After a long absence ‘Marathon Man’ Stavros Michael returned to running on 15 May for the Great Ocean Road Marathon.
Stavros Michael was the first to finish in a six hour marathon that took place on 1 August at the Melbourne Botanical Garden, organised by “Trails+”, which specialises in a series of marathons.
The Great Ocean Road Marathon holds a series of events with the highlight being the 44 kilometre Lorne to Apollo Bay run, emulating the historic trek ran by the Athenian soldier Pheidippides in 490 B.C. of 42.195 kilometres.
Stavros chose to challenge himself further by entering the 60 kilometre ultramarathon endurance test.
After the run Stavros said: “For me the marathon is a metaphor of life itself. An endurance race with its up and downs, which constantly tests you, exhausts you, and if you’re fortunate resurrects you.
“As the first event of the year, I could not have picked a better one. The Great Ocean Road Marathon was not my best time and ended up pulling the pin at the 54km mark.
“However, that all subsided and dissolved as the aura of the atmosphere, combining the natural vista with the respect by the human presence, provided the energy and uplift. 10/10 race and I highly recommend it for all runners to partake,” he added.
The young Melburnian, who is the son of Federal MP for Calwell Maria Vamvakinou and LaTrobe Research Fellow Dr Michalis Michael, has run iconic routes such as Mount Olympus, the Great Wall of China and Machu Picchu to name a few.
