The Unique Olympic Road Running Race returns with a magnificent sports, cultural, tourist and covid-safe Olympic event spreading a message of global solidarity, unity and hope for a brighter future.

The 4th "Olympic Day Run" Greece, the only Olympic Road Running Race in the country, which is organized under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee to celebrate the International Olympic Day bearing the hallmark of the Olympic cycles, is fast approaching. The entire Olympic family has set its appointment at the event’s starting line, on Sunday, September 26, 2021, in Thessaloniki.

Olympians, Paralympians, distinguished athletes and coaches, sports clubs and associations from all over the country, as well as active citizens, will meet at the starting line for the supreme Olympic road running event of the country, People of all ages will join their steps honoring the Olympic spirit and ‘fair play’ by spreading a message of global solidarity, unity and hope for a brighter future. This year, the Olympic Day Run GREECE joins forces with “The Smile of the Child” in order to offer more smiles to children who need it. With every registration in the social contribution packages of the 10, 5 or 2 km races, you offer 3 euros to the Organization’s continuous effort so that all children can have everything they deserve and are entitled to.

The 4th Olympic Day Run Greece promises a covid-safe experience, with a health & safety protocol approved by the Health Committee of the General Secretariat of Sports and the responsible health bodies. The races’ approved health protocol gives the right to runners over 12 years old to take part. All participants must provide a vaccination certificate or a recovery certificate up to 15 days before receiving their participation kits from the Registration Center or a 48-hours negative rapid test or a negative 72-hours PCR test. For unvaccinated children 12-16 years old, a negative 24-hours self-test must be provided before the event.

All finishers will receive a commemorative medal and a commemorative certificate of participation by the International Olympic Committee, while the winners will receive special prizes of the 4th "Olympic Day Run” Greece.

The “Olympic Day Run” Greece, the certified Race by AIMS, Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, will start at 18:00 in the afternoon with the 10km running race. At 19:30 the 5km race will follow, while the event’s schedule will be completed at 21:00 with the 2km road running race of social contribution and dynamic walking. All routes have a starting and finishing point on Alexander the Great Avenue (at the height of the "Umbrella" sculpture).

“Olympic Day Run” Greece offers a unique sports tourism experience. In collaboration with “Greece on the Go” the event suggests 2-7 days tourist accommodation packages, to get acquainted with Greece’s culture. At the same time, the “Grand Tour”, the race’s special vacation package which includes tours in archeological sites promises the acquaintance with the country’s Olympic history. For more information you may visit the websites of olympicdayrun.gr and greeceonthego.gr.

Special jewelry line inspired by the Olympic spirit
For the first time, Olympic Day Run Greece introduces a new line of jewelry specially designed and inspired by the Olympic spirit. The “ANATASIS” limited edition jewelry series has been designed by the jewelry artist Sofia Zarari. Inspired by the Olympic Idea’s values ​​and ideals, the “Anatasis” jewelry collection is the artistic expression of collaboration and inspiration between Sofia Zarari and the Olympic Museum. At this time of critical juncture for all humanity, the glorified way of life that Olympism promotes through the principles of peace, tolerance, fair play, sportsmanship, is an imperative need for society, so that all people can coexist peacefully. Values ​​that on an individual and collective level strengthen the spirit and elevate the soul. For more information about the collection, you may visit olympicdayrun.gr.

The 4th Olympic Day Run GREECE is organized by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Academy, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the Olympic Museum, the Hellenic Olympians Association, SEGAS and EAS SEGAS Thessaloniki and DKO OLYMPiA  with the participation of Olympians, Paralympians, Distinguished Athletes, Sports Clubs and Institutional Bodies from all over the country, with the support of the Hellenic Olympic Academy, the Hellenic Olympic Winners Association, the Greek Paralympians Association, the Region of Central Macedonia and Thessaloniki International Fair-HELEXPO. The event is held under the auspices of the Hellenic National Commission for Unesco, the Ministry of Interior of the Macedonia-Thrace Sector, the General Secretariat of Sports, and the Municipalities of Ampelokipi-Menemeni, Thermi, Kalamaria, Kordelio-Evosmos, Neapoli-Sykies, Pavlos Melas, Pylaia-Chortiatis, Volvi, Delta, Thermaikos, Lagadas, Chalkidona, Oreokastro, Almopia, Aristotelis, Dion-Olympos, Emmanuel Pappas, Iraklia, Kavala, Kassandra, Kilkis, Naoussa, Polygyros, Serres and Skydra.

