Yet another mountain run race, Vamvakou Mountain Run, has come to an end!
An unforgettable Sunday (16/06) we spent in the village of Vamvakou, where all together, runners, friends, relatives, volunteers and organization, became a great running group and exceeded the limits, gazed at the landscape, ran, laughed, hugged and renewed our appointment for next year. The event is being held for the fourth time by Vamvakou Revival, as part of the Village Revival initiative, implemented with the support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
500 athletes with their friends and families arrived early in the morning of Sunday, June 16 in Vamvakou and filled the village with smiles, voices, applause and definitely a running mood! Visitors, mainly from the Peloponnese but also from Athens, gathered this year once again to take part and/or watch the race. The athletes ran on the Vamvakou Trails, starting and finishing at the village square through three demanding routes of 28, 18 and 7 km.
Once more this year, the visitors of the village ran for a good cause, as there was a symbolic fee of 5 or 10 euros, depending on the route, and the total amount collected will be donated to civil protection projects and specifically to the prevention of forest fires on Mount Parnon, in the wider area of Vamvakou, where Vamvakou Revival contributes every year with the aim at preserving of natural wealth, but also the safety.
We would like to thank the Region of Peloponnese and the Regional Unit of Laconia, as well as the Agricultural Cooperative of Vamvakou “Parnon Poèma” for their support and sponsorships.
We warmly thank the Hellenic Police, the Traffic Police Directorate, the Fire-fighting Brigade, the Sparta Forestry Authority, the Municipality of Sparta, as well as the volunteer groups for their cooperation in the implementation of the event that we had by our side such as the Red Cross of Sparta, Etoimoklis, the Hellenic Rescue Team, the Hellenic Mountaineering Club of Sparta [EOS Sparta], Kallisthenis Athletic Cultural Association, Spartan Runners, Spartan Athletic Motorcycle Club, Spartan Cross Gym, the Women’s Cooperative of Vamvakou “Vamvakia”, but also each and every volunteer personally for their time, willingness, smiles and all the help they generously offered!
We will renew our appointment for 2025! Until then, do not neglect to take walks in the mountains, but also your training!
Organized by: Vamvakou Revival
Organization Supervision: Ioannis Dimopoulos
Lead Donor: Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)
