top of page

Qualification Standards set forth by the ISA 

(International Spartathlon Association)

Terms of Participation SPARTATHLON 2018

SECTION 1: ELIGIBILITY

To participate in Spartathlon, runners need to be at least 18 years old, healthy and sufficiently trained. Participants assume full responsibility for their health status, before and during the race.

In order to participate in the Race, runners must be officially admitted by the International Spartathlon Association (ISA) and registered.

Rules and Regulation, and legally binding documents can be provided upon request only by the organizer (ISA) and its official associates. The ISA reserves the right to disqualify any runner or crew member for not complying with the race rules. Adherence to the race rules and the official instructions is a contractual obligation for all participants and their crews.

SECTION 2: QUALIFYING RACES AND PERFORMANCES

To apply to Spartathlon 2018, runners need to have fulfilled at least one (1) of the following criteria within the years 2016, 2017 or 2018 (up to February 24th):

INTERNATIONAL RACES

a) Finish a 100-km race within 10:00 hours (men) or 10:30 hours (women).

b) Cover a 120 km (men) or 110 km distance (women) in a 12-hour race.

c) Finish a 100-mile race in 21:00 hours (men) or 22:00 hours (women).

d) Finish Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, within 24:00 hours (men) or 25:00 hours (women).

e) Cover at least 180 km (men) or 170 km (women) in a 24-hour race.

f) Finish a non-stop 200-220 km race within 29:00 hours (men) or 30:00 hours (women).

g) Finish UltraBalaton 2016 (221 km) in 31:00 hours (men) or 32:00 hours (women)

h) Finish a longer than 220 km non-stop race within 36:00 hours (men) or 37:00 hours (women).

i) Finish Badwater race within 39:00 hours (men) or 40:00 hours (women).

j) Finish Grand Union Canal Race within 34:00 hours (men) or 35:00 hours (women).

k) Finish Sakura Michi 250-km race in 36:00 hours

l) Finish Yamaguchi 100 Hagi-O-Kan Maranic 250-km race within 42:00 hours (men) or 43:00 hours (women).

m) Cover a distance of at least 280 km (men) or 260 km (women) in a 48-hour race.

RACES IN GREECE

a) Finish Spartathlon race within 36:00 hours.

b) Finish Olympian Race Nemea-Olympia within 28:00 hours.

c) Finish Euchidios Athlos 107, 5 km within 12:30 hours (men) or 13:00 hours (women).

d) Finish Euchidios Hyperathlos 215 km within 32:00 hours (men) or 33:00 hours (women).

e) Finish “ROUT” Rodopi Advendurun 100-mile race within 32:00 hours (men) or 33:00 hours (women).

f) Finish Dolichos Race Delphi-Olympia 255 km within 42:00 hours (men) or 43:00 hours (women).

g) Finish VFUT Paranesti 100 miles race within 32:00 hours (men) or 33:00 hours (women).

h) Finish Dromos Athanaton 142 km race within 18:00 hours (men) or 19:00 hours (women).

SECTION 3: PROOF OF ELIGIBILITY

In order for an entry application to be taken into consideration, the runner must meet at least one (1) of the previous criteria during an official non-stop race, the results of which can be accessed online, on the organizer’s website, any athletic website, or on the online database of DUV. The link needs to be included in the Entry Application Form.

* Important note:

a) Custom-made certifications, issued by the race organizer or a timing company, for split times of individual runners are not accepted. In order for a split time to be accepted, it should be timed and officially provided online for all participants of that given race.

b) A qualifying performance needs to be achieved in a race of at least 5 finishers, in order to be accepted.

c) Performances achieved in other races / distances / events, than the ones explicitly mentioned in section 2 are not accepted, even if they are harder to achieve.

SECTION 4: APPLICATION PERIOD

Participation applications for Spartathlon 2018 will begin on January 20, 2018 and will finish on February 25, 2018.

* Note: No priority shall be given to early applicants.

SECTION 5: ENTRY PROCESS

During the application period, the applicants submit their online Entry Applications, which include a file with the links to their qualifying results.

Once the application period ends, the International Spartathlon Association will review all applications and reject the ones that do not meet the criteria. The number of qualifying applications cannot exceed 390. In case there are more than 390 applicants meeting these criteria, a new round of application review will be added:

a) Runners having achieved a performance at least 20% better than the ones required in section 2, are considered qualified and are thus automatically admitted.

b) In the case that this process overrides the ISA’s nationality quota requirements (section 12), 25 participants from the same nation will be chosen by lot. Non chosen runners will enter a national waiting list from which to draw, in the event of a compatriot athlete’s race withdrawal, participants in priority order.

c) Runners with at least 10 Spartathlon race completions in the past are also automatically admitted (note: first round criteria must still be met)

d) A single applicant of a nationality is automatically admitted, all criteria being met.

e) The remaining applicants will be chosen by lot in order to reach the 390 cap. Once the 390 entrants have been selected, lots will still be drawn for the Waiting List.

The draw will take place at the ISA premises (7, Kodrou Street, Athens) in March 2018 and will be open to the public. The specific date and time will be published beforehand on the Spartathlon web site.

Qualified runners, who submitted an application in 2017 but were not admitted, will enter the 2018 draw with a double lot. (Note: All 2018 criteria must still be met and a proper application made) If still not chosen by lot, then, all criteria met, they will enter the 2018 draw with a quadruple lot.