The Olympic Museum and Olympic Day Run Gold Sponsor, PROTERGIA, the Grand Sponsor, Ethniki Asfalistiki, the Race’s Silver Sponsors, Thessaloniki Transport Authority (OSETH) and Alumil, the Bronze Sponsors, Masoutis and Evlogimeno, the Sponsor, Goulidis, the Supply Sponsors, Athos, Dole and Red Bull, the hospitality sponsor Grand Hotel Palace, the Transportation Sponsor, EcoCar, the Equipment Sponsor, Thessaloniki Tourism Organization and the event’s Tourist Support Agency, Greece on the Go, they all serve the vision of Olympism and offer their kind assistance for the implementation of the project. Moreover, they contribute to the country’s promotion on the Olympic world map, as well as to the dissemination of the Olympic values ​​to a better future. 

The Olympic Day Run’s ultimate Olympic experience is waiting for you!

Register now HERE until 22/09.

The Olympic Day Run GREECE is the official global institution for the celebration of the International Olympic Day. Established by the International Olympic Committee, the organizing authority of the Olympic Games, it aims at spreading the Olympic idea. The worldwide celebration for the establishment of the International Olympic Committee and its decision of organizing the first Modern Olympic Games (ATHENS 1896), sheds the light on Greece, while it raises the country’s position in the Olympic and tourism world map.

The Vegan Life Festival is returning for 5th year in Technopolis City of Athens on October 2nd & 3rd!

The festival opens its doors for two days filled with delicious vegan food, cruelty free and zero waste products, activist groups, unique speeches and workshops, activities for children, but also, for the largest meeting of people interested in a more animal - friendly and eco - friendly way of life!

Take part in the biggest celebration of veganism and be the change for a better world!





About The Festival:

Environmental awareness in Greece is slowly on the rise. The single-use plastic bag charge levied at supermarkets since January 2018, gives shoppers pause. Prince Charles’ televised refusal of a plastic straw for his cold coffee while visiting Athens split commentators between admiring his eco-credentials and mocking his froth mustache.

But even before the reduce, reuse, recycle movement hit the headlines, young Greek entrepreneurs have been saving throwaways from sea or landfill and using them to create homeware and accessories that are as alluring as they are ethical.

Rokani: As Wood as it Gets


Credit: Thomas Gravanis

At street bins around Athens, you’ll frequently see old drawers, bedsteads, and pallets waiting to be landfilled. Rokani gives this junk a new lease of life. “It started when one of us was renovating his own home. We experimented with upcycling some of the pallets, and then thought, why not take this further?” says Stratos Hadjiyiannakis, one of Rokani’s five founding members. “We all came from a technical background. After the economic crisis we were looking for an opportunity to start something for ourselves.”

They set up in a small workshop, started salvaging pallets, door-frames, and other pieces of wood. After cleaning, filing, and sanding them, they refit them as bookshelves, beds, cupboards, tables, lamps, and even toys. As well as a small store in the Stoa Emboron arcade, they also do made-to-order pieces. If you see something you like online, send a photo to Rokani and they will send you an estimate and create it for you. If your space or style changes, they welcome back old items you have purchased from them—in any condition—and offer you 30% of the current value to buy something else. “As well as promoting recycling, we also promote a cyclical economy,” says Hadjiyiannakis. “Instead of throwing it out, give it back to us. We will find something to do with it.”

Prices: €25-30 for a bookshelf; €150-400 for a table.

Address: 8-10 Voulis, Merchant's Arcade Historic Centre

Telephone: 695 535 0143

Moving from Mumbai to Athens in 2017 gave graphic designer Diti Kotecha the chance to plant a seed that had been rattling around in her head for 20 years. Starting afresh in a new country where plastic bags were handed out like there was no tomorrow, she combined her skills in crocheting, her creative background, and her dedication to sustainability by launching Thela. A vibrant-hued collection of accessories, each piece is made entirely from discarded plastic bags. They are washed, dried, cut into yarn, and then crocheted into brooches, earrings, coasters or floor mats.

The glorious slate-grey and yellow circular Chatai mat uses almost 60 second-hand plastic bags, rescued from ending up on beaches, fields, in oceans, or landfills. And saving some of the estimated 1 million animals killed by discarded plastic bags each year. Nothing is wasted; Kotecha uses the bag handles and seams (which are not usable for yarn) to stuff pom-poms. Thin plastic bags are photodegradable. While crocheting makes the yarn resilient, Kotecha refrains from adding UV coatings, as these are highly toxic and prevent further upcycling.

