WITH THE WORLD-FAMOUS VENICE MARATHON ON THE HORIZON, GENERAL MANAGER OF THE EVENT LORENZO CORTESI WROTE EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE ATLANTIC DISPATCH.
UNIQUE EMOTIONS
The Wizz Air Venice Marathon is a unique marathon in the world for its route rich in art, history and culture but above all for the city that hosts it, Venice.
Here the athletes run at the water’s edge, along streets and canals of extraordinary beauty. They cross the Grand Canal thanks to a floating bridge of boats that is set up every year for this occasion, and then the parade in Piazza San Marco between two wings of crowds gives unique emotions.
Over 16,000 people are expected. These are important but contingent numbers because the
organizers set a participation limit every year as Venice is a ‘fragile’ city and must be
respected.
RUNNING ON WATER
Running the Wizz Air Venice Marathon means crossing a scenic route that is unique in the world. There are many points of interest that athletes encounter while running: start is located in Stra, at the beginning of ‘Riviera del Brenta’, the beautiful riverside area where rich and noble Venetians built their vacation mansions in the 18th century.
Once the athletes arrive in Venice, they meet the Giudecca Canal with its colourful houses and the characteristic churches of Giudecca island, among which the Redentore church stands out.
The 40th km takes athletes to the Magazzini del Sale (Punta della Dogana – Basilica della Salute) and from here they experience “running on water” thanks to the pontoon bridge that crosses the Grand Canal.
THE LONG-AWAITED FINISH LINE
The last part of the route begins here with the passage through one of the most beautiful squares in the world, Piazza San Marco: one of the most exciting and exhilarating moments in a wonderful setting and between two wings of people.
The route then continues with the crossing of the last 8 bridges to overcome. Among these, the most evocative is the Ponte della Paglia, immediately after San Marco: on its left, you can see the Ponte dei Sospiri, which in the past connected the Palazzo Ducale to the prisons (it is said that the name derives from the laments of the prisoners) and finally the long-awaited finish line in Riva Sette Martiri.
AN INCREDIBLE FEAT
Organising the Wizz Air Venice Marathon is as fascinating as it is complicated, considering that it is a road marathon, where the start and finish are in two different places especially considering that Venice is an island.
Just to give you an idea, we will tell you how the bag transport takes place: the marathon runners leave their bags with clothes at the start to then find them upon arrival in Venice.
For this service, 14 trucks are used to transport the bags to the mainland. Once they arrive in Venice, they are unloaded from the trucks and loaded onto 14 boats that transport the bags to the arrival. Here they are unloaded again, sorted and prepared to be returned to the athletes, all in a short time. An incredible feat!
In 2018, the participants of the Venice marathon were surprised by an exceptional high water. The athletes ran with water up to their ankles in the truest sense of the word. This edition, however, was lived as an exhilarating and unique experience that can only happen at the Venice marathon.
We are a big family with a passion for running and sports in general. During the year, we organise three other important events such as the Venice Night Trail, a truly fascinating night trail in Venice, the Moonlight Half Marathon and the Venice Lido Beach Trail.
THE WHIZZ AIR VENICE MARATHON TAKES PLACE ON SUNDAY 27TH OCTOBER.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE EVENT CLICK HERE