At 75, He Ran the Athens Marathon Barefoot in Hoplite Armor and Closed the Race to an Ovation

Photo Credit: Evelyn Gantzoula/Eurokinissi

The last runner to finish the 43rd Athens Authentic Marathon did not walk in quietly. He arrived at the Panathenaic Stadium barefoot, in a bronze-style helmet and red cloak, carrying a shield and a sword.

His name is Idomeneas Avramakis, he is 75 years old, and his arrival officially brought Sunday's race to a close. Greek media reported a warm ovation as he crossed the line on November 8.

He entered the stadium at about 6:15 in the evening, according to Athens News. That is more than nine hours after the marathon left the town of Marathon that morning.

For most of those hours, the man of the moment was the winner. By nightfall, it was a retired regional government worker from Crete with no shoes on.

Who Is Idomeneas Avramakis?

Avramakis comes from Heraklion, Crete, and is a retired employee of the Region of Crete. He raced in the over-75 category.

He has completed more than 54 marathons, according to Greek City Times. Two years ago, he told the Cretan newspaper Patris that he had simply lost count.

His spelling changes from outlet to outlet. You will also see him written as Idomeneos or Idomeneus, but the Greek is Ιδομενέας Αβραμάκης.

The Second Chance Behind the Armor

The costume is not a gimmick picked for one race. It traces back to the worst moment of his life.

About 18 years before his 2024 interview with Patris, Avramakis had a serious health crisis and spent a month in intensive care. Athens News reports he was in a coma for roughly that month.

Why He Stopped Wearing Shoes

After that illness, he stopped running in shoes altogether. He has raced barefoot ever since, and he has run dressed as an ancient Athenian hoplite for the same 18 years.

He links the outfit to the feeling of being given a second chance at life. Patris also tied it to the journey of Pheidippides, the run the whole event is built on.

Then Came the Car Accident

In 2022, Avramakis was badly hurt in a car accident. Surgeons placed a metal rod in his leg, and he says the injury still makes running difficult.

He came back anyway, through what Patris described as persistence and training. Two years later, he finished Athens in 8 hours and 47 minutes, in bad weather, at 73.

Why Barefoot on This Course Is So Hard

Athens is not a gentle marathon to run in any footwear. The course climbs almost continuously from roughly the 10th to the 31st kilometer, before dropping down into the city.

Now picture that climb with no cushioning between you and the asphalt. Add the weight of a helmet, shield, and sword, plus a road that was rain-soaked by the time evening fell.

How His Feet Cope

Avramakis trains barefoot too, running about 2.5 to 3.5 hours every other day, according to Athens News. He believes the body gradually adapts to running without shoes.

That is his own experience, not general advice. If you are curious about going shoeless, these barefoot running benefits are a good place to start before you try anything longer.

He also swims in the sea all year round and hikes in the mountains. Running is just one part of a very active life.

The Run That Started It All

The Athens Authentic Marathon follows the route tied to the legend of Pheidippides. The story goes that a messenger ran from the battlefield at Marathon to Athens in 490 BC to announce a Greek victory.

That is why the event calls itself "The Authentic." Avramakis chose to run it dressed as the kind of soldier who fought in that battle.

A Record-Breaking Weekend

This year's event drew a record 85,000 participants from 124 countries across all its races. Seven records fell across the programme, according to Greek City Times.

Ethiopia's Manazot Siyum Taferi won the men's marathon in a course record of 2:10:03. He finished roughly seven hours before Avramakis reached the same stadium.

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The Moment at the Finish

Sofia Sakorafa, president of the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS), was waiting for him at the line. She presented him with his finisher's medal.

After crossing, Avramakis knelt down. Photos of a barefoot warrior closing out a modern marathon were quickly shared by Greek outlets on Instagram and Facebook.

The Motto He Lives By

Avramakis has a saying he repeats often. In Greek it is «Τρέξε για να μην σε τρέχουν», which Greek City Times translates as "Run so that they don't run you."

Athens News offers a looser reading, "Run while it's your choice, before life makes you run."

Either way, the message is clear. Keep moving while your body still lets you choose.

He Does Not Mind the Rain

Bad weather does not slow his enthusiasm. "I love running even when there's water a meter deep," he told Patris in 2024.

He is just as relaxed about the risks of running without shoes. "Even if I get injured or step on something, it's not the end of the world," he said.

Part of a Long Barefoot Tradition

Avramakis joins a short list of runners who made bare feet famous. The most celebrated is Abebe Bikila, who won the 1960 Olympic marathon in Rome without shoes.

More recently, a runner dubbed the barefoot caveman stole the show at the Boston Marathon. Each one reminds the crowd that the sport began long before carbon plates.

What You Can Take From His Run

You do not need armor, or bare feet, to learn from Avramakis. His story is really about showing up again after the body has given you every reason to stop.

He survived a month in intensive care, came back from a metal rod in his leg, and is still finishing marathons at 75. Runners like Jeannie Rice show that age is not the hard ceiling many people assume.

Finishing last at Athens did not make him the slowest runner of the day. It made him the one the stadium waited for.