2025 OPAP Limassol Marathon will be the biggest yet, with over 17,000 runners - including 3,000 from abroad

Andreas Spyrou, Business Development Director of the OPAP Limassol Marathon - taking place this weekend on 22-23 March - says this year's event is expected to be the biggest yet, with more than 17,000 runners expected to participate, including some 3,000 from abroad.

In an interview with CBN, Spyrou unveils details about this weekend's events and muses at how far the Limassol Marathon has come since it was first introduced in 2006. "We started with participation numbers of less than 100," he said.

What can we expect from this year’s OPAP Limassol Marathon? Will it include any special events?

The 2025 OPAP Limassol Marathon will be the biggest yet. On Saturday, the 22nd of March we have two very special races – the PrimeTel 5KM Corporate Race and the Andrey and Julia Dashin Foundation Youth Races. At the Corporate Race, we expect more than 12,000 runners, making it the biggest celebration of running on the island. For the Dashin Foundation Youth Race, we expect to reach the milestone of 1,000 young runners.

On the 23rd of March, the seafront road of Limassol will fill up with the runners of the OPAP Marathon Race (42 KM), the Muskita Half Marathon Race (21 KM), the PETROLINA 10KM Energy Race, and the Axelbolt 5KM City Race.

Our runners will enjoy the highest of technical standards in all of the races and will have the chance to enjoy and celebrate their participation in our beautiful city.

How many people are you expecting to attend/run the marathon?

Indicatively, we can mention that this year the participation exceeded 17,000, leaving behind every previous record, with the arrivals of over 3,000 foreign runners.

We have officially surpassed the milestone of 850 registered runners in the OPAP Marathon Race. For those who follow the progress of running events in Cyprus, this is an unbelievable number for a Marathon Race in our island.

We started with participation numbers of less than 100. It took us six years of learning, trying, and failing to pass the number of 350 runners. The progress from that point onward was very rapid. We aim to break the threshold of 1,000 Marathon Race runners next year.

For the competitive races of Sunday the 23rd, we have a total of 5,500 registered participants. The Muskita Half Marathon Race and the PETROLINA 10KM Energy Race will host around 2,000 runners each, while the Axelbolt 5KM City Race will host another 900.

This will be the largest celebration of running in Cyprus – ever.

Who can participate in the marathon and how?

The OPAP Limassol Marathon has six races which can accommodate any level of experience and taste.

If you are a young runner who wants to experience the joy of a mass participation event, the Dashin Foundation Youth Race is for you. If you are a group of friends looking for some fun, or a group of colleagues looking for the largest team building activity in Cyprus, then run the PrimeTel 5KM Corporate Race.

If you are an experienced runner who would like to try for a new PB (personal best), take advantage of the flat course of Limassol and run the OPAP Marathon Race or the Muskita Half Marathon Race.

If you are a fitness enthusiast and you want to test your limits, go for the PETROLINA 10KM Energy Race and the Axelbolt 5KM City Race. The OPAP Limassol Marathon is for everyone!

Will there be people visiting from abroad to participate? Are there any packages available for foreign visitors?

The OPAP Limassol Marathon has the promotion of Cyprus and Limassol as an international running destination at it’s core. From day one, we have been working relentlessly to attract as many international runners as possible. We are very proud of the results as for 2025 we expect around 3,000 international runners – that’s excluding partners who will not run but visit because of the event.

We have managed to infiltrate and develop some major European and Middle Eastern Markets. Most significant are those of the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Poland, Israel, Lebanon and the Baltic States.

How important do you believe events such as the OPAP Limassol Marathon are for Cyprus?

Events like the OPAP Limassol Marathon have a great role to play. They promote Cyprus and attract thousands of participants, they boost the local economies, they create jobs and inspire communities to participate.

Most importantly, they create a brand for the cities that host such events. A successful running event will inspire and give confidence to other people to organise a basketball tournament. Once that becomes successful, the landscape will be ready for something different, perhaps a music festival. And so on it goes.

• Find out more here or follow the Limassol Marathon Facebook page here