What to do in Venice on marathon weekend?

What to do in Venice on marathon weekend before the starting gun? 🎒

First mandatory stop: bib pickup. It takes place at the Venice Marathon Expo Village, set in the heart of San Giuliano Park in Mestre, on October 23 and 24 from 9am to 8pm. This green lung on the mainland lets you gaze at the old city of Venice. Stroll among the stands, without turning the stroll into a long run.

When it comes to sightseeing, keep one rule in mind: in the Serenissima, every bridge is crossed by steps, and your calves keep count. The line 1 vaporetto goes up the Grand Canal at a slow pace and offers you a seated tour as far as the Rialto Bridge. On foot, focus on St. Mark's Square, St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace, which line your final hundred meters.

Take the opportunity to scout the finish. The Zattere quays run along the Giudecca Canal, then the Punta della Dogana announces the floating bridge laid across the Grand Canal for the race and dismantled the following night 🌉 . For its 40th edition, the Venice Marathon has chosen the lion of St. Mark as its emblem, with the slogan #runlikealion 🦁 . Message received: we roar on Sunday, we save our energy on Saturday.

Race day: an extra hour of sleep courtesy of the calendar 🏁

Good news for your eyelids: on the night of Saturday, October 24 to Sunday, October 25, Europe switches to winter time. At 3am, clocks go back to 2am ⏰ . A bonus hour of sleep the night before a 42.195 km race is not something to turn down! Still, check that your phone follows the change before setting your alarm.

The Venicemarathon, World Athletics labelled and a Boston qualifier, launches its races in a cascade: 8am for the 10 km at San Giuliano Park, 8:45am for the half marathon starting from Piazza Ferretto, 9:40am for the marathon in front of the Villa Pisani in Stra. Free shuttles leave from Venice Tronchetto and the Mestre station at dawn .

Supporting a loved one? The Riva Sette Martiri finish area is reserved for athletes. Instead, position yourself on the Zattere, around km 37-38, where runners tackle the ramps before the final stretch. The course strings together 14 bridges, enough to earn its label as the City of Bridges! Locals will cheer you on by shouting "Duri i banchi", the local equivalent of "hang in there" 📣 .

Keep an eye on the marine weather: in 2018, the acqua alta gave finishers a final sprint with their feet in the water 🌊 . Since 2020, the MOSE mobile barriers have protected the lagoon during high tides. To get back, a boat connects Giardini to Tronchetto in the afternoon.

After the finish line: how to recover the Venetian way? 🚤

Monday, and your quads are begging for a truce? Let the boat do the work for you. You can discover Murano, which perpetuates the art of blown glass, Burano with its colorful facades along the canals, or Lido, which stretches its beach facing the Adriatic. Trail runners know this sand thanks to the Venice Lido Beach Trail, run every September.

Want some calm? The cemetery island of San Michele, accessible by vaporetto from the Fondamente Nove, offers a timeless pause.

At the table, bacaro style

Medal around your neck, head into a bacaro, those wine bars where Venetians nibble on cicchetti at the counter. On the menu: sarde in saor (sweet-and-sour sardines with onions), baccalà mantecato on polenta or risotto al nero di seppia 🐟 . The local spritz joins in for aperitif, in moderation 🍹 . After 42 km of cobblestones, your carbs have earned their revenge.

Still got ants in your legs? Venice does it again in the spring with the Venice Night Trail, 16.5 km at night between alleys and bridges. To tackle another Italian 42 km this season, the Florence Marathon awaits you at the end of November.

A weekend that won't be a washout

Slow sightseeing, bonus sleep, cicchetti for recovery: your weekend holds up, even on the water. The 23,000 bibs for 2026 are sold out, so aim for the 41st edition and choose your distance between the 10 km discovery race, the half marathon that heads toward the lagoon, or the 42 km from Stra to St. Mark's. All the info on the Venice Marathon awaits you on Finishers! 🏅