We snapped this pic of Dromeas through the windows of a bus taking us from the airport to downtown Athens in May 2004
The first time we saw Dromeas was through the windows of a bus bringing us to central Athens from the airport back in 2004. We were suffering major jetlag from our overnight flight to Greece, and were struggling to stay awake as the bus lurched its way through heavy traffic into the bustling city core. We perked up when a tour rep urged us to look out the windows at a “really interesting glass statue” we were approaching. Though we only got a quick passing glimpse as the bus sped by, Dromeas looked impressive, and we were anxious to take a close-up, longer look.
Scary jagged shards of broken glass
I expected that Dromeas had been carved from giant blocks of glass, so I was surprised — and completely amazed — when I stood a few feet away and saw that he actually was built from thousands of broken pieces and shards of glass stacked into the shape of a runner in full sprint. (Truth be told, Dromeas gave me the chills; I kept visualizing bloody people, birds and animals horribly impaled by unfortunate collisions with the sharp, jagged pieces of glass sticking out from all sides of his body.)
The next time we saw Dromeas was in 2005, and we were disappointed to see him covered with dirt and grime, lacking the bright lustre we had remembered from only a year earlier. But we realized you can’t stand a glass sculpture next to a busy street in a major city and expect it to stay clean. And how the heck would you wipe dirt and dust from thousands of glass shards anyways? Dromeas would shred a Swiffer duster in an instant!
Squeaky clean or gritty and grimy, Dromeas is still one of my favourite contemporary sculptures. Below are more of our photos of the big glass runner. There are more images of him on Costas Varotsos’s website, including several pictures showing how the sculpture was assembled.
Dromeas appears to be passing the Hilton Athens Hotel in full sprint
Looking up at the imposing 12-meter marathoner
Dromeas’s torso and head viewed from the front right side
A closer look at Dromeas’s legs
You wouldn’t want to get kneed in the groin by this guy!
A tall iron frame supports Dromeas’s heavy glass body
October 2021 update:
The City of Athens gave Dromeas a much-needed power wash in late October of 2021, to remove years of accumulated dirt and grime that had dulled the sculpture’s luster.
On October 28 2021, Costas Varotsos shared this photo on his Instagram page, showing a city crew giving Dromeas a power wash
Another view of a cleaning crew at work, in an image that Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis shared on his Facebook page
Dromeas sparkles in this night view photo that Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis shared on Facebook after the sculpture was given a long-awaited cleaning in October 2021
December 26, 2014 at 12:55 pm
The Runner, sculptured by Kostas Varotsos, was originally erected in Omonia Suare in 1988. In 1994 it was moved to the Square of the “Great School of the Nation”, opposite the Hilton Hotel because the central square of the city was being remodeled for the 2004 Olympics.
May 7, 2016 at 1:19 pm
Can’t imagine how I missed it… Maybe my trip was before it was built. Need to find my pix.
January 5, 2017 at 9:24 pm
Before googling Dromeas (and reading your blog) I usted exactly the same words you did ‘one of my favorites contemporary sculptures’.
I stay at the Hilton Athens every year on my trips to Greece. Just love it there, I feel at home.
January 13, 2019 at 9:46 pm
Years ago that sculpture helped me remember the name of the square. It was glass and FILTHY. Looked like it needed a good cleaning with ammonia. Hence “Omonia Square.”
January 14, 2019 at 1:44 pm
Hate to tell you this, but the sculpture isn’t in Omonia Square. It’s not even close to it.
August 4, 2019 at 12:01 pm
Your photo of Dromeus is one of the best I’ve found. I wanted to get a large print of Dromeus but can’t find a source. Can you help?
August 8, 2019 at 8:52 am
I’m afraid I have no idea where you might be able to obtain a large print of Dromeas. Only suggestion I can make is to contact the artist directly.
May 13, 2020 at 5:49 pm
I have an image here: https://lindajphotography.smugmug.com/Travel-Photos/Greece You can purchase the digital file or a print from my site.
Go to Travel Images / Greece. I really only have videos up so far. Other images will be coming but I added the running man for you now.