Olympus Marathon in Litochoro — 22nd Edition (2026 Photos, Route, Where to Stay)

Olympus Marathon in Litochoro just finished its 22nd edition on 28 June 2026 — and we were at the finish line. From your host at Prado Apartments, a few minutes from where the runners crossed the timing arch.

Olympus Marathon in Litochoro is not a road race. It is a 44-kilometre mountain ultra that starts in the town of Dion, climbs the eastern face of Mount Olympus past the high-altitude refuges, and descends back into Litochoro’s main square. Every year on the last weekend of June, two thousand runners from around the world come for one of the hardest, most beautiful trail races in Greece — and our small seaside neighbourhood becomes its finish town for a weekend.

What Olympus Marathon in Litochoro actually is

“Running with the Gods” is the official tagline, and it is not just a marketing line. The route climbs from sea level near Dion through forest, alpine meadow and exposed ridge to over 2,700 metres — passing the Petrostrouga and Spilios Agapitos refuges — before plunging back to Litochoro at 300 metres above the Aegean. Total distance: 44 km. Total ascent: around 3,200 metres. Cut-off times are tight, the field is capped, and a strong mandatory-kit list keeps the event serious.

The race is organised by the Olympus Marathon Organisation and runs each year on the last weekend of June. In parallel they hold the shorter Olympus Mythical Trail (about 20 km) and the Faethon Olympus Marathon series, so the same weekend brings several thousand runners and their families to Litochoro.

Race weekend: expo, stage, finish arch

The expo and bib pick-up take over Litochoro’s central square for the two days before the race. Sponsor tents — Salomon, ASICS, Naak, Nitecore, Recovin and the rest — stretch the length of the pedestrian avenue. There is a stage with a full sound system that hosts the bib draw, the briefing and, on race night, the awards and a live concert. It is part trail-running fair, part village festival.

The finish arch sits in the same square. From mid-morning on race day, runners begin to come down off the mountain in waves. Spectators line the last hundred metres; clocks above the arch show both the gun time and each runner’s chip time. We were there this year — bib 1121 came in just before bib 1555, four minutes between them, both grinning, both spent.

The 44 km route — Dion to Litochoro across the gods’ mountain

The course starts at the archaeological site of Dion, the ancient sanctuary where Macedonians once worshipped Olympian Zeus, and heads west into the foothills of Mount Olympus National Park. From kilometre 5 the climb begins in earnest — single track, beech and fir forest, then alpine meadow above the tree line. The route passes the Petrostrouga shelter, traverses high above the Enipeas gorge, and reaches its highest point on the shoulder of Skala. The descent into Litochoro is fast, steep and technical: from 2,700 m to 300 m in roughly 15 km. Strong knees required.

If you are coming to run it, our standing piece of advice: arrive at least two nights before. The acclimatisation and the chance to see the lower part of the course on foot make a real difference. Many runners use a Friday short hike up to Prionia (the road end on the Litochoro side) to test legs and gear.

Where to stay for next year’s Olympus Marathon in Litochoro

The race fills the town. Hotels in upper Litochoro book out a year in advance. Down at the sea, in Litochoro Limani where Prado Apartments stand, there is usually a little more breathing room — and from here you are still a short distance from the finish square, with the bonus that after the race you can walk straight to the beach.

Most marathon guests stay three to four nights: arrival Thursday, expo Friday, race Saturday, recovery and a leisurely departure Sunday. We hold a few apartments specifically for trail-running guests — quiet rooms for an early breakfast, secure storage for poles and packs, late breakfast on the recovery morning, and a short walk to Hippocampus taverna by the sea for the post-race fish dinner. Dates for the 2027 edition will be the last weekend of June — bookings are already open.