This race is unique in several respects. The beginning is unusual, the competitors gather in the town of Chora Sfakia (there is also a competition office there) to take a ferry to the starting point - Loutro. Because Loutro is not connected to the world by any road, you can only get there by ship or a narrow path. We take off from the same ferry that took us there - so it's exactly from sea level! And we start running up the hill. Ok, at the very beginning we run through the seaside promenade, which is a bit empty in the early morning at the end of October, so it's flat for 300 m. But then there's an uphill climb. Up to 21 km to the very top of Lefka Ori. There is one village on the way - Anopoli and wild mountains. Ok, there is also a kind of layered arrangement of plant zones, so the landscape changes.

The first 4 km are a steep ascent along a dry rocky slope, with a fairly comfortable path and wonderful views of the Libyan Sea behind you. We reach the ridge of the nearest hills and enter a kind of flat valley on which the village of Anopoli and several others are located. For a while it is flat, the landscape is somewhat agricultural, there are a few houses, the main square of the village and many olive trees. Next, there is a pine forest, the terrain slowly rises, it is not steep, we run quickly because there is a comfortable dirt road under our feet. Only for a moment though. Around 7 km we have another change. Here we run into a kind of narrow valley, which twists and turns much steeper, with a narrow rocky path. We are still surrounded by a pine forest, but a bit wilder, with many old, fallen trees. You must also remember that it is a forest, but a Mediterranean one, the trees grow rather sparse and you cannot count on any shade.

After the next 4 kilometers there is a significant change. The forest is ending, there are no trees around, there is virtually no vegetation visible at all. Here we run into the area called Madara. A rocky desert stretches for kilometers in all directions, in white and grayish colors, with a huge number of peaks all around. Nothing obscures the views, the landscape is truly lunar. We keep running along a narrow, rocky path. It's hard to even tell which direction, the peaks around don't form any regular ranges, they all look equally high, and for a long time it's unclear which Pachnes it is. Fortunately, there are volunteers at the top and they kindly inform you that that's it. We have the highest point on the route (2453m) and the descent begins. After over 20 km of continuous uphill, it's actually a relief. And this run is huge again - it is over 20 km long! Ok, there are a few flat sections and even short climbs along the way, but generally you have to be prepared for the powerful effects of gravity. First, we do a triangle section of several kilometers to run back to the route we ran up at a place called Rusies and return the same way to the finish line, which is located in the village of Anopoli.

But before that, we have an additional attraction. Here in Katsiveli (1980m) you can get traditional Greek Graviera cheese. As long as you're fast enough and no one took it before you. Cheese is waiting for the first competitor who wants to face him. And there's something to do with it, because the cheese weighs 4 km and you have to run with it for 18 km. I have personal experience with this cheese, because last year I overtook a competitor who had this cheese in his backpack on the downhill. He was generally faster than me, but with the extra weight on your back you're not that fast anymore. It's also worth mentioning that this cheese is made on site, high in the mountains, by shepherds from goat and sheep's milk. It turns out that according to goats and sheep something grows in these mountains, and these are very tasty herbs (where do they find them?). Cheese made from the milk of animals that eat these herbs has a unique taste. This cheese is definitely worth fighting for!

With or without cheese, we run to the finish line. The path seems to be the same, but as we know from experience, the way up and the way down are never the same. We can enjoy the speed or admiring the views. After a few hours in this stone desert, even the rocky trail seems easier. At the finish line we have 44 km, 3050 m up and 2480 m down.

I will also mention that the main distance described takes place on Saturday. On Sunday, there is a vertical route from Loutro to Anapoli. Distance 4.9 km 680 m up.

At the end of October, there is no heat in Crete, so the weather for running is comfortable. I ran the Sfakia Sky Marathon competition twice. In 2021 it was unfortunately cloudy and slightly limited views but in 2022 the weather was excellent. At the bottom it is usually just over 20 degrees, at the very top it was about 12-15 degrees.
The best place to stay is the town of Chora Sfakion (from where the ferry to Loutro departs), with plenty of accommodation for rent and many taverns by the sea. Chora Sfakion is located approximately 70 km from the city of Chania.

If someone would like to spend more time in this area, I especially recommend the E-4 coastal path, which is described in detail on my website - RunniGreece. On the same page there is also a guide to mountain running in Greece and many interesting texts about Greek culture.

Greg Olesiak

Official Sfakia Sky Marathon website: www.sfakiaskymarathon.com
My website with much more reviews from Greek running competitions: www.runningreece.eu

About Author:
Greg Olesiak - Polish ultrarunner, mountaineering, biker and website designer. I’ve been living in Greece for four years now, for some time in Litochoro now in Chania. I was competing in running competitions in Greece more than 80 times.