Run the 2026 Athens Marathon for charity

• dedicated support from me, Eloise
• a branded Dementia UK running vest and personalised iron-on name
• a fundraising guide with advice, hints and tips
• fundraising materials including collection buckets, posters, balloons and more
• membership of our exclusive Facebook Group where you can share top training and fundraising tips
• training plans to help you prepare
• access to our training hub, with videos, articles and weekly countdowns covering everything you need

Every penny you raise from your event will help our dementia specialist Admiral Nurses provide a lifeline to more families facing dementia – and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Fundraising ideas 

Organising another fundraising activity alongside your main challenge will help you smash your goal. Here are some ideas:

• Host a quiz
• Arrange a raffle
• Hold a sweepstake on how long your challenge will take
• Organise a bake sale at home, at work or in your community
• Create a sponsored playlist for your event, where supporters donate to add their choice of song

Your fundraising welcome pack 

Once you’ve signed up for your challenge, we’ll send you a fundraising welcome pack that’s full of advice on how to meet – and beat – your target.

JustGiving  

Setting up a JustGiving page is a great way to fundraise online. Share your link with family, friends and colleagues, and watch the donations roll in.

You can use JustGiving to explain why you’re taking on your challenge for Dementia UK, keep track of how much you’ve raised, and even share your training progress using Strava so your supporters can see how well you’re doing. The more you update and share your JustGiving page, the more donations you’ll receive.

Gift Aid 

If your supporters are UK taxpayers and their donation is voluntary (not proceeds of a sale), we can claim an extra 25p for every £1 donated – at no extra cost to them. Make sure they fill in the Gift Aid form in your fundraising pack or tick the correct boxes if they’re donating online.

Sending in your donations 

If you’re fundraising through JustGiving, the donations will automatically come to us. If you’ve got cash to pay in, you can do this  online, by phone, by bank transfer or by post.

What is the difference between an own place and a charity place?

An ‘own place’ is a place directly allocated to you by the Athens Marathon organisers, whereas a ‘charity place’ is allocated to you by a specific charity.

The ballot place only requires you to pay a registration fee, whereas a charity place requires you to pay a registration fee and raise a minimum sponsorship pledge.

Can I register for an own place?

Yes, directly with the organisers. Please note, runners who are not European Union residents (which refers to current residency and not nationality) can only register at the ’full registration level’ regardless of the date that the registration is submitted: MARATHON RACE Marathon | athensauthenticmarathon.gr

How to get a charity place

We’re looking for applications that provide as much detail as possible about why you would like to run for Dementia UK and your fundraising ideas. Include as many ideas as you can, and details of any networks you can use to help you.

We always receive more applications for the Athens Marathon than we have places, so we can’t guarantee that everyone who applies will be offered a place.

Can I change my charity place application?

Unfortunately, you can’t edit your application once submitted. However, if you email your amendments to  events@dementiauk.org  from the same email address you applied with, we will endeavour to update your application.

How much do I need to fundraise?

Charity place participants pledge to raise a minimum of £1,000.

There is no minimum fundraising target for ballot place runners; we just ask you to raise what you can for families affected by dementia.

Why do you ask for a minimum sponsorship pledge of £1,000?

Your registration fee contributes to the admin cost of an Athens Marathon place. These come at a high cost to charities, so we ask for a higher fundraising target compared to some of our other running events to help us to cover some of these costs and ensure we can support more families affected by dementia.

We ask for a pledge of £1,000 in line with what other charities require their Athens Marathon participants to fundraise.

At Dementia UK, we value every donation we receive. By setting a minimum sponsorship pledge, we can raise as much money as possible and carefully plan how to spend that money to ensure we can provide people living with dementia with the best possible support.

We can assure you that the money raised will grow our life-changing support services so our dementia specialist Admiral Nurses can be there for as many families as possible across the UK. What we do and what your donations help fund.

If you or someone you know ever need support with any aspect of dementia, please do reach out to the Admiral Nurses on our Helpline or  book a virtual clinic appointment.

What happens if I don’t raise the minimum sponsorship for a charity place?

We ask that you only apply if you’re confident in raising the minimum £1,000 fundraising pledge. To help you meet your fundraising target, the Dementia UK Athens Marathon Support Team will support you every step of the way with fundraising ideas and resources to help you bring in as many donations as possible.

It is often helpful to break down the fundraising target into smaller amounts, month by month. By focusing on raising a smaller amount each month, you can plan fundraising activities and incentives to reach each target.

When will I know if I have a charity place?

We are aiming to allocate all our places by early March 2026 and will be in touch once a decision has been made regarding your application.

We will email all applicants to let them know the outcome of their application.

If you are successful, we ask that you pay a £50 registration fee to confirm your place and pledge to raise the minimum amount in your application (excluding Gift Aid).

What support will Team Dementia UK runners receive?

If you secure a place on our team, we will provide:

• a welcome pack with information on how to get started with your fundraising
• a Dementia UK running vest
• access to our training hub which includes essential advice and training plans
• exclusive access to webinars, top tips and advice from our training experts
• access to our Facebook Group to share swap tips, advice and inspiration with other people who are taking part in this amazing event
• exceptional support from our dedicated Athens Marathon Support Team.

