Historic running race

The Lafonisio Road 2023 is now history.

This historic race, held in honour of the victims of the 1824 Lafonissi massacre, was successfully completed.

On Saturday 9 September 2023, 133 participants in total started simultaneously at 17:30 from Stomio and Livadia to cover 5 and 10 km respectively on the renewed routes of the Lafonisios Road which, as it turned out, were slightly more difficult with alternating uphill and downhill routes in combination with the strong wind that blew in some parts of the routes. With these changes we gave the opportunity to all participants to pass through the unknown and quiet neighborhoods of the settlement of Chrysoskalitissa, finishing in the courtyard of the historic I.M. Chrysoskalitissa. All the runners completed their race safely but above all with a big smile.

But we also had smiles earlier at 16:00 when for the first time, about 30 young children and their escorts participated in a small children's - family route of 1.2 km without competition, giving them the joy of participation, which filled us with hope for the future.

In the racing part of the Lafonissi Road 2023 the big winners in the general categories in the two routes were the following:

5 km. GENERAL CATEGORY MEN

  1. Antonios Kostakis - 18':59':59'':224
  2. George the Great - 19':06''':877
  3. Emmanuel Sifodaskalakis - 19':33''':500

5 km. GENERAL CATEGORY WOMEN

  1. Eleni Galeraki - 24':24':24'':360
  2. Evangelia Tshichlaki (Katerina Tzobanaki) twin disabled - combined - 27':37':37'':557
  3. Smaragda Vardoulaki - 28':40':40'':984

10 km. GENERAL CATEGORY MEN

  1. Vassilis Dimitrelos - 40':42':440
  2. Dionysios Koutroulis - 41':34''':847
  3. Charalambos Balomenakis - 41':40''':910

10 km. GENERAL CATEGORY WOMEN

  1. Eleni Polychronaki - 45':52':52'':940
  2. Anna Konkina - 50':45':45'':687
  3. Tracy Harrington -51':05'':617

Awards were also made in individual age categories where they were filled.

Details Results:

The Lafonisios Road 2023 was organized by the Plokamianos Cultural and Cultural Sports Association of Kissamos and the Kissamos Health Runners Group, under the auspices of the Regional Unit of Chania and the Municipality of Kissamos, which we would like to thank for their support and cooperation.

However, for such an event to take place, the contribution of supporters, sponsors, communication sponsors and volunteers is important. We would like to thank the Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Chrysoskalitissa and the Holy Metropolis of Kissamos & Selinos for hosting the finishes in the courtyard of the historic monastery, the department of the Greek Red Cross of Kissamos for the health coverage of the event, the HPSA THESEA Perivolia, the EPOFEK, the Public Health Department of Chania, the Police Station of Kissamos, Vlatos Jazz, the Association of Attica & Piraeus, as well as the other local Cultural Associations.

We would like to thank our sponsors who with their material or financial contribution contributed greatly to the realization of the event:

Glykeria Hotel & Restaurant (Tzanakis Bros.), Anousakis - General Trade, Elafonisi Resort (Kalomirakis Bros.), CretaStrom (CretaStrom Bros. Lantzaki), Athitaki horeca supplier (Athitaki Maria), Bank of Chania, Chania Rethymnon Bus Station, DigitalPro web & marketing (Zervoudakis Nikolaos), Mini Market Chrysoskalitissa (Mountakis), Kosmos Fish Tavern, SYNKA super markets, SYN Elafonissii - ASPKΘ (Agricultural Cooperative of Horticultural Horticultural Horticultural Horticulture of Elafonissii Chrysoskalitissa), Hotel Equipment - Nikoloudakis - Kiyiadakis, Kalypso Tavern (Dimitris Hatzogiannakis), Skasiarchio Pita & Grill (Sguromallii Brothers), Ice Dynamics of Crete (Giorgos Vestakis), Nireides Villas (Chrysoskalitissa), Etanap - SAMARIA, Pnevmatikakis Winery, Simandirakis Crete Restaurants, AB Vassilopoulos

The Lafonis Road 2023 was made known to everyone with the help of the sponsors of communication, electronic, print and radio media. Thanks to: iRun , RunBeat, RunningNews.gr , Runner Magazine.gr , Run-N-trail.gr , SportOfRunning, To Trehalito , Nei Orizontes , Zarpa , Antenna of Dionysia Crete , Chaniotika Nea , Flashnews , Rythmos web radio (Australia) , EPA sports, Biskotto.gr , Nea Television.

Special thanks to the duo of announcers - presenters of our event Iliakis Dimitris and Amanda Lemontzoglou who kept the interest undiminished during the race while special mention must be made to athletic progress and Vangelis Karagiannakis personally for the excellent cooperation and the smooth running of the race from a technical point of view (timing, medals, medals, t-shirts, VIB).

We would like to thank warmly and one by one the volunteers of the event in all the posts (secretariat, water supply, photo shoots, drone, catering, treats, broom) where literally without them Lafonisio Road could not take place. And minimal help played a crucial role.

Finally, we must thank all those who participated, whether they ran or walked, fast and slow, big and small, who honored us with their presence and gave value to our organization.

On 21:00 on Saturday night 9 September 2023 the organizing team has closed a cycle of preparations we consider successful. But they have just opened a new cycle of preparations, so we renew our appointment for Lafonisi Road 2024 who will be a special anniversary match surprise after 200 years completed from the the martyrdom massacre of Lafonissi in April 1824.

Source: RunnerMagazine.gr