Iraios Athlos 30km

The course is 32.5 km long, with 1,506 m of elevation gain. Apart from 1,500 m of asphalt at the start and 1,500 m at the finish, it runs on technical trails and mountain dirt roads. The race starts and finishes at Steni Primary School.

The race starts from Steni Primary School at 400 m. The course follows the asphalt for 1.5 km to the Steni football field, where we turn left onto trail S1. The trail climbs on easy terrain for 1.5 km and comes out on a forest dirt road; 1 km further on is the 1st aid station, at 4.2 km. The course continues on the “Elatia” trail, one of the most beautiful parts of the race, through a dense forest of wild chestnut, plane trees and Greek fir, up to the “Mich. Nikolaou” mountain refuge of EOS Chalkida at 1,117 m. This is the 2nd aid station, at 5.8 km (“Sevach”).

From the refuge, the course descends on a forest dirt road with 2 short technical sections for 2.5 km to Syka ridge, where we enter a dense forest trail again (Xirovouni trail X1). The 3rd aid station is at 8.7 km – 1,006 m (“Sideritis”). Here the two long courses split: the 30 km heads east, while the 15 km turns west. We continue east on a runnable trail with some rocks and gentle ups and downs, with the whole Xirovouni ridge and its famous climbing routes on our right. Along the way there are 2 springs with clean drinking water: Templa spring at 10 km and Konisma spring at 13 km.

From here begins the hardest climb of the course: +200 m in 1 km on a rocky trail, traversing below Portaris peak, until we reach an asphalt road and the 4th aid station at 14.5 km – 1,138 m (“A. Sykaris”). This is the highest point of the race.

We follow the asphalt for 1 km and then turn right into the alpine part of the course, where the terrain alternates between forest dirt roads and very rocky, technical trails. At the fork in the dirt road at 19 km, take care to keep right, heading west; after 3 km there is a spring with drinking water, and after 4 km we reach the beautiful chapel of Agios Panteleimonas. Here is the 5th aid station, at 23.4 km – 1,070 m (“The five heroes of Mistros”). On this whole section we run along the south-eastern side of Xirovouni, essentially circling it, with views of the wild beauty of the surrounding mountains.

After 3.5 km of fairly technical terrain with loose scree, we re-enter the Xirovouni forest trail and reach the 6th aid station at 26.6 km – 1,016 m (“Sideritis”). From here the course follows trail S3 on a long 3.5 km descent that needs extra care, with difficult, steep sections. An easy river crossing follows, and we reach the 7th aid station at 30.8 km – 488 m (“Lela Karagianni”).

The last 1.9 km run through the village to the finish at Steni Primary School. 32.5 enjoyable but demanding kilometres through the beautiful forests and alpine terrain of Mount Dirfys and Xirovouni.