Olympia Caragianni
400m Hurdles Champion Olympia Nicoletta Karagianni, born October 17, 1998, is a Greek 400m hurdles champion. Olympia grew up in the athletic field, training and competing with her parents. Memories of her mother’s competitions, the thrill of seeing her medals, and the values her parents passed on to her motivated her to pursue sports. Her parents’ presence in the stands was a source of joy and inspiration, while her mother’s invaluable advice about not letting stress affect her performance guided her throughout her life. Her athletic career was remarkable, with a personal best time of 58.32 seconds in the 400m hurdles. Olympia has represented Greece at international competitions, including the Balkan Championships, European Championships, and World Championships for her age group, most notably the 2015 U18 World Championships in Cali, Colombia. She finished 15th and 10th at the 2019 U23 European Championships in Gävle, Sweden. This year was a significant year for her athletic career, as she successfully qualified for the Panhellenic Championships. She qualified for the U23 European Championships, setting new personal records, and winning the Panhellenic after a three-year absence and multiple injuries. She also enjoys short-distance hurdles, breaking personal records in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.94 seconds and in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.67 seconds. Beyond her athletic career, Olympia continued her studies at the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She then pursued a Master’s degree in Sports Management and Development, furthering her knowledge of the sport she had envisioned. And it happened. Her love for sport and desire to be around like-minded people This is reflected in her parents’ vision and founding of Golden Marathon Tours. Today, Olympia is the third and youngest member of the company, working alongside two of the most important people in her life who inspired her and led her into the world of sport.
George Karagiannis
Road Marathon Champion Georgios Karagiannis is a Greek marathon and long-distance road race champion. He attended the Greek Navy’s Permanent Officers’ School from 1978 to 1981. After graduation, he served in the Greek Navy on destroyers and minesweepers until 1984. In 1985, he was transferred to a NATO base in Naples, Italy, where he remained until 1987. This move to Naples marked a significant milestone in his athletic career, ushering in a decade of success. Athletic Career In parallel with his military career, he displayed a talent for sports from a young age, particularly in classical sports and long-distance running, both of which he loved. His first victories in the 5- and 10-kilometer races at the military school attracted the attention of renowned coaches, prompting him to begin more systematic training, eventually earning a spot on the national team. However, the strict regulations of the Navy posed an insurmountable obstacle to his training. After returning from Naples and NATO, he struggled to continue his athletic career, but eventually left the navy. He returned to Italy, settled in Rome, and during this time competed for the historic club FAZZI BATTAGLIA. He won the Italian Club Championship in road running three times and was runner-up at the 1988 Italian Marathon Championship in 2:18:31 in Milan. He competed in long-distance races, marathons, and cross-country races from youth to men. His career honors include: Balkan Gold Medal on the Rough Track Greek Champion in the first Panhellenic Half Marathon (1995) Participating in the Balkan Games, Mediterranean Games, World Championships, and World Marathon Championships. He also won major victories in classic road cycling and marathon races in Greece and Italy, including: Vivicittà, Stramilano, Spaccanapoli, Matesina, Saint Moritz Classic, Castelbuono, Lago di Garda, Cinque Mulini, and Le Figaro. Top Performances and Records Some of his best performances and accolades include: Boston Marathon (1988): 2:20, 13th place Chicago Marathon (1988): 2:20:52, 21st place Roma-Ostia Half Marathon (1991): 1:03:38, 7th place (second best Greek all-time) Turin Marathon (1992): 2:16:07 (personal record) Hamburg Marathon (1992): 2:16:17, 3rd place Las Vegas Marathon (1997): 2:17:11, 5th place Bangkok Marathon (1996): 2:28, 3rd place After the Championships After his racing career ended, George Karagiannis became actively involved in organizing various races. He held the following positions: Technical Director of the Alexander the Great Marathon and the Thessaloniki Night Marathon Director of the Limassol Marathon Marketing and Promotion Manager at AIMS (International Association of Marathons and Distance Races) from 2010 to 2016 In 2014, he and his wife, former Greek track and field champion Eleftheria Papadopoulou, co-founded Golden Marathon Tours. Recognizing the rapid growth of running worldwide and the gap in specialized sports tourism support, they established a company focused on sports tourism. Golden Marathon Tours specializes in comprehensive travel packages for major marathons and sporting events worldwide, with a particular focus on the six Abbott World Marathon Majors. The company offers specialized tour guides, guaranteed entry, and accommodations to ensure runners from around the world have the perfect race experience.
Efi Papadopoulou
Athletics Champion Elefteria Papadopoulou is a Greek track and field champion from Thessaloniki. She graduated from the Department of Physical Education and Sports. She excelled in the 400- and 800-meter races. Throughout her athletic career, she competed successfully in Panhellenic and Balkan competitions in all age groups, from Pankorasids to women, in both outdoor and indoor track and field. In 1994, at the age of 24, she prematurely retired from competition and championships to devote herself to raising her two daughters, Corina and Olympia. However, in 2003, after a ten-year hiatus, she returned to athletics at the age of 34, with dreams of competing at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Upon her return, she achieved remarkable success with the national team, winning the 4×400-meter relay in both the outdoor and indoor events. The greatest achievement of her career came at the 2004 World Indoor Championships in Budapest. She placed sixth in the world in the women’s 4x400m relay, joining Chrissa Kuntenoudi, Georgia Koumnagi, and Fani Chalgia. The Greek team set a national record of 3:29:23, a record that still stands today. Unfortunately, her dream of competing at the 2004 Olympics in Athens was not fulfilled due to an injury that prevented her from joining the 4x400m relay team. However, she continued competing for another year, highlighting her sixth-place finish in the 4x400m relay at the 2005 European Indoor Championships in Madrid. After the Championships After retiring from athletics, Eleftheria Papadopoulou became a coach, working with athletes until 2014. At the same time, she continued her amateur training and participated in road races, including both asphalt and mountain marathons. The couple, along with her husband, George Karagiannis, a former marathon champion, founded Golden Marathon Tours, a company specializing in organizing trips and excursions for runners to major international marathons. With a special focus on the six Abbott World Marathon Majors, She also made history by becoming the first Greek woman to complete all six Abbott World Marathon Majors in just 26 months. Her journey began in the 2016 Tokyo Marathon and ended with the prestigious Boston Marathon. Beyond road running, she excelled in mountain running, having completed the Olympia Marathon, one of the most difficult mountain races in Greece, twice. Eleftheria Papadopoulou is a renowned figure in Greek sports, having made significant contributions to both athletics and the popularization of running in Greece.
