Marathons in Ticino

Running 42.195 km under palm trees is the stuff of dreams 🌴. For a marathon in Ticino, the canton currently serves as a training ground, with postcard-perfect landscapes, before aiming for a major event north of the Alps. Long runs here feel like vacations, which helps keep morale high over the long haul.

The terrain lends itself well to preparation. The promenades along Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano, flat and shaded, are ideal for long endurance runs. The cycle path across the Magadino plain offers long straight stretches to hold your pace, and the hills around Lugano add elevation to strengthen your legs. The mild climate allows you to train from February to December, with a preference for spring and autumn, when the mornings stay cool ☀️. A twelve-week plan is generally enough to approach a marathon with confidence.

The neighboring marathon calendar offers several big names. The Zurich Marathon opens the season in April, then the Gornergrat Zermatt Marathon climbs toward the summits in July 🏔️. The SwissCityMarathon Lucerne closes the year in October. Thanks to the Gotthard Base Tunnel, Zurich and Lucerne can be reached in under two hours by train. The marathons in Switzerland offer even more challenges.

The architect Mario Botta, born in Mendrisio, designed buildings of remarkable geometric rigor: a marathon is also built stone by stone, with regular preparation 😄. After the finish line, a piping hot risotto remains the most comforting reward 🍚. Ticinese people love convivial gatherings, and the grottos, those rustic country inns, gladly welcome hungry athletes. Everyone chooses their marathon according to their level, their pace and their desire to travel, from the first 42.195 km to a personal record.