Prices: from €10 (brooches) to €80 (floor mats).

Think Sea: Nautical and Nice


Courtesy: Think Sea

Think Sea invites donations of ‘retired’ windsurf sails at its base on the island of Paros. The design team transforms them into trendy and durable phone/tablet cases, bags, and wallets. Sounds esoteric? Indeed. But as windsurfing sails are not recyclable, every new rig discarded after a summer of wear and tear was ending up in a landfill. Who knows, that bold color-block duffel bag you are eyeing up might once have carried champion windsurfer Nikos Kaklamanakis to Olympic victory!

Prices: from €25 (iPhone cases) to €78 (duffel bags).

Shedia Art


Credit: Thomas Gravanis

Chris Alefantis has his social and environmental awareness hat on. You may have noticed people standing outside metro stations throughout the city in red Shedia vests selling a magazine by the same name. Aimed at empowering people in poverty, Shedia does much more than sell street papers. The leftover issues are used to create art objects, from lampshades to flower pots to clocks to delicate bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, by people over the age of 50 who previously had difficulty finding employment. “We’re making the invisible visible again,” Alefantis says, referring to both the people that are being helped and the magazines that would have otherwise been thrown out for recycling. Check out their store on Kolokotroni street, which also just opened as a café and restaurant or the offshoot in the nearby Merchants arcade. Affordability and responsibility is the new black.

Prices: from €2 (fridge magnet) to €100 (large handmade lampshade).

Address: 56 Kolokotroni Street, Monastiraki, 105 60

Telephone: 213 0231220

To read this article in full, please visit: thisisathens.org

The Athens English Comedy Club is back!

Founded in 2019, the Athens English Comedy Club is the first, and only, purely English comedy club in Greece!

We start the season off with an open mic this Sunday, Sept. 26th., presenting both local and international comedians!

1 super clean microphone, 10 comedians, 5' each!

MC: Konstantinos Bouras-Baimakos

We also offer 3 free tickets per show to persons with disabilities or unemployed persons (phone reservation required, and the relevant card/proof will be checked at the box office).

* Reservations: 6987994689 // athensenglishcomedyclub@gmail.com
* The theatre is wheelchair accessible.
* Upon entry you will need to provide a vaccination certificate OR negative rapid test from within 48 hours prior to the show, OR a valid proof of recovery/antigen test.

XpatAthens is proud to be a Media Sponsor of the Athens English Comedy Club

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Greek yogurt is considered one of the world’s best superfoods and a nutrient-packed snack that has so many health benefits, it is the ideal dairy to add to your everyday diet!

It’s different from other yogurts as produces add an extra step to their process so that excess water, lactose, and minerals drain out. What’s left is a creamy, rich yogurt with less sugar and more carbs. The acidity also makes it easier for your body to absorb other nutrients.

A cup of plain Greek yogurt can help you meet the recommended dietary guideline of three daily servings of low-fat or non-fat dairy products. People who are lactose intolerant may also find Greek yogurt easier to digest because of the bacterial breakdown of the milk’s sugars.

The benefits of consuming Greek yogurt include supporting weight loss, keeping the intestinal system healthy, regulating blood pressure, increasing bone density, boosting immunity, aiding the digestive system, and promoting thyroid function. Other benefits include supporting blood production, supporting muscle growth, preserving oral health, and improving mood.

Here are some detailed reasons to add Greek yogurt to your daily diet:

Power of Protein: Yogurt has a much higher amount of protein than milk. Your body uses protein to build bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, hair, and blood.

Helps You Lose Weight: Greek yogurt contains almost twice the amount of protein found in standard protein products and a lot less sugar, which will make you feel satisfied for longer!

Prevents Yeast Infections: Greek yogurt contains a high quantity of probiotic bacteria, which is essential for the wellbeing of your natural flora, helping keep this infection at bay.

Helps Regulate Blood Pressure: High sodium intake is frequently the most common cause of high blood pressure, however, Greek yogurt supplies some of these blood pressure-regulating minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

To read this article in full, please visit: greekcitytimes.com

And we’re back! We never thought the day would come. After a year long pandemic hibernation, we are finally crawling out from the shadows and into the sun and next to the sea.

 

Get ready for the ULTIMATE MEET MARKET REUNION, this September Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 at Plateia Nerou, where we will be taking over this outdoor waterfront venue for the first time ever, and filling it with all those marvelous Meet Market makers, products and vibes that we’ve all been missing. And boy have we missed you all.

