Events in three different cities have been staged by the HOC to mark Olympic Day ©HOC

Events in three different cities have been staged by the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) to mark the annual Olympic Day celebrations.

According to the HOC, thousands of people participated in the events, held in Athens, Thessaloniki and Ancient Olympia.

The organisation has claimed participation exceeded their expectations.

As well as the events, a video message to mark Olympic Day was projected by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.

Commemorative diplomas were handed out to all of those who took part.

A run organised by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation proved to be the most popular event as over 5,000 runners participated.

HOC hailed the participation at the events across the country as better than they expected ©HOC
HOC hailed the participation at the events across the country as better than they expected ©HOC

It started from the Panathenaic Stadium in the Greek capital, site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, and finished at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre.

A kids athletics programme was held alongside the run, where children got the chance to try out various events under the tuition of former athletes.

Children on the "Five Rings" summer camp programme celebrated the occasion alongside Olympic gold medallists Nikos Syranidis, Niki Bakoyannis and Olga Vasdeki at the Olympic Stadium, site of the 2004 Games. 

Various celebrations were organised in Ancient Olympia, the site that hosted the original Olympic Games, attended by the HOC secretary general Manolis Kolymbadis and other representatives from the governing body.

This included a the COSMOGYM festival and contest, attended by around 1,100 athletes at the Peristeri Indoor Hall, and featured a video message from Bach and HOC President Spyros Capralos.

A sport event entitled "Kids Olympics" was held at the Olympic Museum as part of celebrations organised in Thessaloniki, while around 100 children, aged between eight and 18, took part in climbing, mountaineering, swimming at sea and beach handball in the region of Schinias and Parnitha.