Definitions
‘Dementia UK/we/us/our’ means Dementia UK (Registered Charity Number 1039404) of 7th Floor, One Aldgate, London EC3N 1RE: the charity that has reserved your place in the event.

‘You/your/yourself’ means the person agreeing to be bound by these terms and conditions and who is using a Dementia UK place to take part in an event.

‘Event’ means the Athens Marathon.

‘Event organiser’ means Authentic Athens Marathon, organised by SEGAS (Hellenic Amateur Athletic Association) which operates from 137 Syngrou Avenue, 171 21 Nea Smirni, Athens, Greece.

‘Fee’ means the registration fee that you are required to pay to confirm your place in the event.

1. Participation
   1. You acknowledge that participation in the event may be physically demanding and you are aware of the nature of the event and associated medical and physical risks involved.
   2. You agree that you are physically capable of taking part in the event and agree to be solely responsible for your actions and save as provided elsewhere in these terms and conditions, Dementia UK is not responsible for any injury or illness that you may suffer as a result of your participation in the event.
   3. The minimum age of entry is 18 years at the date of the event.
   4. You have read, agree to and accept the event organiser’s General Conditions of Entry which can be read here. To the extent there is any conflict with these terms and conditions, the terms of the General Conditions of Entry shall prevail.
2. Bookings, payments and your obligations
   1. Applications must be made by completing the Dementia UK application form. On successful application you will submit payment of the entry fee of £50. You may also be required to register your place in the event directly with the event organiser.
   2. You shall not be eligible or entitled to participate in the event and no binding contract shall exist between you and us until we have provided you with written confirmation that the application was successful and full payment of the entry fee has been received.
   3. In order to take part in the event, you pledge to raise the amount stated in your application or £1,000, whichever is the greater figure, and excluding Gift Aid. You agree to pay all sponsorship monies to Dementia UK within 42 days of the date of the event.
   4. You also agree to:
      1. Notify us immediately and within seven days of an event or incident that results in you being unable to take part in the event (whether medical or otherwise).
      2. Comply with any rules or regulations relating to the event as we or the event organiser may notify you of from time to time.
      3. Follow all instructions given to us, the event organiser and any of our or the event organiser’s agents, employees or workers, or any referees, stewards or other event officials in respect of the event.
3. Withdrawal, cancellations or alterations
   1. The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable to other persons or event year under any circumstances save that we may in our discretion refund the fee in limited circumstances such as:
      1. The event is cancelled by the event organiser provided that we receive a refund on sums we paid to the event organiser for the relevant places in the event.
      2. Any other circumstances in which, in the opinion of Dementia UK, it would be reasonable to provide a refund. The decision of Dementia UK on this matter is final.
   2. You acknowledge that Dementia UK places are limited, and payment of the fee and reservation of the place affects expenditure of Dementia UK and charity income for the event. Notice of withdrawal from the event must be communicated by emailing  events@dementiauk.org, or by writing to Community and Events Fundraising, Dementia UK, 7th Floor, One Aldgate, London EC3N 1RE within seven days of an event or incident that results in you being unable to take part in the event.
   3. If you have purchased a charity place with Dementia UK but need to withdraw from the sporting event, Dementia UK cannot guarantee you a deferral to the following event year. All deferral requests must be communicated in writing by emailing  events@dementiauk.org  and it will be at the discretion of Dementia UK if you are successful as per our deferral policy.
   4. All successful deferral applicants will not be refunded their fee, however their fundraising can be transferred to their new event date. All deferral applicants will need to repay their fee for their new event date. Please be aware the cost of the fee may increase and you are obliged to pay the updated fee cost.
   5. Your place in the event is personal to you and you may not transfer it or any of your other rights or obligations to any other person without our prior written consent and provided that the event organiser consents to such transfer.
   6. Places in the event are strictly limited and are subject to availability. We may refuse entry to remove or exclude or cancel your place in the event if:
      1. We consider that your participation in the event will bring the event, the event organiser or Dementia UK into disrepute or otherwise damage the reputation of Dementia UK, the event or the event organiser;
      2. The event organiser refuses entry at any time;
      3. In our reasonable opinion you appear unlikely to be able to participate in the event due to injury, illness or incapacitation.
4. Publicity and results
   1. You understand that Dementia UK may take photograph and video images of you on the day of the event. You hereby agree that Dementia UK may use any such images to promote Dementia UK, its charitable aims, the event and future events, whether on its website or in publicity material (both electronic and hardcopy) or on websites and publicity material of third parties. Dementia UK owns all rights in any images and publicity material created by Dementia UK and you shall obtain no rights in relation to the same.
5. Data protection
   1. By entering into this agreement, you agree that any personal information provided by you or collected about you in connection with the event may be held and used by us in relation to the event.
   2. You also agree that the personal information provided by you may be shared with:
      1. The event organiser who may use it in connection with the organisation and/or administration of the event or for other reasons associated with the event.
      2. And in the case of the event organiser, we may share the personal information before we have determined whether your application has been successful.
   3. We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with our privacy notice.
   4. You agree to inform Dementia UK of any changes to the information supplied in your original application as soon as such changes occur.
   5. We will be the data controller of the information which you provide us or which we obtain in relation to the event and the event organiser will be an independent data controller of any information which we pass on to them pursuant to clause 5.2.