A SEGAS delegation visited Prague between May 10 to 14, in order to promote the Athens Classic Marathon and attend the 19th AIMS World Congress held in Prague parallel to the local city Marathon. The International Prague Marathon was recently ranked in the top places among the races of the most beautiful courses.


SEGAS was represented during the 19th AIMS World Congress by Panagiotis Dimakos, SEGAS General Secretary and Periklis Bakas, SEGAS Director. Furthermore, Makis Assimakopoulos, Coordinator-Consultant of the Athens Classic Marathon, presented to the Congress participants the idea, the concept and the project of the Marathon Flame as well as the program of the 6th AIMS Marathon Sumposium.

At the same time, Greece received further promotion during the Congress by OPAP SA represented by Dimitris Michopoulos, focusing at the campaign of the National Hellenic Tourist Organization “VisitGreece’. OPAP SA is nominated as AIMS Major Sponsor for the years 2012-2014. In his speech, Paco Borao, AIMS President, made special reference to the OPAP sponsorship and the fact that the AIMS Headquarters were recently moved to Athens and the facilities of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex on Spyros Louis Avenue.

On the other hand, the Greek aspect of this Marathon event was also underlined by the participation of Maria Polyzou, holder of the national record in Greece, in the race. Maria Polyzou was an executive guest of the International Prague Marathon Organizing Committee.

The relevant Sport EXPO held during the AIMS World Congress and the International Prague Marathon was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the triumph accomplished by the Czech runner Emil Zatopek in Helsinki (1952). The Athens Classic Marathon participated in the EXPO, and its booth was visited by thousands of runners and foreign delegations, as well as by the AIMS President, Paco Borao.

The journey of the Athens Classic Marathon to Prague was once again sponsored by the National Hellenic Tourist Organization, who strongly supports the promotional campaign of the Athens Classic Marathon abroad the last years.