Some thoughts by Spyros

Every year, runners eagerly await the announcement of pacers for the Athens Marathon, and once again, we found ourselves just ten days before the race checking for updates. This year’s pacer times aren’t listed on the official event page yet but are available through a sponsor’s website. While the organization has assigned 16 pacers to this year’s marathon, there appear to be several gaps in pacing distribution, potentially impacting a significant number of participants.

Official Pacing Groups for the Athens Marathon 2024

Fast Pacers (3:15 - 4:00 hours) – 3 pacers

3:14:59
3:59:59
3:59:59

Intermediate Pacers (4:00 - 5:30 hours) – 13 pacers

4:14:59 (x2)
4:29:59 (x2)
4:44:59 (x2)
4:59:59 (x2)
5:09:59
5:14:59
5:19:59
5:24:59
5:29:59

Slow Pacers (5:30+ hours) – No pacers assigned

This year’s pacing gaps pose several challenges. For the faster runners, the jump from 3:14:59 to 3:59:59 is substantial. Many athletes, especially women aiming for international qualifying standards, such as the 3:35 - 3:40 range required for the Chicago Marathon, are left without any pacing support.

Furthermore, the Athens Marathon embraces a wide spectrum of runners, offering an 8-hour cut-off time to ensure accessibility for everyone. However, no pacers are provided for those aiming to complete in times over 5:30 hours. This is a missed opportunity, as slower runners could benefit greatly from pacing support to manage their energy and stay motivated. Pacers for slower finish times also facilitate better race organization by clustering participants and assisting support staff.

Drawing on my experience jogging four marathons, including three in Athens with finish times around 6-6:30 hours, here’s an improved pacer distribution plan that better serves the full range of runners while keeping the total pacer count at 16:

Suggested Revised Pacer Distribution

Fast Pacers (3:15 - 4:00 hours)

3:15 hours (1 pacer): For athletes targeting an ambitious, fast pace.
3:30 hours (1 pacer): A strong, achievable goal for runners aiming under 3:40.
3:45 hours (1 pacer): Slightly slower but still a competitive time.
4:00 hours (3 pacers): A popular time goal; additional pacers can provide needed support.

Intermediate Pacers (4:00 - 5:30 hours)

4:15 hours (1 pacer): Suitable for a moderate pace just above 4 hours.
4:30 hours (1 pacer): Reflects a common middle-ground pace for finishers.
4:45 hours (1 pacer): Helps those pushing for a sub-5-hour goal.
5:00 hours (1 pacer): Targets recreational runners looking to finish strong.
5:15 hours (1 pacer): Offers pacing stability for those nearing the 5-hour mark.
5:30 hours (1 pacer): Ideal for runners maintaining a steady, relaxed pace.

Slow Pacers and Cut-off Pacers (5:30 - 8:00 hours)

6:00 hours (1 pacer): Provides steady pacing for runners near the 6-hour mark.
6:30 hours (1 pacer): Supports those in the slower brackets who benefit from structured pacing.
7:00 hours (1 pacer): Ideal for runners covering the last segments of the marathon.
8:00 hours (cut-off) (1 pacer): Marks the official course close, encouraging those close to the cut-off time.

This distribution allows for better pacing support across a broader range of abilities, enhancing the experience for all participants. The Athens Marathon is a celebration of endurance and inclusivity, and with these adjustments, more runners will have the pacing assistance they need to reach the finish line confidently and enjoyably.

The new season of Super League Greece 2024-2025 has officially kicked off! While it may not be the most renowned or high-quality league globally—or even within Europe or the Balkans—this is the domestic league I grew up with, and it holds a special place in my heart. In this post, I'll be diving into the data from the opening gameday, focusing on player age and nationalities, to offer some intriguing insights and facts about the teams and players that make up this year's competition.

Team Lineup and Season Overview

The Super League Greece 2024-2025 season features 14 teams - 12 from last season and 2 promoted from Super League 2. Levadiakos returns to the top flight after a one-year absence, while Athens Kallithea makes its first Super League (first league) appearance in 18 years. Unfortunately, PAS Giannina and Kifisia have been relegated to Super League 2, with PAS Giannina dropping after four consecutive years in the top division, and Kifisia after just one season.

Geographic Representation in Super League Greece

PAOK enters the season as the reigning champions, while Panathinaikos holds the cup title, and Olympiacos celebrates an impressive feat as the first Greek club to win a European title, having secured the Conference League trophy. The Attica prefecture is well-represented by AEK Athens, Athens Kallithea, Atromitos, Panathinaikos, and Olympiacos. From the Macedonia prefecture, we have PAOK, Aris, and Panserraikos. Central Greece is represented by Levadiakos and Lamia, while Panetolikos is the sole representative of Western Greece. Asteras Tripolis flies the flag for the Peloponnese, Volos for Thessaly, and OFI for Crete. However, the Ionian and Aegean islands, Thrace, and Epirus are not represented in this year's competition.

