The two men were running in the Six Peaks race, which passes through the six highest peaks of Falakros in northern Greece, when lightning struck a group of runners at 4 a.m. at an altitude of 1,340 meters (4,400 feet), a police officer said. The Associated Press. Two fire rescue teams climbed the mountain from the nearby city of Drama and found one runner, 55, already dead and another, 56, seriously injured. The injured runner was taken by helicopter to a hospital in the city of Kavala, where authorities said he is in a serious condition. Neither was identified. The 35.7-kilometer (22.2-mile) race had started at 7pm on Saturday in the village of Pyrgoi, 630 meters (2,066 feet) up the slopes of the 2,232-meter (7,323-foot) mountain. The six highest peaks of Falakros in Greece are over 2,000 meters (6,562 ft) high. the mountain extends into Bulgaria. The weather was fine when the race started, but during the night it rained heavily and the trail became muddy. By the time the lightning struck, several of the 55 runners who took part had reached the finish line at a mountain hut at the top of the Falacro ski resort. Runners had 12 hours to complete the race. The race is one of five and the second shortest, organized since 2018 by the Neurokopi Hiking and Mountaineering Club, located in the nearby town of Kato Neurokopi collectively known as Frozen Peaks. The three longest races—269, 103, and 46 kilometers (167, 64, and 28.6 miles)—are certified by the Switzerland-based International Trail Running Association. ——— Nellas reported from Athens, Greece
