Once upon a time on Leros…
For three weeks, I had been preparing for one of my lifelong goals: running a marathon.
I had never run a full marathon before. I had completed several half marathons, but a full one was uncharted territory.

On 23 October 2024, the time had finally come. With doubts swirling in my mind and a queasy feeling in my stomach, I set off. There were no supporters, no water stations, and none of the usual samba bands cheering on the runners.
The first part of my route led me to the north of the island, past the airport – or rather, airfield (just one building and a single runway) – and on to the northernmost beach, Blefouti.
Back at the island’s main natural harbour and the southern Aegialis area, I had already completed the first 22 km.

Next, I continued south towards Xirokampus.
Passing local tavernas and the nearby beach, I reached the “Crab Church”, which marked my turnaround point.
The route then took me up to Scoumparda, the highest mountain on the island (330 m), shown in the picture. This detour was necessary, as the island’s modest size of just 15 x 2 km doesn’t offer enough distance for a full marathon. 🙈

After countless bends along a gravel track, I finally reached the summit and was rewarded with a breathtaking view to the north.
This was definitely not your typical marathon – the island’s terrain barely offers a single straight or flat section. And because this was my own personal race, stopping for a break simply wasn’t an option.

The descent was, unsurprisingly, no easy task. After 35 km, my thighs, knees and calves clearly voiced their complaints. 🤪
But without effort and belief in your goal, there is no reward! After 4.5 hours and around 800 metres of elevation gain, I finally reached my destination – my accommodation. 🥳
There was no welcoming committee, no buffet, no medal. Only our house cat acknowledged my achievement and celebrated it with an extra-long cuddling session. ☺️

It was such a relieving and wonderful feeling to have finally achieved my self-set goal.
Thanks to PAJ, I was able to gradually explore the route during my three weeks of training on the island and prepare perfectly for the “run of my life”. 🙏

*Translated from German