Nationalities in Super League Greece

So let's talk about nationalities. 52 countries and 6 continents were represented by 218 players in the opening gameday of the league this season. Here is the map of all countries represented:

The Least and Most Represented Continents and Countries

Oceania is the least represented continent, with only one player from New Zealand: Marko Stamenić, currently on loan to Olympiacos from Nottingham Forest.

Asia is represented by two countries, Israel and Lebanon, with Omri Altman playing for Volos and Daniel Lajud for Panetolikos.

North America has representation from Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Nine African countries are represented: Cameroon, Morocco, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, and Mauritania.

South America is represented by eight countries: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Venezuela, Chile, Colombia, and Paraguay.

Europe, the most represented continent, boasts players from 31 different countries.

Club Line-ups: Domestic vs. International Players

On the opening game day, 154 players started, with Greek players making up the largest group at 45 (29.2%). Spain followed with 18 players (11.7%), then Argentina with 12 players (7.8%). Brazil and Serbia completed the top five nationalities with 7 (4.5%) and 5 (3.2%) players, respectively.

A total of 64 substitutions were made across all games, with Greek players making up 20 of those (31.3%). Among the other nationalities substituted in, Argentina had 7 players (10.9%), Spain and Serbia each had 4 (6.3%), and Bosnia and Herzegovina had 3 (4.7%).

Regarding club line-ups, Aris and Atromitos started with the most non-domestic players (10 each), while Lamia and Panserraikos started with the fewest (5 each). Including substitutions, Aris only used one Greek player, Atromitos two, and PAOK three. On the other hand, Panserraikos used eight Greek players in total, while Lamia, Levadiakos, and Panetolikos used seven each. Notably, Aris and Volos did not use a single Greek player as a substitute.

The Spanish Influence in Aris and Asteras Tripolis

The most remarkable statistic is that Aris started the season with seven Spaniards: Cuesta, Velez, Mallo, Monchu, Montoya, Garcia, and Moron. Aris started this season with the same Spaniards in their lineup as Barcelona (7) and Leganes (7), and with more Spanish players than Rayo Vallecano (6), Alaves (6), Betis (6), Getafe (6), Atletico Madrid (5), Real Valladolid (4), Sevilla (4), Mallorca (3), and Real Madrid (1)!

Asteras Tripolis also had four Spaniards in their starting eleven, while Panetolikos had four Argentinians.

In terms of substitutions, OFI used two players from France, while AEK brought on two players from Argentina.

Looking at the overall usage (starting eleven and substitutes), Panetolikos and Volos each used four players from Argentina, Asteras Tripolis used four from Spain, and Panathinaikos used three from Serbia. In the match between Atromitos and Aris, a total of 10 Spanish footballers were on the pitch.

Average Age of Players: A Team-by-Team Analysis

Now, let's examine the average age of the starting eleven for each team:

Aris: 30.8 years

Panathinaikos: 30.6 years

Atromitos: 29.8 years

PAOK: 29.4 years

Levadiakos: 29.1 years

Asteras Tripolis: 29.0 years

OFI: 28.8 years

AEK: 28.6 years

Volos: 28.3 years

Panserraikos: 27.8 years

Kallithea: 27.4 years

Lamia: 26.8 years

Panetolikos: 26.4 years

Olympiacos: 24.7 years

These averages were calculated using the exact birth dates of each player. The average age of the starting elevens ranged from 24.7 years (Olympiacos) to 30.8 years (Aris), reflecting differing team strategies and philosophies. Aris and Panathinaikos continue their legacy of presenting older lineups than the average, with Olympiacos having the opportunity to test a younger lineup.

Impact of Substitutions on Team Age Profiles

For the substitutions, the average age per team was calculated using rounded ages:

Volos: 32.5 years (+4.2)

AEK: 32.2 years (+3.6)

Levadiakos: 30.6 years (+1.5)

Kallithea: 29.4 years (+2)

Panathinaikos: 28.6 years (-2)

Asteras Tripolis: 28.0 years (-1)

Olympiacos: 27.8 years (+3.1)

PAOK: 27.0 years (-2.4)

Panserraikos: 26.2 years (-1.6)

Lamia: 26.0 years (-0.8)

Atromitos: 24.7 years (-5.1)

OFI: 23.8 years (-5)

Panetolikos: 23.2 years (-3.2)

Aris: 21.7 years (-9.1)

Volos and AEK brought in older players by almost 4 years compared to their initial lineup. All of the subs for AEK and Volos were older than 30 years old.

On the other hand, Aris used their substitutions to freshen up the oldest initial lineup by 9 years!

Greek vs. Foreign Players: Age Comparison

The average age of the Greek players who started was 26.7 years, while those who came on as substitutes averaged 25.8 years. For foreign players, the average starting age was 28.4 years, and the average age for substitutes was 28.2 years.

Overall, the average age of all starting players was 27.9 years, while the substitutes averaged 27.4 years.