The Gravel of Marathon

Participants can choose between two demanding routes: the long route, 96 kilometers with 1,320 meters of elevation gain, and the shorter route, 65 kilometers with 1,150 meters of elevation gain (both roughly 75% off-road).
The long route will serve as the qualifier for the 2027 UCI Gravel World Championships in the Elite Men’s and Women’s categories, as well as Men 19-59 and Women 19-49. The short route will be the qualifier for Men 60+ and Women 50+.

Both routes will start at the Marathon Stadium. After crossing the town, riders will soon face a 2-kilometer climb on rocky terrain, with an average gradient of 6% and a maximum of 9%. They will then pass through the community of Grammatiko, and after 5 kilometers of asphalt, will follow a dirt track leading them to a shallow stream, followed by a tough 500-meter climb.

Immediately after, they will reach the start of the 31-kilometer loop, where they will find the first feed station, along with mechanical support and an ambulance with paramedics on standby. From there, riders will follow a rural route, alternating between dirt and asphalt for 16 kilometers, until reaching the entrance to Lake Marathon, where the second feed station, mechanical support, and first-aid point will be located. For the next 4 kilometers, they will ride alongside the lake on soft dirt.

After completing the loop around the lake, riders will find themselves back on a rural route past the greenhouses, crossing another shallow stream before a surprise awaits: a 200-meter climb on soft dirt with gradients reaching 12%! The next 6 kilometers of dirt road will bring riders to the end of the loop, completing the first 31-kilometer circuit — one they will repeat twice more on the long route, and once on the short route.
Immediately afterward, participants will begin the journey back, retracing the same route that first led them to the start of the 31km loop: Grammatiko, Ano Souli and Marathon.

The Gravel of Marathon will finish in the center of Marathon, and crossing the finish line, every rider is sure to feel the satisfaction of having fought their own personal “Battle of Marathon” — this time with bicycles as weapons, and dirt roads as the battlefield.