One of the most beautiful racing routes in beautiful Eastern Crete. Starting from the beach of Pachia Ammos in the Northern Cretan Sea, it crosses the narrowest point of Crete and with the dazzling Ha canyon as a background, it passes through the village of Episkopi, heads towards Pano Chorio and descends to Kato Chorio. Following the main road, passes through Kentri village with final destination the city of Ierapetra. Final 4 km passes through the most important sights of the city and ends up in Minos Park, now approaching the southern Cretan Sea (Libyan Sea) and having completed a route that connects the north with the south coast of Eastern Crete!
Description of the Route:
The 21,150 m route has a starting point in Pachia Ammos, at the central intersection we turn towards Ierapetra and follow the main road with on the left side the imposing mountains of Thrypti with the impressive gorge of Ha . At the 7th kilometer we leave the main road and turn towards the village of Episkopi, we pass through Episkopi and head through another intersection towards Kato Chorio. At the 8th kilometer we leave the main road and go uphill towards Pano Chorio, while reaching its small square we turn around and go down to meet Kato Chorio. At the 10th kilometer we get back on the main road following the path towards Ierapetra. At the 13th kilometer, we leave the main road and head towards Kentri, and then, after leaving the village behind, we go out again on the main road. Immediately after the 15th kilometer we turn left and exit onto the ring road (Ioannou Kapodistrias), then reaching the provincial road Ierapetra - Sitias we turn right and after 250 meters we turn left to exit the coastal pedestrian street of the city.
Then we enter the harbor and upon reaching the lighthouse we turn around, we pass the point of the naval battle, we head towards the mosque and we pass through the narrow streets of the old town in front of the church of Agios Spyridon and the patron saint of the city, Agios Georgios. Runners will head towards the new footpath and continue along the city parallel to the promenade, ending at Minos Park. There will be electronic timing and fuel stations at the 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th & 20th kilometers, while at various points there will be SEGAS judges as the route is certified. In each village there will be a welcome and music from the local clubs. To participate in the 21,100m Road Race, one must be at least 18 years of age.
The maximum duration of the half-marathon is set at 3 hours, after which the athletes run at their own risk (covering 10 km in 1 hour 20 minutes, race ending 12:00 am).
The transportation of the athletes will start from the Minos area with the first bus leaving at 7:30 and the last at 8:30. More information will be given 10 days before the Match.
Road 5,000m. Start Time: 11:30 am
The 5,000m route starts at Minos Park in Ierapetra, heading towards the Metropolis. Passing by the Metropolis, it makes a turn and exits on the coastal pedestrian street in the direction of the castle. It then enters the harbor and, reaching the lighthouse, turns around, passes the point of Navmahia, heads towards the mosque and passes through the narrows of the old town in front of the church of Agios Spyridon and Agios Georgios. Runners will head towards the new pedestrian path and continue along the city parallel to the promenade, ending at Minos Park in Ierapetra. .There will be electronic timing and a fuel station at the 2.5 km mark. The route has no elevation change and is certified. SEGAS judges will be present along the entire route
5,000 meter Health & Dynamic Walking Race
Start Time: 11:35 am
The 5,000m route starts at Minos Park in Ierapetra, heading towards the Metropolis. Passing by the Metropolis, it makes a turn and exits on the coastal pedestrian street in the direction of the castle. It then enters the harbor and, reaching the lighthouse, turns around, passes the point of the naval battle, heads towards the mosque and passes through the narrows of the old town in front of the church of Agios Spyridon and Agios Georgios. Runners will head towards the new pedestrian path and continue along the city parallel to the promenade, ending at Minos Park in Ierapetra. There will be a fuel station at the 2.5 km mark . The route is without elevation change. In the 5,000m Road Race and the 5,000m People's Health and Dynamic Walk, participants must be 12 years of age or older (born in 2012 and older). All finishers will be awarded a commemorative medal.
A race dedicated to addiction prevention and addiction recovery
In collaboration with ΚΕΘΕΑ ΑΡΙΑΔΝΗ with Panagiotis Karaiskos as guest of honor, an evening event will be held as part of his parallel activities.
Exercise and sports can improve people's physical and mental health with a positive impact on their quality of life and well-being. They create a social and emotional learning environment that improves social functioning and strengthens human capital, cultivating life skills. Therefore, both exercise and sports are a protective factor in the prevention of addictions and a strengthening factor in the detoxification process. Through exercise practices, a change in the sense of one's image, emotional discharge, anger control and the enhancement of self-esteem are observed, elements that strengthen the individual to adopt good practices for the subsequent course. Participants in a study refer to the importance of sports activities, as offering a structured form of activity, based on power relations between the trainer and the athlete, and playing a role in the formation of morality and social consciousness. Participation in sports practices seems to be closely linked to the creation of identity, the acquisition of discipline and the strengthening of self-confidence (Balafas, 2024).
Το «Πολυδύναμο Κέντρο Περιφέρειας Κρήτης, με έδρα τον Άγιο Νικόλαο» με κωδικό (MIS 6004482) είναι ενταγμένο στο Επιχειρησιακό Πρόγραμμα «Κρήτη» 2021-2027 και συγχρηματοδοτείται από το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινωνικό Ταμείο (ΕΚΤ).
