Neos Kosmos caught up with the founder of the Penny Marathon, an annual event that raises awareness of the plight of suffering animals and celebrates those that fight to save their lives.
The Penny Marathon took place on Sunday, 13 July 2025. It has been 14 years since Eleftheria Prodromou reached out to us to ask if we consider covering a small, unique event in 2012.
The idea she had was to run from Marathon to Athens in Greece to raise a bit of money for her Greek friends in animal rescue.
Photo: Animedia
“I had lived in Greece but returned to Australia when I found a puppy in a garbage bin. My job required a lot of travel, which I couldn’t do with a dog, so quit my job and came back with Artemis,” Eleftheria says.
“I wanted to do something to help out those I left behind in rescue who were spaying, feeding and attending to the needs of many neglected and abused stray animals.”
The Penny Marathon, named after a Greek stray dog, was only ever intended to be a one-off event. But, when runners and cyclists came to join her during the inaugural 2012 event, it immediately became clear that the message resonated with others.
“It has been 14 years since that first run. It’s now held in cities around the world. There is no entry fee, it is open to everyone regardless of their fitness level, and it is wholly run by committed volunteers.
Photo: Animedia
“There’s no slick branding, no corporate sponsors; just a grassroots following of people who do not want to live in a world where the suffering of other living beings is accepted and even encouraged.”
The Penny Marathon has raised over $250,000 to help almost 200 animal rescuers and groups in more than 7 countries, including most recently Ukraine and Palestine. It has helped end the suffering and saved the lives of thousands of animals.