Our goal this September is to make this Meet Market extra special and extra safe, and Plateia Nerou really is the perfect location to make this possible. We have loads of space to spread out our vendors and visitors safely, and keep our social distancing on point with a salty sea breeze to keep us well ventilated. And of course we will be staying up-to-date with all mandatory healthy & safety measures as they are announced.

At last, it’s time to meet again.

The Meet Market: A celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit… A nomadic market place of local goods, fresh ideas and friendly folk. An audio-visual jigsaw of handmade & independently designed clothes, accessories, art, objects, organic body products, home ware, tasty food, vintage & retro collectables, records, interactive games, free prizes, dj sets and good vibes.

The Athens Coffee Festival is a large celebration of coffee and its surrounding culture, addressed equally to industry professionals, home baristas and the general public!

From its very first iteration, in May 2016, the Athens Coffee Festival managed to become one of the world’s finest coffee festivals! The potential of its dynamic is also confirmed by the impressive number of visitors, the statements of satisfaction by participating companies, as well as the positive comments by sector professionals from Greece and abroad. At a time when the coffee market is at the height of its growth, going through its most mature phase, the Athens Coffee Festival is now a reference point for professionals, but also for the general public, interested in learning about all the innovations and market developments, from flagship espresso houses and distinguished Greek and international specialty coffee roasters.

In order to meet the needs of coffee businesses more effectively, the Athens Coffee Festival takes place every year at the end of September, in view of the winter season. This year, Technopolis-Athens, in Gazi, will host the 5th Athens Coffee Festival in September 2021. The aim is to attract as many sector professionals as possible, from every corner of Greece, along with a selection of major international visitors. At the same time, the festival continues to appeal to the dynamic audience of consumers who are coffee aficionados and are interested in the latest trends and developments in the field of coffee.

This is the established annual appointment of book lovers that this year started on September 3. With the exception of last year’s postponement due to the pandemic, the Zappeion Book Festival is the first autumn cultural festival for the capital. This year, it will last until September 19, 2021.

This year’s Festival tribute will focus on the 200 years since the Greek Revolution and will include related discussions, speeches, round tables and other events, in addition to the thousands of books that will be available to visitors. In fact, an interesting fact is that the poster and the cover of the catalog of the 49th event adorn one of the works of the important Greek painter Christos Antonaropoulos.

Monday-Thursday: 18: 00-22: 30

Friday & Saturday: 18: 00-23: 00

Who hasn’t been asking themselves the big questions about the lives we’re leading these days? Prestige publishing powerhouse Monocle has. And it reckons its global subscriber community of movers and shakers is doing it too.

Monocle founder Tyler Brule (the former Wallpaper magazine chief) is bringing a core team of his editors to Athens in late September to host a three-day symposium that’s pitched as a life audit to help us learn how to hone our quality of life: whether on a personal level; as a company - or entire home town.

The 6th Quality of Life Conference will bring together more than 25 speakers (from newspaper editors and comedians to neurosurgeons and fashion entrepreneurs) for an in-depth probe into the projects, people and best practices that are helping to create dynamic cities around the globe. The roving programme covers everything from cancel culture and how to dress well, to weightier themes such as rebuilding Beirut and the future of flight.

Being tapped to stage this exclusive think tank is a real feather in Athens’ cap. The Greek capital was chosen over other European destinations due to its emerging regional influence as a “city on the rise” and going places.

“New businesses are flourishing, the art scene is thriving and these factors are compelling a generation of diaspora talent to return home, as well as luring ambitious global entrepreneurs who are investing in hospitality, design, technology and manufacturing,” says Monocle.

Monocle subscribers can snap up tickets for 10 percent less than the general public. Sign up for this past-paced rota of panels, interviews and power networking and you’ll also be treated to behind the scenes tours of culture hubs including the Benaki Museum Pireos site and Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as meals at urban hotspots like S.I.X. dogs and a curated trawl of Monocle-worthy shops, ateliers and Greek concept stores.

Delegates will also benefit from special rates of up to 25% off at some of Athens’ most premium hotels: choose from glamorous Athens Riviera resorts, downtown 5-star classics or hip urban hideaways.

Up until recently, first-time visitors to Athens could have been forgiven for assuming that Athenians existed solely on souvlaki, freddo iced coffees (in single-use cups) and exhaust fumes.

