The Museum

History …

The Projection Center of the Marathon run was founded where the first school of Marathon was located. This First Public school was built around 1908-10 by donation of the national benefactor Andreas Syggros.The building expanded in 1930-32 while between the years 1960-65 it was completed in its current form .

In 2004 with an initiative by the responsible organization for the conduct of the Olympic Games of Athens “ATHENS 2004”, the municipal authority of Marathon-Mayor- Chr. Barbas – decided to grant access and use of the building, which was renovated, courtesy of Alpha Bank.

From 2004 the Center for the Projection of the Marathon run permanently accommodates the exhibition “OLYMPIC MARATHONS”, donated by Lausanne’s Olympic Museum. The exhibition is consisted by texts and photographs about the history of the Olympic Marathons, Intermational Marathons,Women’s Marathon .etc. Since 2007 the Projection Center of the Marathon run is transformed into an Athletic Museum that accommodates exhibits from great Greeks and foreign Marathon runners constantly enriching its collection.

More than 4000 exhibits record the history of Marathon Race since 1896, until today. A unique athletic collection, nowhere to be found, but in the in the birthplace of the Marathon Race.

The exhibition is divided into two major sections. In the first building, the history of the Olympic Marathon Race is presented through a collection of rare exhibits. In the second, the global Marathon Race movement is recorded through thematic sections dedicated to Marathon Races held all around the world, Olympic Champions, women Marathon runners and Marathon runners athletic gear.

Among the exhibits, there are the authentic medal of the winner of the first modern Olympic Games Marathon Race, legendary Spyros Louis, a copy of the cup he was awarded at Panathenaic Stadium (Kalimarmaro) in Athens in 1896 and some of his personal belongings.

There are also the medals, athletic gear and personal belongings of Harilaos Vasilakos, winner of the first Marathon Race in history on the “Marathon to Athens course” in 10 March, 1896, who finished second in the 1896 Athens Olympic Games Marathon Race.

Cups, medals and numerous relics of another legendary Marathon Race runner and outstanding patriot, Stelios Kyriakides, winner of the 1946 Boston International Marathon, are also exhibited.

Visitors may also see various heirlooms and relics from the life and achievements of Grigoris Lambrakis, a Balkan Games medalist, pacifist-movement activist and Member of Greek Parliament (1961-1963 when murdered). One of the most notable exhibits is the famous banner with the peace emblem from the Marathon peace march of 1963.

There are athletic exhibits of the great Japanese women Marathon runners, Naoko Takahashi, gold medalist Sydney 2000, Mizuki Noguchi, gold medalist Athens 2004, Yuko Arimori, silver medalist Barcelona 1992 and bronze medalist Atlanta 1996. There are also exhibits of the Swiss Champion Marathoner Franzisca Rochat Mozer, Ron Hill gold medalist in74th Boston Marathon in a course record 2:10:30, to name but a few.

The Museum comprises a rich collection of treasured medals, cups and a variety of exhibits from all the great Greek Marathon Champions, men and women.