Every year, on the eve of the Athens Classic Marathon, a ?Marathon Flame? is lit to commemorate the Battle of Marathon and is aimed at standing as a symbol for world peace and to spread the ideals of the Marathon event all around the world. The flame only travels to selected cities that host world-class races. The flame is then kept in the Marathon Run Museum until the following year?s anniversary.

This is an enormous privilege for the city of Prague, who will be hosting the flame as part of the programme leading up to the Volkswagen Prague Marathon on Sunday, 9th May. The flame will arrive from Athens and will be brought to a special ?flame lighting ceremony? to be held on the Old Town Square on Wednesday, 5 May from approximately 4 p.m. onwards on Wednesday, 5th May. The flame will burn in the ?Marathon Lion? ? a glass sculpture representing the Bohemian Lion which will be displayed on the Old Town Square until the close of the Volkswagen Prague Marathon on Sunday the 9th.

The lion was made and designed by the craftsmen from the glass factory Ajeto.

Programme of the Marathon Flame in Prague

5 May Marathon flame run to Old Town Square where a celebration will be held from 4 p.m. during which during which the Marathon Lion will be lit
5 ? 9 May Marathon lion on Old Town Square
9 May Flame extinction ceremony and relocating the lion to the National Museum

Marathon lion

• Mteriala: glass (LED backlit)
• Size: Width 140 cm, Height100 cm, Weight 80 kg
• Design and production: Sklárny Ajeto spol. s r.o. Czech Glass Craft