Oia hosts Santorini Experience races on 18 October

Oia hosts Santorini Experience from 16 to 18 October 2026, with three trail races starting and finishing in the village on 18 October. The event brings running and open-water swimming to Santorini, Greece, and uses the caldera landscape as part of its course.

The races start at the desalination plant in Oia, linking the village directly to the weekend programme. The 5 km, 10 km and 15 km routes give the event a clearly defined presence at the settlement rather than treating it only as a backdrop.

Santorini Experience brings three races to Oia on 18 October

The organisers have scheduled the 12th edition of Santorini Experience for 16 to 18 October 2026. The running programme in Oia takes place on Sunday 18 October, while the wider event also includes a 2.4 km open-water swim from the volcano to the Old Port of Fira on Saturday 17 October.

The 15 km and 10 km races follow the caldera area and pass through Imerovigli and Firostefani before returning to the Oia start and finish. The 5 km course is also based at the desalination plant and is designated for running or power walking. The event is co-organised by the Municipality of Thira, its Department of Sports and Culture, and ActiveMedia Group, as reported in the published programme.

Oia brings a historic settlement into the race route

Oia lies on the north-western part of Santorini and is one of the island’s historic settlements. The national tourism board lists Oia and Fira among Santorini’s historic settlements, within an island group shaped by its volcanic caldera and surrounding islands.

The event therefore places its trail courses through a settlement whose built environment and position are part of Santorini’s identity. The combination of a desalination-plant start, caldera-edge paths and nearby traditional villages gives the 18 October programme a route that connects sport with the island’s historic landscape. The location of Oia and its place among Santorini’s historic settlements are recorded by Visit Greece information.

The official event page describes Santorini Experience as a programme of running and swimming races across Oia, Imerovigli, Fira and the volcano. Its schedule confirms the event period as 16 to 18 October 2026 and identifies Oia among the locations used by the competition.

Visiting Oia: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Oia trail races take place on 18 October 2026, starting and finishing at the desalination plant. The wider Santorini Experience programme runs from 16 to 18 October 2026.
• The event uses Oia as a race venue, with 5 km, 10 km and 15 km courses. The 2.4 km swim is a separate programme item on 17 October 2026 between the volcano and the Old Port of Fira.
• The longer routes pass through Imerovigli and Firostefani before returning towards Oia, while the 5 km route is also based at the desalination plant.
• The course terrain includes volcanic ground, traditional cobbled paths and changing levels along the caldera area. The published programme describes the 15 km route as the most demanding of the three running courses.
• Oia is in the north-west of Santorini, and the event also uses Fira, Imerovigli, Firostefani and the volcanic islands as named locations.

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Frequently asked questions about Oia

When does Santorini Experience take place at Oia?

The Oia trail races take place on 18 October 2026 as part of Santorini Experience, which runs from 16 to 18 October 2026.

What is Oia?

Oia is a historic settlement on the north-western part of Santorini, one of the Greek islands shaped by a volcanic caldera.

Where is Oia and how do you get there?

Oia is in the north-west of Santorini. The published event programme identifies the desalination plant in Oia as the start and finish for the three trail races on 18 October 2026.