Greek ultramarathon in Santiago de Compostela

After running across all continents, after running ultramarathons in jungles, the ultramarathoner Themos Sgouras he is about to add another one to his credit. This time he will follow in the footsteps of pioneers for centuries and walk or run CAMINO route for the support of the Non-Governmental Organization “Desmos”. The action started on June 28 from San Sebastián in the Basque Country and will end after 37 days in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia.

At the time of the interview, he was in an agro-tourism guesthouse, in a forest near the village of Markina, in the Basque Country, having completed the third of 37 days. It was only 12 degrees Celsius and it was raining.

The morning usually starts with a run, depending on the weather and morphological conditions as well as his physical condition. He then stops at the next village for food and continues walking, taking photos or videos while taking on the new challenge. As he says to APE-MPE, one part is sports and the other is experiential, “as a Camino should be”as he talks and gets to know the locals.

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela It dates back to the Middle Ages and is one of the most important pilgrimage routes in Europe and one of the most important pilgrimages for Catholics. It has many alternative routes within Spain and was certified as a Cultural Route by the Council of Europe, while in 1985 it was also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It crosses the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia and the route is varied: secluded sandy beaches, steep cliffs, endless meadows, the Atlantic Ocean, historic cities and dense forests. Today it is a great experiential experience for thousands of people, an opportunity to get in touch with nature, people, culture, history.

“I started doing marathons many years ago, then I used to take part in some races that are five days in jungles, in Asia, in Africa, in Latin America, where you run 250 kilometers in five days. All of this was experiential, of course, but it was also athletic. The Camino attracted me because I always wanted the next one to be something different and to tickle me a bit. I was attracted to this contact with the world, that I would be able to meet people and talk to them. You don’t just hit the mileage and you’re just an athlete. This is where I started running but I am sure that as the days go by I will reduce my logic of running the Camino and enter the spirit of the pilgrims, which is not necessarily connected to religion”says Mr. Sgouras speaking to APE-MPE.

He carries with him the bare essentials: a few changes of clothes and equipment, things that in total do not exceed 14 kg. With these he will walk for the next 40 days.

In Spain, Camino pilgrims are treated with great respect, which is confirmed by the Greek ultramarathoner. In his case, however, they are even more impressed that a non-Catholic Greek made the decision to follow in the footsteps of the ancient pilgrims.

The primary purpose of the project is to collect donations for the action of “Desmos”. Themos Sgouras has known “Desmos” for many years, but came into direct contact with his work after the devastating fires in Eastern Attica, where he is a resident. In the midst of the first COVID lockdown, he decided that since he can’t run outside the walls, he can run in his backyard. So on April 25, 2020, he ran about 48 km in his backyard, in order to raise money for this organization.

Themos Sgouras will arrive at final destination in Santiago de Compostela on August 2 and will then return to Athens.

RES-EMP

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