Amadeus Clements: Greek National Record Holder, on the Road to Athens Marathon Glory

This season marks Amadeus Clements's return to the start line with one target in mind. After a first season marked by personal records and an injury that required months of rehabilitation, the Greek national record holder went back to Iten, Kenya, in May 2026 to rebuild his training around the best marathon runners in the world. His focus now is singular: the Athens Marathon on November 9th, 2026, and the Greek Marathon Championship title.

The target

Amadeus's goal is precise: 2:14:59, the time needed to win the Greek Marathon Championship at Athens. It follows a personal best of 2:28:51 at the Hannover Marathon in 2025, where he finished 36th overall. Closing that gap means racing significantly faster per kilometer, a jump built on altitude training, a detailed pacing strategy, and daily sessions alongside the best distance runners on the planet.

Training in the world capital of marathon running

Amadeus moved to Iten because it is, in his words, the greatest place in the world for anyone who wants to become a champion in distance running. The altitude, around 2,400 meters, forces the body to adapt, work harder, and unlock a new level of aerobic power that translates directly into faster racing at sea level. The weather stays consistent year round, and the soft, endless red dirt roads are gentle enough to support high mileage without breaking the body down.

But for Amadeus, the most powerful factor isn't the environment. It's the people. Training every day alongside the greatest runners on the planet pushes him, challenges him, and raises his standards. Every session becomes a race. Every race makes him stronger. Life in Iten is simple: healthy food, few distractions, and a lifestyle built entirely around what matters, training well, recovering well, and becoming the best version of himself.

Racing the course, kilometer by kilometer

To reach 2:14:59, Amadeus has built a detailed race pace plan mapped to the Athens course, which varies significantly from start to finish. The first half stays locked into a pace just under 3:11 per kilometer on the flat roads out of Tambach Stadium. Then comes the defining stretch: 12 kilometers uphill from Tambach to Iten, where the target pace shifts between 3:11 and 3:24 per kilometer depending on the gradient. The race finishes with a fast downhill section that calls for around 3:03 per kilometer.

Training with engo

ENGO is central to executing that plan with precision, especially given how much the Athens course profile varies. Amadeus uses it to simulate the race in training, particularly during long runs: holding rhythm on the flat at Tambach Stadium, managing effort on the climb back to Iten, and practicing the fast finish on the descent from Iten to Kessup. It lets him run with his head up, hitting the correct pace at every kilometer without ever losing the rhythm of the runners around him.

In his own words:

Amadeus Clements, Greek national record holder, engo athlete

What's changed

The biggest change has been precision. Amadeus no longer loses seconds glancing down at his watch mid-session, and having a constant view of his pace keeps him locked onto his target, kilometer after kilometer, whatever the gradient. For a margin as tight as his, that precision is what turns a race pace plan into a result on the day.

His advice to athletes on the fence