It’s most famous for being the island on which the exiled St John the Apostle penned the Book of Revelation. Beautiful, mystical and remote, Patmos’s significance to the Christian world has long been one of the island’s main draws, encouraging visitors to make the long boat ride to the eastern Dodecanese. Still others come to enjoy relaxed and high-quality holidays away from the crowds seen on busier islands like Mykonos and Santorini.

Now the local authorities are looking to add sports enthusiasts to the growing list of Patmos-devotees by hosting the Patmos Revelation, a three-day event featuring running and open-water swimming races.

The event, to take place between June 30 – July 2 is being hosted by the Municipality of Patmos in collaboration with the Active Media Group. Professional athletes and recreational runners and swimmers of all ages are invited to take part. The participants will run and swim alongside Olympians and other top Greek athletes.

“The reason we decided to bring sports tourism to Patmos is because we want to promote the beauty of our island, inviting people of all ages to visit us and offering them learning, entertainment and hospitality,” Patmos Mayor, Grigoris Stoikos said. Part of the revenue from the event is to be donated to the Patmiada Ecclesiastical School.

The Routes

Two running routes will be open to participants: a 5km route (starting from Skala, following the coastal route to Grikos and returning to Skala) and a 15km route (starting from Skala, following the coastal route to Grikos, passing through the town of Chora and returning to Skala). The unique routes have been designed and edited by the director of All About Running, Nikos Polias.

The open water swimming race will follow a route designed by Nikos Gemelos, the technical coach of national Greek swimming team, who has trained dozens of open water swimming athletes for the Olympic Games and World Championships. Swimmers will cover a distance of 1.6km (1 mile) under the supervision of the Lifeguard School of the city of Katerini.

Beyond the Races: Getting There and Accommodation

Special deals will be available for those taking part for accommodation and transport, and extra ferries have been arranged to make getting to the island as easy as possible. Organizers also promise a complete entertainment package for participants, providing them with an unforgettable ‘Patmos experience’ that they hope will see many of them returning to the island for many years to come.

Registration for the event is now open here.