One kilometre along the tarmac of the classic route, just before the marathon runners pass by, and a medal at the finish line: the Municipality of Rafina–Pikermi has announced a 1,000-metre children’s road race for primary school pupils on Sunday 8 November 2026, as part of the 43rd Authentic Athens Marathon. The race is open only to children aged 6 to 12, and registration closes on Tuesday 3 November.
For families from Artemida and Spata, this is one of the best opportunities for their children to experience the Marathon first-hand: Rafina and Pikermi are just a few minutes’ drive away, and the Marathon route passes right through there.
Two starts, at the same time
The competition takes place simultaneously at two venues, and parents choose one of the two on the registration form:
- Rafina: start at the Rafina junction, finish at the Statue of the Runners.
- Pikermi: start at Elbisco, finish at Pikermi Square.
Registration is at 08:00 and the race starts at 08:40. The children run along the section of the Marathon route heading towards Athens, under the supervision of the Greek Police. The race will go ahead whatever the weather, so it’s a good idea to pack a raincoat in your bag. Every child who finishes will receive a commemorative medal.
How to make a declaration
There is no registration form. Participation can only be confirmed by means of a sworn statement from a parent or guardian via gov.gr:
- On gov.gr, the parent submits a sworn statement to the Department of Culture and Sport of the Municipality of Rafina–Pikermi.
- In the text field, they must copy the wording of the announcement and fill in the child’s full name and date of birth, school and year group, whether the child will be running in Rafina or Pikermi, place of residence, telephone number and email address.
- Send the declaration to sports.rp@0164.syzefxis.gov.gr by Tuesday 3 November.
Declarations that have not been issued by gov.gr or are submitted after the deadline will not be accepted. In the same declaration, the parent confirms that they have arranged for the child’s medical examinations and cardiological check-up. Anyone who has not had this done recently still has two weeks to do so.
Can children from Artemida take part in the run?
The notice does not specify any popularity requirement. It merely requires the child to be a primary school pupil, aged 6–12, and for the parent to state their place of residence. However, as it does not specify a limit on places or give priority to local residents, those living outside Rafina–Pikermi are advised to confirm their participation by calling 22940 26315 before submitting their application.
Marathon Day
On Sunday 8 November, Marathon Avenue will be closed for several hours for the main race. Anyone travelling down from Artemida for the children’s race should bear in mind that access to Rafina and Pikermi will be slower than usual in the morning. The exact road closures will be announced by the Traffic Police in the days leading up to the race, and we will publish them as soon as they are released.
Source: Municipality of Rafina–Pikermi, Department of Culture and Sport, announcement of the 1,000-metre children’s race, 14 October 2026.
