Forty years after Philip Young came up with the idea of creating a marathon event for classic cars in the mould of the long distance day-and-night rallies of the 1950s, ERA, the organisation that he founded, now associated with HERO to form HEREO-ERA, will be running the 32nd Classic Marathon from the birthplace of the Marathon itself, in Greece, on 12-18 September, 2027. Over seven days and 2,200 kilometres, crews will tackle mountain passes, sweeping coastal roads, smooth gravel sections and competitive regularities across some of the finest driving terrain in Europe.

Although the event has evolved in the forty years since the first Classic Marathon was run, it still holds endurance at its core. Driving and navigating across some great driving roads and mountain passes are the heart and soul of the rally. However, the event does allow for a good social side as it essentially runs in daylight hours.

Photo Courtesy HERO-ERA

Starting from a historic site in the Athens area crews will drive the roads of central Greece to Delphi and the amazing clifftop monasteries at Meteora, a backdrop often seen in the World Rally Championship. Climbing ever higher, cars will follow the route up to over 2000 metres to enjoy a series of lonely mountain roads through the spectacular Pindos Mountains before descending to the coast and the overnight hotel close to Patras.