Greek long-distance runner Despoina Simantrakou reacts as she finishes first at the women’s race of the Spartathlon race on September 27.
Sparthathlon/ Sparta photography club
Despoina Simantrakou made history on September 27, when she became the first Greek woman to win the women’s race in the annual Spartathlon race.
The 34-year-old lawyer, originally from the city of Grevena, in northern Greece, has been involved in long-distance running for only 10 years, but has covered hundreds of thousands of kilometers, all for the sake of a laurel wreath. And as she told Kathimerini, running is a “way of life” for her, and the “journey” – the preparation leading up to the race – holds special significance.
For her day job, Simantrakou can be found at her law firm in Thessaloniki or in a courtroom. Nothing about her appearance betrays the athlete who covered the distance from Athens to Sparta in 24 hours, 45 minutes, and 43 seconds, and made history in the ultra-demanding race. Yet, anyone familiar with her tenacity and track record would have expected this victory.
Simantrakou’s relationship with running began entirely by chance. Yet, it was love at first sight. “I had finished law school in Thessaloniki, and one evening I decided to go out for an eight-kilometer run. That was it. Afterward, I took part in a marathon, and 10 months later, I ran 80 kilometers in an event in Rhodope. Everything happened very quickly. I enjoy long-distance running. Initially, I did it to spend time in nature. Later, it became more competitive,” she tells us.
The Spartathlon is one of the most grueling races on the circuit. The 244.7-kilometer event’s roots trace back to ancient Greece, as athletes run in the footsteps of Pheidippides, the ancient runner who – according to historian Herodotus – was sent to Sparta in 490 BC to seek aid in the war against the Persians. In 1982, five British Air Force officers came to Greece to see if a human could cover this arduous distance in a day and a half. The International Spartathlon Association was founded in 1984 and has organized the race ever since.
“This is the third time I’ve taken part in the event. I didn’t expect to finish first because I had stomach issues early on in the race. Of course, that sort of thing happens to ultra-distance runners sometimes. I recovered during the night and gradually started pushing harder. The leader was 18 kilometers ahead of me, but little by little, I closed the gap. I have a support team to whom I owe everything,” Simantrakou says.
Over the years, many athletes running the Spartathlon have told us that they experience visions along the course. “It’s a form of self-preservation. You step outside your body and watch yourself competing. The course gets very difficult after the 190th kilometer. It’s dark, too. You’re running, and you turn your focus inward to your own self. You ask yourself: Have I eaten? Am I cold? Am I not cold? Where is the runner ahead of me? You think of your body as a leaking sack, and you try not to lose everything – water, food, strength, energy, and so on,” she explains.
“At the 203rd kilometer, I overtook the leading female runner. After that, I found my rhythm. I had the physical strength, because at the start, due to vomiting, I couldn’t push myself. Later, I began pushing to achieve a better time than last year. I covered the distance 52 minutes faster than last year and three hours and seven minutes faster than the first time. I had trained to achieve a slightly better time.”
When preparing for a race, Simantrakou runs for at least two hours every day. In the morning, before putting on her lawyer’s suit, she dons her running gear and heads out. Her colleagues support her in every endeavor. “To run long distances, you have to enjoy the whole process. I love this lifestyle, and even more so the preparation leading up to an event. The months beforehand are magical. And in the Spartathlon, all of this is done for a laurel wreath and a bit of water from the Evrotas River. Last year, I finished second. I still haven’t fully grasped the reality of this year’s victory,” she says.
The “akou” suffix in Despoina’s surname suggests origins in the Mani region. Consequently, many locals in Laconia view her as the “Maniot winner” of an event inextricably linked to the area. Yet, the Spartathlon champion actually hails from Grevena. “Perhaps an ancestor of mine left Mani,” she says with a laugh.