 

True, Athens still has some catching up to do with its more environmentally-conscious European cousins. But as entrepreneurs, activists and local government join forces to develop big and small ways of becoming more sustainable, the Greek capital is making great strides towards its goal of evolving into a green and global metropolis.

 

From where to enjoy the best vegan souvlaki in town to eco-friendly hotels and up-cycled shopping, here’s our guide to making your stay in Athens as green as can be. 

Where to go for green bites
In short, everywhere. Greeks will always love their meat, but sticking to a plant-based diet in Athens is surprisingly simple. Most tavernas serve hearty vegetarian staples such as pites (pies with fillings like spinach, horta wild greens or mushroom, and ladera (veggies cooked in fresh tomato sauce and olive oil).

Go for delicious classics like fasolakia (green beans and potatoes) or yemista (stuffed tomatoes and green peppers) and throw in a horiatiki (Greek salad), along with zucchini fritters (kolokithokeftedes), and some traditional dips. Melitzanosalata (eggplant); tirokafteri (spicy whipped feta); and tzatziki (cucumber, garlic and yoghurt) are popular picks.

Menus are greening up all over Athens with an ever-increasing number of terrific vegan and vegetarian options, for all budgets (click on the links to read our drilled-down guides). Worth an extra shout out for their excellent mushroom souvlaki wraps and sustainable ethos (i.e. ecological suppliers and biodegradable/recyclable packaging) is Cookoomela Grill in Gizi, Athens’ first vegan steakhouse.

For a light and healthy feed, Peas Vegan cafe in Koukaki has a tasty range of pretty vegan dishes, accompanied by locally-sourced ingredients and a zero-waste policy. Are you a vegan sweet tooth? Run (don’t walk) to Cats & Monsters in Exarchia for next-level homemade vegan ice cream with soy, oat or rice milk.

Great news for the self-catering crowd. Most Athenian supermarkets now stock plant-based milks, vegan cheeses and meat substitutes like tofu. Shopping for more than just the basics? Stock up at Bamboo Vegan in Exarchia, a pioneering mini-market and café with a wide range of locally-sourced and imported vegan produce. There’s everything from meat substitutes such as tofu, seitan and tempeh to organic cereals, pulses and other health foods, as well as vegan cosmetics, detergents and cleaners (and a handy café to get your fair trade brew).

To source ingredients for a plant-based meal with zero compromise on flavour, the impressive Varvakios Agora (Athens Central Market) in the historic centre is your one-stop shop for the freshest of seasonal produce. Fruit and veggies sorted? Now walk around the corner to the aromatic spice markets of Evripidou Street, and choose from some of Greece’s finest herbs and spices to ramp up your cooking.

Unlike many European cities, where overpriced farmer’s markets attempt to roll back the dominance of supermarkets, Greeks have never lost their connection with where their food comes from. The laiki agora (people’s market) remains the best place to pick up fruits, vegetables and herbs, usually sourced from farms around Athens or across Greece, at incredibly reasonable prices (though you’ll need to push back against the tendency of stall owners to put everything into plastic bags).

Every Athenian neighbourhood has a weekly laiki, so just ask a local when and where. For a buzzy atmosphere with street musicians, venture to the Kallidromiou Street laiki (every Saturday morning in Exarchia).

Naturally, cycling is another top eco-friendly way to experience Athens—especially if you’re not afraid of a few hills. Cycling infrastructure still lags behind other major European cities but new bikeways are popping up everywhere and there some great traffic-free cycling routes where you can sightsee on the fly. To stay on message, start from the historic neighbourhood of Thissio and glide down the coastline to check out Renzo Piano’s cutting-edge beacon to sustainability, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre, in Faliro. Check out our in-depth guide to cycling in Athens for more suggested scenic routes and tips on your best bike rental options in Athens.

Want to amp up the challenge? Embark on a thrilling two-wheel conquest of the spectacular Mount Parnitha National Park—the closest national park to a capital city anywhere in Europe—with GR Cycling, who offer kick-ass road, mountain and e-bike rentals and experiences.

But, of course, the most sustainable mode of transport will always be your own two feet. Central Athens is compact, easily-walkable and much has been done in recent years to make the city more appealing to walkers. Large areas have been pedestrianised, such as the Commercial Triangle and the Great Athens Walk, while the ‘pocket parks’ initiative is reclaiming formerly neglected corners of the city to create new green spaces. Overall, Athens is gunning for a less car-centric future with more greenery and plant life, to improve the air quality and city experience for all.