Athens Marathon 2026 weather: what race day will likely feel like

The Athens Marathon, The Authentic, is on Sunday 8 November 2026, its 43rd edition: 42.2 km from the town of Marathon to the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. Here's what race day has usually felt like, section by section, for a runner in the middle of the field.

What will the weather be like at the 2026 Athens Marathon?

Mild at the start, warm by the finish. In the records, a runner from the 08:30 start began at about 15° and finished at about 20°, with a dew point of 11–12°, so the air feels a little humid. RunFast's engine rated race day Good on 3 days in 10, Fair on 4 and Tough on 3.

The heat is the story. Heat stress (WBGT, the number race medical teams use) started at about 15° and rose to about 20° after halfway, above the range where marathon times are fastest. By the last 10 km it reached Moderate on about 7 days in 10, and High on about 2. The hottest race day in the records reached 29°.

Where does the weather usually cost runners time?

In the second half, mostly from the heat. On the middle day of the records, the weather cost a 5:40-per-km runner about 5 minutes over the whole race, and 17 minutes or more on 1 day in 10. The heat was the main cause on about 8 of those days in 10.

Start · MarathonNea MakriPikermiStavrosFinish · Panathenaic Stadium1234567Historic

The first 17 km are usually easy: cool air and a light wind from the north, behind you as the course heads south. From the Rafina junction the road climbs and the morning warms at the same time, so the colours turn from green to orange.

What is each section likely to feel like?

Each section with its usual race morning, hour by hour, timed for the 08:30 start at a steady 5:40 per km.

1. Marathon and the Tomb

A gentle start, slightly downhill along Marathonos Avenue and round the Tomb of the Marathon warriors. It was about 15°, with the wind usually behind, and rated Good on 8 days in 10.

2. The flat to Nea Makri

Flat road to Nea Makri at about 16°. The wind was still usually behind, and the heat stress reached Moderate on only about 2 days in 10.

3. The first climbs

From km 10 the road rises in parts, and the heat stress climbs with it. It reached Moderate on about 5 days in 10 by the time a four-hour runner got here.

4. Rafina junction to Pikermi

A steep drop to the Rafina junction, then the course turns uphill through Pikermi, with a long climb at km 25. It was about 19°, and Moderate heat stress on about 6 days in 10.

5. Pallini, Gerakas and Stavros

The organiser calls the Stavros interchange, at km 30–31, the hardest point of the course, and the records agree. This section had the fewest Good days, 2 in 10, and Tough on about 4. The road heads west here, so the north wind is across you, not behind.

6. Agia Paraskevi and Mesogeion Avenue

After a steep descent to Agia Paraskevi, flat and downhill stretches along Mesogeion Avenue. It's about 20° by now, with High heat stress on about 2 days in 10.

7. Into Athens and the Panathenaic Stadium

Downhill past Katechaki at km 37.5, then into the city to the finish in the marble stadium. It's as warm as the race gets, about 20°, and Tough on about 4 days in 10.

What should runners wear and pack for race day?

Light kit for 15–20°, sun protection, and a plan for the second half. The organiser's race page has the course, the buses and the start-area rules. From the weather records:

• A throwaway layer for the start. It was about 13° during the wait, and 10° or colder on 1 morning in 10.
• Light, breathable kit and a cap. Expect about 20° and sunshine by the last 10 km.
• A hydration plan for after halfway. That's where the heat stress usually turned Moderate.
• A pace you can hold up the climb. The climbs come in the warmest part of the morning.

Later blocks start after 08:30, so most of the field runs the second half later in the morning, in warmer air than these numbers show. Supporters at the stadium can expect about 20° and sun, so bring a hat and water.

When does the real forecast open?

Ten days before the race, in the RunFast app: on 29 October. Load the course with your own pace and start time, and RunFast shows the heat and the wind at each stretch as you get there. From then on, trust the forecast over this preview.

How did we work this out?

The course was run again on every day from a week before to a week after 8 November, in each year from 2015 to 2024: 150 days. Each run followed the organiser's published GPX, with its climbs, from 08:30 at a steady 5:40 per km, on that day's hourly Copernicus ERA5 weather, with its dew point and sunshine. RunFast's engine, the same one the app uses, worked out the heat stress and the weather's toll, and rated the run and each section. The start-area wait is the lowest temperature between 7:00 and the start, and a wet day has 1 mm of rain or more.

ERA5's grid cells are about 25 km across, and three cover this course. Sea breezes, shelter and the city's own warmth don't show. Historic weather, not a forecast.

Sources: the organiser's race page and home page, with the date, start time, course description, starting blocks, time limit and the course GPX; ERA5 hourly time series (Hersbach et al., 2020). Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026). Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains.