Greek Australian Anastasia Marinakou wins 10 km race as part of Authentic Athens Marathon

Anastasia Marinakou spent some time in Australia after moving Down Under in 2016. Here, in Melbourne where she had met now retired sprinter Ussain Bolt, an eight time Olympic Gold medallist and eleven time world champion. Photo: Supplied Anastasia Marinakou.

Breaking a personal race record, Anastasia Marinakou, finished first in 33:38, among the women in the 10,000 km OPAP Marathon, held on Saturday in Athens.

Revealing that she was not expecting to perform this well, due to suffering an injury in the last few days before the competition, Marinakou was over the moon for bettering her own year-long record of 34:32 and gave credit to the crowd for the morale boost she received.

“They motivated me to run even faster. And finishing a race in this Stadium feels unique. I’ve very happy, this was a fantastic race.”

The race was held in the Panathenaic Stadium as part of this weekend’s 39th Authentic Marathon events.

Marinakou, a Panathinaikos athlete, was followed by Ismini Panagiotopoulou (OKA Kavala) with 35:00, while Irini Tsoupaki, of GS Amarousiou came third with 35:16.

They both ran the route for the first time and are planning to participate in the Rough Terrain Road Cup in a week’s time.

Marinakou’s running performance is known for years now, having been voted one of Greece’s top young athletes back in 2015, a year before arriving to Melbourne.

By that time she had broken three national Greek track records.

The athlete made the decision to move Down Under citing the country’s economic crisis and her passion in pursuing a career in athletics which was harder to do in Greece.

During her first appearance on an Australian trackfield, she run alongside Ussain Bolt, the multiple times Olympic gold medallist and world champion, considered to have been the greatest sprinter of all times.

Marinakou is an Australian citizen by decent, as her father, originally from Lakonia, had lived in the country for 25 years.

“My heroes are my parents, who have stood beside me and have supported me throughout my journey,” Marinakou had told Neos Kosmos in a 2016 interview.

The main event with the 42,195m race of the 39th Authentic Marathon of Athens was expected to take place on Sunday morning.

Marios Anagnostou finished first in the OPAP 10km road race in the men’s category, with a time of 30:08.

neoskosmos.com