This year’s event will take place on 12-14 October 2018, in Messinia and Costa Navarino, anticipating hundreds of professional and amateur athletes, who will take part in its numerous activities.
The multi-awarded sports tourism event, that promotes sports and fair play as its main goal, will be, once again, full of activities for all ages. Navarino Challenge, with the most Olympic athletes ever participating as ambassadors in a sports event, returns again to Messinia, including more than 20 sports activities (12 Olympic sports). Running, swimming, SUP, as well as the successful recipe of Tae Kwon Do (with two-times silver Olympic medalist, Alexandros Nikolaidis), being examples of the sports featured.
Participants will be able to choose between the Half-Marathon (21,1km), 10km and 5km (running and dynamic walking). Starting from Navarino Dunes of Costa Navarino, professional and amateur athletes will run along the coast to Pylos crossing the beautiful Voidokilia beach in the unique trail run that combines soil, sand and street parts. At the same day, respectively, the 1km kids running race will be held. Start and finish of each race will be the same. The routes are designed by ex-marathon runner, holder of the best classic route record in Greece, trainer and director of All About Running, Nikos Polias. All participants will be timed.
The fans of open water swimming will compete and be timed for the first time ever at the beautiful Navarino Bay, at the port of Pylos, covering the 1 mile (1.6km) special swimming route, designed by the Federal Swimming Coach, Nikos Gemelos.
Right after swimming and for the third consecutive year, the Stand Up Paddling by BIC® Sport relay race will be held. At the port of Pylos, Navarino Challenge presents the innovative sport of Stand Up Paddling (SUP), that has become highly popular around the world. The race is supported by the surf club, Surf Salad.
The registration for the multi-awarded sports tourism event is open and those interested can participate, filling the special form, available here. Pre-sale has begun online, via telephone on 11876 as well as via the Viva network pre-sale points. Registration ends on August 31.
All the participants who will book their accommodation package at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino and choose the standard activities (running, swimming, SUP) will be able to enjoy free of charge the event’s full activities schedule. More information about the special accommodation packages will be announced in the following weeks.
The renewed program includes activities for the whole family at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino: tae kwon do, indoor climbing, and bike ride in Voidokilia (with the support of Navarino Outdoors), pilates (with Mandy Persaki), basketball, golf (with the support of Navarino Golf Academy), kick boxing (with the champion Alexandros Nikolaidis), baby swimming and aqua aerobic (supported by Swim Academy), kids’ athletics (with the Olympic & World champion Periklis Iakovakis), beach volley (with the former volleyball player Michalis Triantafyllidis), tennis cross training (supported by Navarino Racquet Academy), crossfit (with Dimitris Moros), beach yoga, Optimist boat exhibition race (from Maritime Athletic Pylos Association “Nestor”), boxing (with the support of Vizantinos target sport club) and beachathlon (survivor games for kids with Periklis Iakovakis).
Navarino Challenge, in its five year successful course, has been awarded with Ermis Awards, Tourism Awards, Sports Marketing Awards and Digital Media Awards, setting new booking records for The Westin Resort Costa Navarino.
Navarino Challenge will be held with the co-organization of Costa Navarino, The Westin Resort Costa Navarino and Active Media Group and the support of the Municipalities of Pylos-Nestor and Trifilia. The event is held under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization with the approval of the Hellenic Swimming Federation.
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