First Athens Santa Run Brings Cheer, Funds for Playgrounds

Not one, not two, but hundreds of Santas came to town in Athens on Sunday 7 December, bringing holiday cheer to a post-crisis Greece and raising funds for the creation of local playgrounds.

Dressed in Santa suits, some 500 runners from across the country participated in the first festive race held in the Greek capital, covering a 2.5km distance, while sending out a message of hope.

“Having already contributed to the extension of the tourist period and the promotion of Greece internationally with the Spetses mini Marathon, I am pleased to see the bright and festive images of the 1^st Athens Santa Run portraying a different and more hopeful image of Greece abroad,” president of Communication Lab, organizer of the Spetses mini Marathon, Marina-Leda Coutarelli said of the event.

The event was organized by Spetses mini Marathon in collaboration with Holmes Place gyms and the Athens municipality’s Culture, Sports and Youth Organization.

The Spetses mini Marathon is organized on the isle of Spetses every year in October. This year, the three-day sporting event held on 10-12 October attracted 10,000 visitors to the island.

Photo credit: Nikos Karanikolas