Venice Marathon - 25 October 2009

One word is enough to describe Venicemarathon course: spectacular.

However, if you are running the Venicemarathon not to gaze at the landscape, but to improve your personal best, don't worry: the race track is mainly flat and fast. Moreover, meteo conditions are usually perfect to perform at high level.

Start takes place in Stra, a small town a few kilometers east of Padova, in front of a magnificent mansion, Villa Pisani, built in the 18th century, which is the first and the largest of the beautiful mansions of the Brenta riverside.

You can take a short break in our precious pearl:

Chez Trionfi

Course follows National Road N.11, leaving the river on the right, and running through the small towns of the Riviera : Fiesso d'Artico, Dolo, Mira (10th km) and Oriago. Then, the road and the river turn right heading to Malcontenta (20th km).

Runners are now near Marghera industrial area, which is quickly passed to enter the center of Mestre (25th km). After running for 4 kilometers in the heart of the city, course enters San Giuliano's Park, a vast green area located on the edge of the lagoon, between Venice and Mestre.

Venice skyline, with its countless bell towers, already appears on the horizon, at the end of the never-ending five-kilometer-long Ponte della Libertà (i.e. Bridge of Freedom). Probably, this is the most challenging section of the entire race, where athletes' psychological strenght is heavily tested, and where leading runners usually make their moves to win.

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At the end of the bridge there are 2 kilometers inside the port-area, then begins the most spectacular and exciting stage of the race. From here there is no more tar: you'll be running over cobblestone, overpassing, one by one, the 14 bridges which created the Venicemarathon legend.

You face the long Zattere stretch, keeping the Giudecca Canal on the right and taking advantage of the slope of the bridges - there are 6 of them in this section - to speed up your run. All of a sudden, the course turns left, among the houses and in a moment you are in front of the Grand Canal, while going round S. Maria della Salute church. You head to Punta della Dogana and climb the short ramp leading on the pontoon bridge.

On the other side of the Grand Canal, new energy pushes you between two wings of crowd, as you take a quick look at St. Mark's Square, on your left. At the end of Palazzo Ducale is time to climb the large steps of Ponte della Paglia - the only bridge without ramps - always spurred by the fans' cheers.

There are only 5 bridges left, but nothing can stop you now. You follow the gentle bend rightwards of the Gran Canal, leaving Riva degli Schiavoni, Riva Ca' di Dio - where the finish line was between 1991 and 1995 -, and Riva San Biagio behind you...

...then you run downhill the last bridge, trying to increase the pace, asking an ultimate effort to your body, your eyes stuck on the time under the finish banner, at the center of Riva dei Sette Martiri.