Stylianos Kyriakides

BEGINNING - CHAMPION - PIONEER RUNNER - PATRIOT - HUMANITARIAN

RUNNING FOR THE HUMAN RACE

01

THE BEGINNING

Stylianos Kyriakides was born in the mountain village of Statos, near Pafos, in Cyprus in 1910. The youngest of five children, he left home for the city of Limassol at the age of 14, to find work and help his poor farming family. Following a variety of jobs he ended up as a ‘house boy’ for Dr. Cheverton, the British Medical Officer. Various jobs, A marathon runner himself, Cheverton encouraged, the now 22-year-old Kyriakides to start running, gave him his first running gear, and coaching advice, and taught him to speak English.

No 7

His lucky number

He was 1.72 tall, Won Boston wearing bib 77, his time was 2:29:27, died at the age of 77 in 1987, 1946 was the 7th time that Boston was run on the 19th instead of the usual 20th of April, won on a Saturday the 7th day of the week, and he was the 35th individual winner (5x7=35), His certificate of berth had the no 7

1934 - Balkan games

Zagreb 1934

Winner in the marathon, with a new Greek record.

02

THE CHAMPION

At his first Pan-Cyprian games in 1932, Kyriakides won the 1,500 and 10,000 metres on Friday, followed by the 5,000 and 20,000 metres on Saturday and Sunday. Hailed as a great talent, he was asked to run in the national championships in Greece, where he came first in the marathon and second in the 10,000 metres.

He subsequently trained under Otto Simitchek, the famous coach, who had been brought to Greece in 1929 to revive the Greek national track and field team. Simitchek created the ‘Greek Dream Team’ of the 1930’s and 1940’s. Although Kyriakides was the youngest of the team, because of his serious approach and honest character, he was chosen by Simitchek to be the team Captain.

BORN

1910

BIRTHPLACE

Statos, Paphos, Cyprus

DIED

1987

03

THE PIONEER RUNNER

In 1935, Kyriakides became the first long-distance runner to use a hand stop-watch for pace. The next long-distance runner to use a wrist stopwatch for pace was Bill Rogers in 1982.

He is the first to buy books on stretching exercises, food/diet, and lifestyle, something unknown for long-distance runners of the same era.

He was also one of the first runners to train via long-distance correspondence, with his coach Otto Simitchek, in 1934-1935, and 1945.

To go to Boston in 1946, Kyriakides had to overcome the difficulties of the years of German occupation of Greece and the subsequent civil war. Suffering from malnutrition and being very thin, the doctor who examines him before the race refuses to allow him to run. Eventually, Kyriakides takes full responsibility for the decision.

04

THE PATRIOT

In 1946 when Kyriakides crossed the finish line he shouted "FOR GREECE".

President Truman authorized " THE KYRIAKIDES AID PACKAGE" 25.000 tonnes of food and medical aid and 250.000 USD for Greece.

In 1947 at the request of Kyriakides, President Truman again assisted Greece with 50.000 USD and 2nd hand athletic equipment so that the Greek national track and field team could participate in the 1948 Olympic games in London.

Also in 1947 President Truman authorized a 400.000.000 USD special assistance for Greece, called the "Truman Doctrine"

05

THE HUMANITARIAN

In 1950 Kyriakides becomes a member of the Greek Athletic Association technical committee and starts assisting in the renovation of Greek field and track teams. Because of his English, he is the contact of all foreign athletic teams visiting Greece, and leads the Greek teams when abroad.

In 1952 he started organizing athletics for the young, beginning in his neighborhood of Filothey. Between 1954 and 1956, he helped build the Filothey running track and in 1956 started the Filothey Athletic Track and Field Club. In 1972 the track became only the second stadium in Greece to have a ‘tartan’ surface fitted. Although small, under Kyriakides’ guidance, the Filothey club breeds many Greek, Balkan, Mediterranean, and Olympic Champions.