Chosen by lot runners who, for any reason, withdraw their participation, lose the right to a double or quadruple lot in the following year.

f) ISA reserves the right to offer automatic admission to a limited number of qualified applicants (maximum 10) in addition to the above mentioned 390 entrants.

The List of Entrants and the Waiting List will be published on the Spartathlon website after the completion of the draw.

The selected entrants will receive a notification by e-mail, including an invitation to fill-in the Entry Form.

Applicants, whose names are neither in the Participants’ nor the Waiting List, have not been admitted.

To complete their registration, the selected runners need to complete online their Entry Form by April 20, 2018 at the latest and include a recent passport photo, as well as the names of their supporters/crew.

The runner’s participation fees need to be paid by May 20, 2018 at the latest. Once the selected entrant satisfies all the above mentioned requirements, his / her name and bib number will be posted on the Starting List on the Spartathlon web site (menu RESULTS-Participants). This is the final confirmation of his / her place in the Spartathlon race 2018.

Failure to meet the above deadline (or any other indicated) will result in the runner’s immediate disqualification and the automatic admittance of the next eligible applicant in the Waiting List.

Supporters and crew members must have paid their participation fee by August 10th, 2018 at the latest, or their participation will be cancelled.

SECTION 6: PARTICIPATION FEE

The Participation Fee for Spartathlon 2018 is 600€, payable to the International Spartathlon Association:

Bank account ALPHA BANK, GREECE,

IBAN: GR56 0140 1200 1200 02002010931,

SWIFT BIC: CRBAGRAAXXX.

Beneficiary name: International Spartathlon Association.

Beneficiary address: 7, Kodrou street, 10558 Athens, Greece.

The Participation Fee includes participation in the race, race-related transportation during, before and after the race and participation in the Awards Gala.

ISA offers the athletes full board accommodation for six days in Athens and Sparta from Wednesday September 27 (in) to Tuesday October 3 (out), at designated hotels of its choice, at no extra charge.

As far as the cost for the crew is concerned, there are four (4) different options:

a) PARTICIPATION package € 60, covering only the registration of one crew member. Additional € 25 for attending the Awards Gala Awards

b) BASIC package € 180, per crew member, covering registration and full board accommodation in Sparta for one or two nights (Sep. 28 & 28). Participation in the Awards Gala is included.

c) EXTRA package € 600, per crew member, covering registration, full board accommodation in Sparta for one or two nights (Sep. 28 & 29), full board accommodation in Athens for up to 4 nights (Sep. 26, 27, 30 and Oct 1), and participation in the Awards Gala.

SECTION 7: DISCLAIMER

The organizer (International Spartathlon Association) bears no responsibility whatsoever for runners’ health issues during the race. Participants agree to assume full responsibility of their health and training, as well their equipment, according to the race rules. The organizer is no responsible for any property loss (garment, valuables, equipment).

The organizer is no responsible for any loss that may occur in case an entrant is prevented from participating by legal regulations or governmental orders.

Participants are advised to have insurance coverage during the event that will also cover their return back home in case of illness.

SECTION 8: USE OF PERSONAL DATA

By entering the race, participants agree to their personal data (name, date of birth, photo, among others) being provided to third parties for the purposes of race timing, formation of result list and other services. Entrants also accept that such data will be made publicly available on the internet or on printed copies and will be stored and used by ISA for purposes exclusively related to the race.

Finally, entrants consent to not claim any financial reimbursement for any kind of publication related to their participation in the Spartathlon Race. Such publications include, but are not limited to their photos, videos, race footage, year of birth, race performance, race position, interviews being broadcasted or published in books, magazines, newspaper, the web, radio, television etc.

SECTION 9: CANCELLATION OF EVENT - INABILITY TO REALIZE THE 2018 SPARTATHLON RACE

In the rare case of cancellation of the event or inability of its realization due to reasons beyond the organizer's control (such as bad weather conditions, strikes, roads blockade, governmental regulations etc.), the participants agree that no refunds, reimbursements or compensations of any kind shall be provided.

SECTION 10: MEDICAL CERTIFICATE

a) All participants need to present a medical certificate of good health, as a race requirement. No runner will be allowed to start the race without such a certificate.

b) Medical certificates need bear the MD’s name, address, seal and a statement that the athlete is able to participate in Spartathlon 246 km race. Health certificates requested especially for the Spartathlon Race need to be issued within 3 months before the race. Entrants belonging to an athletic club may send their annual health certificate upon admittance or anytime before the race.

SECTION 11: CANCELLATION OF PARTICIPATION

In case of, due to whatever reason, participation withdrawal, there will be no refund or roll-over of that entrant's participation fee and his crew cost.

SECTION 12: QUOTAS- APPLICATIONS FROM COUNTRIES WITH SPARTATHLON ASSOCIATES

Due to increasing numbers of applications and in order to promote national diversity of the event, ISA imposes the following quotas for participants:

Greece: 60, Japan: 60, Germany: 35, Any other nation: 25

* Important: Applications for Japan and Germany are processed through the local Spartahtlon associates, which can be found on the "Contact us" menu. Japanese and German runners are kindly requested to apply there. Applications from these countries submitted directly to ISA, are not taken into consideration

International SPARTATHLON Association

bottom of page