Thousands of Athenians throng at the beginning of yesterday’s annual Athens Fun Run, an open race through the city center. Organizers said some 40,000 people had taken part in the race, which offered eight- and three-kilometer options, as well as a shorter route for disabled people. Among the runners was opposition leader George Papandreou, who said that his participation was an indication of how safe a city Athens is, in view of the August Olympics. ‘This is a message to foreign visitors and athletes,’ he argued.