The Acropolis Rally is one of the toughest events on the European and World Rally circuits. The mix of rough, twisty, fast mountain stages coupled with blistering heat and choking dust means cars must be built with extra sturdiness to cope with rock-strewn stages. Drivers and co-drivers must contend with pounding terrain and high summer temperatures that often reached 50 °C within the cockpit. Many drivers rate the event as a test of skill, patience, bravery and endurance, going as far as comparing the Acropolis with the infamous Safari Rally.
Winners at the Acropolis include Walter Röhrl, Björn Waldegård, Ari Vatanen, Stig Blomqvist, Juha Kankkunen, Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae, among others.
The Acropolis Rally started as a marathon/endurance type event in the early 1950s. When the rally became part of the WRC after 1973, crews faced up to 800 competitive kilometres in some of the most gruelling stages imaginable. Stages were located all over Greece up to the late 1980s, including Kalambaka and Meteora, stages near Mount Olympus, Attica, Central Greece and the Peloponnese. The traditional start took place under the legendary Acropolis in Athens, and the finish ceremony was carried out in the Panathenaic stadium.
With the WRC transitioning to sprint-type events, the Acropolis Rally followed suit, basing operations in specific areas and using stages nearby. Classic rally headquarters in the 1990s and early 2000s were the cities of Lamia and Itea. In 2005, the rally headquarters and service park moved to the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. In 2007, they moved to the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre. In 2008, the headquarters were situated at the Tatoi military airport — the last time the rally was based in Attica. In 2009, headquarters and the service park moved to Loutraki near the Corinth Canal, with stages in Argolis and Corinthia. For the 2016 ERC season, the event returned to Lamia. The 2026 edition will be held again in Loutraki.
In August 2020, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis assured that the government was ready to support the organizers financially. In late December 2020, the Hellenic Ministry of Sport agreed with the Organizing Committee for Motorsport to revive the Acropolis Rally. In March 2021, it was officially announced the Acropolis Rally of Gods would return for the 2021 World Rally Championship, taking place in September 2021 with Lamia as the host city.
The best stages are undoubtedly in the Phthiotis and Phokis regions, mainly around the Parnassus and Giona mountains. Recently used stages such as Bauxites/Karoutes, Drosohori, Pavliani, Kaloskopi, Elatia, Rengini, Eleftherohori and Moschokarya are favorites among drivers and fans for their fast and flowing nature. Other notable stages include Kineta and Aghi Theodori around the Geraneia mountains in Corinthia, Prodromos, Livadeia and Thiva in Boeotia, and Parnonas in mainland Peloponnese. The Parnitha stage, the Ymitos stage, and the Assopia and Aghia Sotira stages in Attica are further notable sections. The spectacular Meteora stage was last used in the late 1980s in the longer version of the rally. Several stages feature significant archaeological landmarks, including the "Klenia-Mycenae" stage, which passes the archaeological site of Mycenae.
Many classic stages such as Grammeni Oxia, Gardiki, Hani Zagana, Evangelistria, Prodromos, Aliki and Loukissia have been asphalt-paved at some point and are no longer used, since the Acropolis Rally is a mainly gravel-based event.
The Tarzan test in Evrytania is an unusually difficult 30.3 km stage, originally called the Fourna and Rentina test. The name originates from Giorgos Burgos, a police officer from Fourna in Evritania who lived in Athens. Suffering from tuberculosis and given a few months to live, he moved back to Fourna and ultimately reached the age of 92. The Acropolis Rally passed through his hut from the 22nd edition in 1975, at which time the special route was called "Fourna." The stage first appeared under the name "Tarzan" at the 26th Acropolis Rally in 1979, in honor of Giorgos Bourgos (a local resident and rally fan). The stage ran continuously until the 42nd running in 1995; for its last four years the route was renamed "Rentina-Tarzan" after using the second half of the classic 30.3 km stage finishing in Tsoukka.
At the 50th anniversary edition in 2003, a shortened 20.65 km version called "New Tarzan" was held twice, paying tribute to the route's legacy. In June 1991, Didier Auriol dismantled a wheel rim and his suspension there, losing the lead and the overall victory; he later stated the Tarzan stage was his favorite Acropolis special stage. The Tarzan stage returned in the 2021 Acropolis Rally as the Power Stage of the event.
The rally is also known for its Super Special Stages. The Marlboro Super Stage in Anavissos, south of Athens, began this tradition in the early 1990s. After the event base moved to Itea and Lamia in the early 2000s, a Super Special Stage was used on the outskirts of Lilea Parnassos. In 2005, a superspecial stage was introduced within the Athens Olympic Stadium, which was also the highlight of the 2005 WRC schedule — that year the Acropolis Rally was awarded the "Rally of the Year" title. In 2006 there were two superspecials in the same stadium. In 2007, the superspecial moved to the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre. In 2008, it was held twice at the Tatoi military airport. In 2018, a superspecial returned to the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre. In 2022, the rally made a return to the Athens Olympic Stadium for the rally-opening super special stage.
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