Abstract
Running has been the most elementary athletic activity since ancient times. Beginning as a competitive event over various distances, mass running today represents one of the most popular leisure activities worldwide (Yair, 1990). An increasing number of people are choosing running as a preferred sports activity to stay physically active. Therefore, the beneficial effects of running have been widely studied, emphasising its physiological effects (Cantwell, 1985; Marti, 1991; Williams, 1997), its psychological effects (Byrne, 1993; Paluska, 2000; Morris, 1994); or even its social effects (Shipway, 2010). Today, running is considered a useful tool for health promotion and protection against/prevention of illnesses related to sedentary lifestyles. In this chapter, the focus on mass running includes running as an activity open to all, conducted on open roads or elsewhere, voluntarily taken up and enjoyed outside the organisational frames of the traditional and competitive sports structure. Whereas traditional and competitive running are governed by the General Secretariat of Sport of the Hellenic Association for Amateur Athletics, recreational mass running is not included in any official track and field competition event.
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© 2015 Leonidas Petridis
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Petridis, L. (2015). Greece. In: Scheerder, J., Breedveld, K., Borgers, J. (eds) Running across Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137446374_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137446374_7
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
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