{"id":9534,"date":"2024-04-09T08:52:18","date_gmt":"2024-04-09T05:52:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taygetoschallenge.com\/2024\/04\/09\/4th-press-release-for-the-13th-taygetos-challenge-2024\/"},"modified":"2024-04-09T08:52:18","modified_gmt":"2024-04-09T05:52:18","slug":"4th-press-release-for-the-13th-taygetos-challenge-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/taygetoschallenge.com\/en\/2024\/04\/09\/4th-press-release-for-the-13th-taygetos-challenge-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"4th Press Release for the 13th Taygetos Challenge 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"
At the heart of the Taygetos Challenge lies a deep belief: the relationship between organizers and athletes is mutual. More than just an exchange of services, it is a relationship based on respect, kindness, patience, and positive energy. This spirit of solidarity and goodwill is the foundation on which every Taygetos Challenge is built.<\/p>\n
This year, during the 13th edition of the race, held in the beautiful Kardamyli on March 23-24, 2024, we witnessed this philosophy come to life in the most spectacular way. It fills our hearts with joy to see you embrace these values so generously!<\/p>\n
This year, the number of runners far exceeded last year’s, reaching nearly 1,000 participants. We broke the participation record with 885 runners<\/strong> at the starting line. It is worth noting that about 10% of the participants<\/strong> came from countries across four continents<\/strong> (Poland, Cyprus, the UK, France, Denmark, Turkey, as well as Qatar, Australia, and the USA)!<\/p>\n
Specifically, the participants in each race were as follows:<\/p>\n
Old Kardamyli Basic 10km: 222 runners<\/strong><\/li>\n
Independent Fun 5km: 179 runners<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
At the start of the weekend, the Vertical Speed, the uphill speed race, set the bar high with record participation, proving the love and passion everyone has for the challenge and adventure that Taygetos Challenge embodies. It is now clear to all new participants that to earn a ranking in the race, one must run the Vertical Speed the previous day.<\/p>\n
The participation in the Experience 22km was also much higher than in previous years! It seems that the extended route, with the addition of the canyon, added an extra thrill to the race and attracted even more people.<\/p>\n
The overall winner of the Taygetos Challenge Hansaplast Marathon 40km<\/strong> was Antoine Guillon, with a time of 04:05:07. In second place was Panagiotis Panagiotopoulos from Dimitris Kassimis\u2019 team, followed by Dimitris Eleftheriou in third place. In the women\u2019s category, Lemoni\u00e1 Panayiotou finished first with a time of 05:22:09, followed by Tasha Sexton from the UK, and Nikol\u00e9ta Tzavara in third.<\/p>\n
In the Taygetos Challenge Experience 22km<\/strong>, the overall winner was our own Nikos Ponireas, who every year raises the bar even higher, followed by the promising Andreas Manetas in second, and Christos Agnusiotis in third. In the women\u2019s category, Emily Greve Somerset finished first, followed by Maria Malai and Argiroula Bousiou in second and third, respectively.<\/p>\n
In the Taygetos Challenge Basic 10km<\/strong>, the overall winner was Giorgos Maniotis, followed by Amos Leonidas Theoharis in second and Papikas Ioannis in third. For the women, the winner was Gogoula Anagnostopoulou, followed by Artemis Kolita in second and Nafsika Tzanou in third.<\/p>\n
In the Independent Fun 5km<\/strong>, we had a course record<\/strong> with Adrian Bullari, our local runner from Kardamyli, finishing in an impressive time of 19:27. He was followed by Giannis Papadopoulos in second and Christos Papadimas in third. In the women\u2019s race, Marina Papadimas finished first with a time of 29:07, followed by Giota Bertsima and Sofia Karagianni in second and third.<\/p>\n
The newly added section on the 40km and 22km courses, particularly the canyon section, proved to be a challenge<\/strong> for many athletes. However, due to thorough briefings and the unpredictable weather in the days leading up to the race, the athletes were very careful, and all completed the course safely.<\/p>\n
