Maratona di Venezia

The Maratona di Venezia, also known as the Venicemarathon, is a 42.195 km road race held annually in October, typically on the fourth Sunday. The course begins near Padua in Stra, a town associated with Villa Pisani, and concludes in Venice at Riva dei Sette Martiri. The event was established by Piero Rosa Salva, Stefano Fornasier, Fernando De Pieri, Claudio Zamengo, and Francesco Uguagliati. It was the first Italian marathon recognized by AIMS and was also included in the IAAF international calendar. The route crosses the Riviera del Brenta, passing through Fiesso d'Artico, Dolo, and Mira, featuring Palladian villas along the way before reaching Mestre and San Giuliano Park. From Mestre, participants cross the Ponte della Liberta into Venice, navigating the city's canal bridges towards the finish. A distinctive aspect of the race is the temporary bridge constructed across the Grand Canal, connecting Punta della Salute to San Marco. The initial winners included notable Italian athletes like Salvatore Bettiol, Paola Moro, Orlando Pizzolato, Gelindo Bordin, and Laura Fogli, with the field later expanding to include competitors from Portugal, Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Algeria, France, Spain, Slovenia, and Belarus.