ATHENS — The Athens Half-Marathon, which is to be held on Sunday after a two-year hiatus, will from this year be dedicated to the memory of renowned Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, who died on September 2. The race is one of the top sporting events in the city and is jointly organised by the Hellenic Athletics Federation SEGAS and the City of Athens.

The Athens Municipality has accepted the unanimous proposal made by SEGAS's board to hold the race in the memory of Theodorakis and to organise a series of cultural and sports events alongside it each year that are dedicated to the great composer.

The 2021 Athens Half Marathon, which was not held last year due to the pandemic, will kick off on Sunday at 7:30 in the morning from the Monument to the Unknown Soldier following a route that ends on Amalias Avenue by 11:00. The Registration Centre, from which all registered runners can get their number and their participation pack for the race, will be housed at the Serafio Sports Centre run by the municipality at Pireos 160 and Petrou Ralli Street. This will be open on Friday and Saturday between 10:00 and 20:00.

Participants in the race must be over 18 and able to provide a certificate that they are either fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or have immunity conferred by contracting the disease.

Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis and SEGAS President Sofia Sakorafa visited the exhibition for the 9th Half Marathon at the Seragio Sports Centre on Friday. In statements afterward, they noted that the holding of the race marks the resumption mass road races in Europe, which had been stopped by the pandemic.