s philosophy and the prevailing atmosphere of this year’s event.
#zagorirace2023 #zagorimountainrunning #zmr2023 #theplacebeyondthemountain