The Mayor of Western Mani, Giorgos Hureas<\/strong>, was present at the event, and the Municipality\u2019s contribution was evident as they co-organized the race this year. “The start of our tourist season is marked by the start of the race. Every year, hundreds of Greek athletes participate, and we are already reaching out internationally with the goal of making the race a global event.”<\/p>\n
Renowned ultra-athlete coach, Dimitris Kassimis<\/strong>, also honored us with his presence, bringing a large part of his team. He shared, “We support the area, we support the race, we come every year with our team, competing for positions, winning positions. The trails and the place have great athletic and tourist value. It’s not just about the benefits of running, but the joy of running in such a beautiful place and environment, like Kardamyli.”<\/p>\n
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the sponsors and supporters who helped make this year’s event a success. The race was co-organized with the Municipality of Western Mani<\/strong> and was under the auspices of the Peloponnese Region<\/strong> and the General Secretariat of Sports<\/strong>. A special thank you goes to Hansaplast<\/strong>, Aquarella<\/strong>, Palai\u00e1 Kardamyli<\/strong>, and Independent Average Adjusters<\/strong> for sponsoring the respective 40km, 22km, 10km, and 5km races.<\/p>\n
We also thank the sponsors Igloo<\/strong> and Unigreen<\/strong>, Xtreme Stores<\/strong>, Xtreme Stores Kalamata<\/strong> by Christos Vasileiou, Naak<\/strong>, E. Apostolidis A.B.E.E., TerraNova Nutrition<\/strong>, and Avra Water<\/strong>, the official water sponsor for the race.<\/p>\n
A big thank you to the Messinia Catering Association<\/strong> for the Pasta Party, Tselios Catering<\/strong>, Eurimac<\/strong> for supplying Makvel<\/strong> pasta, and the local microbrewery NEMA<\/strong> for providing fresh beer!<\/p>\n
We also appreciate the support from the companies Dole<\/strong>, Pharmasept<\/strong>, and the handmade pasteli from Kea, “To An\u00f3gi”<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
The environment is always our priority! We thank our environmental partners<\/strong> Pi3<\/strong>, We4all<\/strong> \u2013 planting 1 tree for every athlete, Clean Mani<\/strong>, and the Greek Ecotourism Society<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
We are also grateful to our media sponsors<\/strong> for supporting us throughout the journey, from preparation to execution: RunnerManazine.gr<\/strong>, RunningNews.gr<\/strong>, Advendure<\/strong>, iRun<\/strong>, Runntrail<\/strong>, and Swimbikerun.gr<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
We would like to emphasize the great support we receive from the local community, and we thank the local businesses involved in hospitality and accommodation, who are local supporters<\/strong> of the event: Anniska Hotel, Vardia Hotel, Cardamili Beach Hotel, Diapori Suites Hotel, Elies, Iliolithos, Huize Castellon Notos Stoupa, Ifigeneia Apartments, Kannas Mani-Luxury Suites, Kardamili Villas, Kritamos, Lithos Guesthouse, Maison Viros, Melitsina Village Hotel, Notos, O Pyrgos tis Vasilikis in Mani, Palataki, To Kastro, Tseros, Villa Meropi, Kafeneio Aloni, Akrogiali, Avli tis Georgitsas, Yalos, Dioskouria, Kalogria, Babis Souvlaki, Patriko Stoupa, Super Market Fotini Dimitrea, and Tikla.<\/p>\n
We love to add something new<\/strong> every year! So, for next year, we are delighted to announce that we will have a children\u2019s race<\/strong>! This is something you\u2019ve been asking for, and we believe it will be warmly embraced by the public! We believe this is a great way to create the new generation of trail running athletes!<\/p>\n
Finally, we are happy to announce the dates for next year! We look forward to welcoming you on March 22-23, 2025<\/strong>! March 25th falls on a Tuesday, so if someone takes Monday off, they can enjoy a wonderful four-day weekend in Kardamyli!<\/p>\n
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your incredible participation, your radiant positive energy, your unwavering support, and the boundless kindness and courtesy you showed toward our volunteers.<\/p>\n
The patience and understanding you demonstrated in the face of every challenge during these two demanding days made us feel truly blessed. Your smiles are etched in our memory, lighting up the most vibrant moments of this adventure.<\/p>\n
We truly feel we have the athletes we deserve! This is the spirit we want to cultivate at Taygetos Challenge every year!<\/p>\n
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