On September 12, the City of Syros-Ermoupolis organised the Syros City Trail Race, an athletic event promoting the historical and cultural heritage of Ermoupolis, the island’s capital. It has always been a significant port town, and in the 19th century, it was even more significant than Piraeus.  

Syros is the capital of the Cyclades group of islands in the Aegean Sea. Ermoupolis (meaning "Town of Hermes") was built at the time of the Greek War of Independence, when thousands of refugees fled the eastern islands of the Aegean and Asia Minor. 

Many landmarks such as the City Hall (designed by the famous German architect Ernst Ziller), the Apollo Theatre (a miniature version of the La Scala in Milano, designed by the Italian architect Campo) and the Library were built during that period (1822-1865). 

The city stands on a naturally amphitheatrical site over one of the biggest and safest ports of the Aegean, adorned with neoclassical buildings, old mansions, marble and stone-paved streets, squares, churches, and white-washed houses on the surrounding hills, cascading down to the harbor.