The 29th edition of the Venicemarathon will take place on 26th October 2014. It is said to be one of the most fascinating marathons in the world; known for its unique and picturesque race course.
From the start in the beautiful Villa Pisani in Stra, the race course follows the River Brenta passing through the city councils of Stra, Fiesso d’Artico, Dolo and Mira giving athletes an amazing view of the beautiful Venetian mansions of the eighteenth century.
The marathon route goes through the lovely square “Piazza Ferretto” in the heart of Mestre to reach San Giuliano Park, the biggest urban park in Europe.
On crossing the Liberty Bridge; the main bridge that connects the mainland to Venice, athletes begin to experience the real charm of the Venicemarathon. Here athletes experience the sensation of running on water, crossing bridges and canals whilst running through the typical Venetian streets known as “calli”. A special 165-meter- long bridge built especially for the marathon allows athletes to cross the Grand Canal, giving them an exclusive and breathtaking view of St. Mark’s Square.
Since the last edition, athletes have had the opportunity to pass through St. Mark’s square running past the Correr Museum, Caffé Florian, St. Mark’s Basilica and the Clock Tower – the real heart of enchanting Venice. Meandering past the Palazzo Ducale runners approach the Riva Sette Martiri where the finish line is located.
Thanks to the marathon, certain areas of Venice are made more accessible and remain so for many months of the year, allowing people with limited access or families with pushchairs an opportunity to visit the city. The thirteen bridges that the runners must cross in order to reach the finish line are covered with special wooden ramps which enable not only marathoners and hand bikers, but also tourists and citizens easier access.
Venicemarathon welcomes runners from all over the world. Exposport, located at San Giuliano Park is a very international event. Each and every runner must visit Exposport in order to collect their bib number and whilst they are there they also have the opportunity to discover the latest innovations of the running world; they can also attend meetings about training strategies, sports nutrition and medicine. The real protagonists on Saturday morning are the families, friends and students who take part to the Family Runs: the two non competitive runs of 4 km each that each year welcome over 10,000 people who run along the paths of San Giuliano Park in Mestre or along the streets of Dolo.
Venicemarathon is a great supporter of charitable giving. In fact, those who take part in the event not only run to make their personal best record but they also have the opportunity to help those less fortunate.
For more information visit www.venicemarathon.it