Limassol Half Marathon 2018

The 13th edition of OPAP Limassol Marathon GSO takes place on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th March 2019 and is set to be a superb weekend of fun, achievement and celebration.

Over the course of the two days the event will host six races, 15,000 runners, four parallel events, 700 volunteers and 3,000 international runners, whilst raising substantial amounts for charity and recording plenty of PBs across all distances.

OPAP Limassol Marathon GSO is one of Europe’s most recognised sporting events and a key date on the spring race calendar. It is known for being flat and fast with a spectacular coastal route, magnificent views over the sparkling Mediterranean, a beautiful spring climate and first-class hospitality.

A large contingent of British runners will shortly be heading out to Cyprus to enjoy a superb weekend away, thanks to the excellent race packages on offer for overseas visitors. Among these will be British pacer Paul Addicott, who is once more heading up the pacing teams for both the marathon and half marathon races.

Endurance runner Susie Chan will be commentating at the event and encouraging runners as they set off on their various races and return to cross the finish line.

Limassol MarathonOPAP Limassol Marathon GSO race weekend kicks off at 9am on Saturday 23rd March with the PrimeTel 5K Corporate Race, one of the most eagerly awaited races of the weekend. The event will see thousands of runners from some 200 teams competing against each other and enjoying some friendly rivalry, whilst raising funds for charity.

Andrey and Julia Dashin’s Foundation Youth Race takes place at 11am the same morning, giving youngsters aged 6-16 the chance to take part in their own race on this exciting weekend of running.

For the third year running, the Saturday schedule includes the Petrolina Energy Day, taking place from 9am-12pm at the Sponsors’ Village near the start/finish line at Molos. With live acts and entertainment, fitness classes, nutrition and wellness advice and a dedicated Kids’ Zone, this is a great chance for visitors to relax and soak up the whole Limassol Marathon experience.

A must for those preparing for Sunday’s races is the Mitsides Pasta Party at 5pm, offering a perfect opportunity to stock up on carbs, meet fellow runners, chat with the pacing team and gear up for the four big races the following morning.

OPAP Limassol Marathon GSOFirst up on Sunday 24th March is the AIMS-accredited OPAP Limassol Marathon GSO, setting off at 7.30am. This is followed by Limassol Half Marathon at 7.40am, which is now sold out at 1,500 runners. The Petrolina 10K Energy Race then starts at 8am and the 5K City Race at 8.10am. Each race treats runners to a flat, fast and straight course that takes in Limassol and its coastline, with breathtaking views out across the sparkling sea.

In celebration of a superb weekend of races is the After Party by Guaba Beach Bar, featuring an fantastic line-up of headline artists, live music, DJs and entertainment. The party takes place throughout the day and well into the night, and has become quite legendary amongst those returning to #RunLimassol.

Many runners will be putting their race efforts towards raising money for a charity of their choice. With this in mind, OPAP Limassol Marathon GSO has partnered with online fundraising platform GivenGain to make all fundraising projects free, safe and easy.

Race pack collection for all participants will take place from 21st-23rd March from the registration offices at Molos Old Port, at the times stated below.

Race Weekend Key Timings – 2019 OPAP Limassol Marathon GSO:

Thursday 21st March

11:00-19:00                  Registration offices open, Molos Old Port     
19:00                            Bank of Cyprus 3rd Running Community Forum

Friday 22nd March

09:00-18:00                  Registration offices open

Saturday 23rd March

09:00-18:00                  Registration offices open
09:00                            PrimeTel 5K Corporate Race start
11:00                            Andrey and Julia Dashin’s Foundation 1K Youth Race start
09:00-12:00                  Petrolina Energy Day
17:00                            Mitsides Pasta Party

Sunday 24th March

07:30                           Marathon Race start
07:40                           Half Marathon Race start
08:00                           Petrolina 10K Energy Race start
08:10                           5K City Race start
All day                          Party and after-party by Guaba Beach Bar

Go to the race website for the full event programme.

OPAP Limassol Marathon GSOThe 2019 event also sees the launch of the Going Green! campaign between OPAP Limassol Marathon GSO and Gold Sponsor Muskita Aluminium Industries. The campaign has introduced environmentally friendly initiatives for the 2019 event such as the use of electric cars on the course, recycling points at all 15 water stations, a dedicated clean-up event, a paper-free registration process and a special bus service to transport runners to the start line.

Once more the #RunLimassol app will be keeping competitors and spectators up-to-date with all the information they need over race weekend. It includes a Live Tracking feature and is available on iOS and Android.

OPAP returns as Title Sponsor for the 2018 OPAP Limassol Marathon GSO, followed by a high-profile line-up of Gold and Silver sponsors and official bodies. Garmin is the official timekeeper of the event.

Limassol Marathon 2019Entry is still open to all races except Limassol Half Marathon, which is sold out.

Go to www.limassolmarathon.com to register and for further race details. You can also like the Facebook page and follow @RunLimassol #RunLimassol on Twitter and limassolmarathon on Instagram to keep up-to-date with all the latest news about OPAP Limassol Marathon GSO.