A little further away from the Temple of Olympian Zeus, there is the Panathenaic Stadium also known as Kalimarmaro.

The first stadium to stand in this position was constructed around 330 BC and is used in the leading festival of Athens, the Great Panathenaia- Panathenaic Games. The shape of the stadium is typical of the time: a line with spectators seated on the three sides.

During the reign of Hadrian, Herod Atticus rebuilt the stadium, made the platforms marble (instead of wood) and expanded it so to fit 50,000 spectators. He also changed its shape, which became like a horseshoe, just as it is today.

During the Middle Ages the stadium was stripped of all its marbles and abandoned. In the late 19th century, when the Olympic Games were revived, the Panathenaic Stadium was fully reconstructed, funded by the national benefactor Georgios Averof, whose statue is now in front of the Stadium. The Panathenaic Stadium was built entirely from the famous Pentelic marble, so it is called "Kallimarmaro"(good-marble) and has a capacity of over 80,000 spectators. In 1896 the first Olympic games were held here, with Greek Spyros Louis being the first Marathon winner. Since then, the Panathenaic Stadium is used for a variety of sporting and cultural events. It goes without saying that every year here is the finish line of the authentic Athens Marathon, while several concerts have taken place here.