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The Venice Marathon
- Sapphire Running Team
- Jul 20, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 6, 2025
If you're looking to run a marathon in Italy, the Venice Marathon is the one
Venice is one of those destinations you need to visit at least once in your lifetime. What better way than tackling the full, half or 10km on race weekend in October every year. Given the logistics involved it's a relatively small field in each of the three events, so get in quick if this is one that interests you. It should, this is one of Italy's most fascinating cities.
Venice
A UNESCO World Heritage site, Venice is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. Known for the ubiquitous gondolas, it's a city that depends on its waterways for both its livelihood and its transportation. Its 250,000 population swells multiple times in the summer and it's this that is causing so many problems. Its infrastructure is under severe pressure from the millions that visit and local life has all but disappeared. But it's no wonder they come; it's bursting with beauty and with jaw dropping landmarks around every corner. As well as gondolas there are public water buses run by the municipal transport system, private motor-launch taxis, barges carrying fruits and vegetables, the garbage barges, ambulance and police launches, and boats filled with tourists’ baggage, packed into the city's canals. The waterways are alive with sound and colour.
Cars are banned so to explore it's either the water or on land by foot. It's possible to reach any point in Venice by foot, along the banks of the canals, on the paved streets, through the neighbourhood squares, and over the 400 or so canal bridges. The most prominent waterway, the Grand Canal, is spanned by four bridges, with the most famous being the Rialto Bridge built in 1590. The other three bridges are more recently constructed, the newest being Constitution Bridge, opened in 2008. Piazza San Marco is the most crowded public square and one of the most happening places to visit in Venice, located in front of St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace. If you want to pay twice as much for a coffee as you would anywhere else in Italy, this is the place! The square is separated from the palace by a small inland waterway, known as the Rio Batario. The St. Mark’s Campanile is one of the symbols of Venice and called by the Venetians ‘el patron de casa’ which means the Venetian’s housekeeper. From its near 100m height, the famous bell tower is without any doubt the best place to enjoy 360° views of the city and the Venetian lagoon.
It's a remarkable city, popular with solo travellers, families and cruise ships passengers alike and it's no wonder its creaking under the strain. The Marathon is a great way to see it close up.
History of the Venice Marathon
The Venice Marathon was created by Piero Rosa Salva, who was responsible for the organisation of the first race in 1986 when just over 2000 ran. 20 years later, after numerous course changes, the start was moved from downtown Stra back in front of the historic Villa Pisani, its original starting place, and the course between the 25th and the 35th kilometer was completely redesigned so the runners could move through the San Giuliano Park, the second largest park in Europe and now the home of the event expo. In 2011, for the first time the Venice Marathon course went through the world famous St. Mark's Square.
It now holds a Bronze label from World Athletics and both the half and full marathons sell out, with five times as many runners as the debut event.
Race Organiser
It's owned and organised by the Venice Marathon Club, which was founded in 1985 with the intention of bringing a great athletics event to the Venetian area: It did this only a year later.
Since that first event its aims have broadened and now include the promotion of sports as an essential element for the growth and the education of young people. It also believes in the support of charitable projects and these include Run for Unicef, Run For Water - Africa Mission, Accessible Venice and Bimbingamba.
When is the Venice Marathon?
The race is held annually in October.
Distances
Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k. There is a family run on the Saturday before the main events.
Is there an Expo?
Not far from Venice, in San Giuliano Park, is the Exposport Venice Marathon Village, held on Friday and Saturday before the main event on Sunday. All the runners need to collect their bib and race pack. There's also the usual collection of exhibitors selling running gear and souvenirs.
How many runners?
10,000 entrants, across the marathon, half and 10k distances.
The course
The exact start time of the Marathon and half marathon are dictated by the TV broadcast company and the exact time isn't set until a few days before, but it's likely to be 9.40am for the full marathon. There is a wave start approach in place and this is based on the time you entered on your original entry form. Bags can be left in the baggage area in the start, in the official bags.
The marathon starts in the west, from the Queen of the Venetian Villas, Villa Pisani. Also known as The Nazionale, it's one of the most famous examples of Venetian Villa along the Brenta banks. Situated in the municipality of Stra, it covers 11 hectares with an external perimeter of 1500 meters. Construction started in 1721 and its 168 rooms are full of priceless works of art. From here runners head along the Riviera del Brenta through a landscape rich in history, art and culture, characterized by the many ancient Venetian Villas overlooking the river. It's then through the centre of Marghera and then Mestre, and here it passes through the new museum of the 20th century, M9. Mestre houses many of the people that make Venice tick, it's unglamourous and one of the most heavily populated boroughs of Italy, but it's crucial to this area and now it has a futuristic €110m (£96.5m) museum. M9, completed in 2019, is dedicated to 20th century Italian history, told entirely through digital media. Across the black-walled, windowless 1200 sq m spaces, an absorbing array of screens, VR headsets, interactive consoles, projections, holograms and monitors are clustered according to subject matter. It's a fascinating place.
From here the course snakes over 2 km inside San Giuliano Park, where the 10K starts, and reaches Venice by the “Ponte della Libertà” (a flat and straight bridge of almost 4 km). The race enters the renovated port area and reaches the historic centre where you experience the most special and unforgettable part of the race. You run alongside Canale della Giudecca to Punta della Dogana, where a pontoon bridge built specifically for the race allows you to cross the Grand Canal. The Bridge is 170-meters-long and is built just before the marathon and dismantled the night after. It's a fast, flat course, with a few undulations between the 25th and 35th kilometers, but nothing major. In the last 3km runners there are 14 little bridges over Venice's canals, with wooden ramps in place to prevent runners from using the steps. Passing through Piazza San Marco near the Campanile and the Doge's Palace, the course reaches the finish line located in Riva Sette Martiri, the picturesque waterfront of St. Mark's Basin. There are plenty of spectators, especially in the main tourist areas and the finish line has a great atmosphere as everyone joins in the celebrations. There aren't many in the early stages of the race but once you hit the urban areas it gets better and it's full of noise once you're in Venice itself.
The half marathon course starts at around 9am, from Piazza Ferretto, in the shadow of the tower, after which the competitors will pass through the renovated central area of Piazzetta Coin and via Poerio, and then past the new M9 museum complex to 'Piazza XXVII Ottobre', commonly known as 'Piazza Barche'. Runners then join the marathon route to the finish.
There are water stations every 5 kilometers starting from the 5km mark and sports drinks are available from 10km. There are fruit and cookies will be available from 15km!
What's unique?
Venice is pretty unique in itself, but with the city devoted to distance running for a day, there is an additional layer of uniqueness that you just have to be a part of. And there's the bridge over the Grand Canal. This is the only day you get to cross that.
Do charities benefit?
The Venice Marathon gives you the opportunity to run for a good cause. With Rete del Dono runners can choose the project that is most important to them and support it by becoming a fundraiser. The concept is simple: run, collect and donate. There are a number of official charities and you can of course run for your own preferred charity by setting up a fundraising page and asking friends and family to support you.
Our verdict
This truly is a city like no other. It's a pretty special place to visit, especially out of season, which is when the marathon is held. Experiencing it during marathon weekend is a trip you should not miss out on. It's a well organised event and with plenty of up close and personal crowd support it's a weekend you will never forget. You see the best of the city and plenty you wouldn't normally see so get this on your marathon bucket list.
How to register
Online via the website. Entries are unlikely to sell out but will close a few weeks before the event. There are guaranteed entries available from official charities and some tour operators do have entries available.
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