Venice Marathon

Annual race in Italy held since 18 May 1986

Venice Marathon

The Venice Marathon Logo 2008

Date| October
Location| Venice, Italy
Event type| Road
Distance| Marathon
Primary sponsor| Confindustria
Established| 1986 (39 years ago) (1986)
Course records| Men's: 2:08:13 (2009)
John Komen
Women's: 2:23:37 (2011)
Helena Kirop
Official site| Venice Marathon
Participants| 2,738 finishers (2021)
5,351 (2019)
4,912 (2018)
Venice Marathon during 2008

The Venice Marathon (Italian: Maratona di Venezia) (stylized as Venicemarathon) is a marathon road race that has been held each year in Venice since 1986, usually in October. The course starts in Stra and passes through Mestre, Parco San Giuliano [it], and Ponte della Libertà before ending at Riva dei Sette Martiri [it] in Venice. The marathon is categorized as a Bronze Label Road Race by World Athletics.[1]

## History

[edit]

The marathon was first held on 18 May 1986, with 713 athletes.[2] The course began in Stra and ended at Campo Santi Apostoli in Cannaregio.[3]

The race had previously been sponsored by Casino di Venezia (Venice Casino), and was known as the Casino di Venezia Venice Marathon at the time.

In 2010, the competition celebrated its 25th anniversary.[4] That year it hosted the men's Italian marathon championships, which was won by Migidio Bourifa.[4]

In 2011, the course included a section in Piazza San Marco for the first time.[3]

In 2012, the organizers decided to reroute the course to bypass Piazza San Marco due to the high tide in Venice.[5][6]

In 2017, the six leading runners lost about two minutes after mistakenly following a lead motorcycle for several hundred meters off the course about 25 km (16 mi) into the race.[7][8] Race co-founder Enrico Jacomini explained that the lead vehicles had split off from the course as planned before it entered Venice, as it always does, since "Venice is not a city for cars or motorcycles".[9] Local runner Eyob Ghebrehiwet Faniel ended up winning the race by roughly two minutes, becoming the first Italian to win the marathon in 22 years.[7][9][a]

In 2018, the high tide resulted in runners having to run through ankle-deep water, and forced organizers to drop Piazza San Marco from the course.[10][11][12] Strong winds and heavy rain only exacerbated the conditions.[10]

In 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers restricted the number of participants to three: a female ultramarathon champion, a male runner on the Venicemarathon Running Team, and a Paralympic champion.[13][14] All other registrants were automatically transferred to a virtual edition of the race, and given the option of transferring their entry to 2021 or 2022.[13]

## Course

[edit]

The marathon runs on a point-to-point course that begins at Villa Pisani in Stra along the Riviera del Brenta and ends on the Riva dei Sette Martiri [it; vec] in Venice.[15]

The first part of the course roughly follows the river eastward through Fiesso d'Artico, Dolo, Mira Porte [it], Oriago, and Malcontenta [it], before splitting off to the northeast to arrive at Marghera for the halfway point.[15]

The marathon next heads into Mestre, where it turns southeast to Parco San Giuliano [it], wandering inside the park for about 2 km (1.2 mi) before crossing Ponte della Libertà, a bridge nearly 4 km (2.5 mi) long that connects the Venetian islands to the mainland.[15]

After leaving the bridge, the course heads toward the southern edge of the main island before running east along the Giudecca Canal and then crossing the Grand Canal at Punta della Dogana on a temporary pontoon bridge built specifically for the marathon.[15] Runners then make a small loop in Piazza San Marco, as long as the high tide permits,[b] before continuing east along San Marco basin to finish at Riva dei Sette Martiri.[15]

As the course runs over many small canals during the last few kilometers in Venice, wooden ramps are constructed over the small bridges to prevent runners from running on the bridge steps.[15]

## Other races

[edit]

A 10K[c] covering the last segment of the marathon, from when the course leaves Parco San Giuliano (shortly before crossing Ponte della Libertà) to when the course finishes at Riva dei Sette Martiri, is held on the same day as the marathon.[16] There are also a series of family runs, all roughly 4 km (2.5 mi) in length, that take place during the weeks before the marathon.[17]

## Winners

[edit]

Since 2000, East African runners have dominated the elite races. Solomon Mutai of Uganda holds the men's record of 2:08:10 while Helena Kirop of Kenya is the women's holder with 2:23:37.

Key:     Course record

Year  | Men's winner  | Nationality  | Time  | Women's winner  | Nationality  | Time  | Rf.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2022  | Solomon Mutai |  Uganda | 2:08:10 | Lucy Karimi |  Kenya | 2:28:12  | [18]
2021  | Anderson Seroi |  Kenya | 2:12:21  | Sofiia Yaremchuk |  Italy[19] | 2:29:12  | [20]
2020
2019  | Tesfaye Anbesa |  Ethiopia | 2:10:49  | Judith Korir |  Kenya | 2:29:20  | [20]
2018  | Mekuant Ayenew |  Ethiopia | 2:13:23  | Angela Tanui |  Kenya | 2:31:30  | [20]
2017  | Eyob Ghebrehiwet |  Italy | 2:12:16  | Sule Utura |  Ethiopia | 2:29:04  | [21]
2016  | Julius Rotich |  Kenya | 2:10:22  | Priscah Cherono |  Kenya | 2:27:41  | [21]
2015  | Julius Rotich |  Kenya | 2:11:08  | Ehite Bizuayehu |  Ethiopia | 2:35:19  | [21]
2014  | Behailu Mamo |  Ethiopia | 2:16:45  | Konjit Tilahun |  Ethiopia | 2:40:20  | [21]
2013  | Nixon Machichim |  Kenya | 2:13:10  | Mercy Kibarus |  Kenya | 2:31:14  | [22]
2012  | Philemon Kisang |  Kenya | 2:17:00  | Emebt Etea |  Ethiopia | 2:38:10  | [21]
2011  | Tadese Aredo |  Ethiopia | 2:09:13  | Helena Kirop |  Kenya | 2:23:37 | [21]
2010  | Simon Mukun |  Kenya | 2:09:35  | Makda Harun |  Ethiopia | 2:28:08  | [21]
2009  | John Komen |  Kenya | 2:08:13  | Anne Kosgei |  Kenya | 2:27:46  | [21]
2008  | Joseph Lomala |  Kenya | 2:11:06  | Anikó Kálovics |  Hungary | 2:31:24  | [21]
2007  | Jonathan Kosgei |  Kenya | 2:12:27  | Lenah Cheruiyot |  Kenya | 2:27:02  | [21]
2006  | Jonathan Kosgei |  Kenya | 2:10:18  | Lenah Cheruiyot |  Kenya | 2:33:44  | [21]
2005  | Mubarak Shami |  Qatar | 2:09:22  | Emily Kimuria |  Kenya | 2:28:42  | [21]
2004  | Raymond Kipkoech |  Kenya | 2:09:54  | Jane Ekimat |  Kenya | 2:32:08  | [21]
2003  | El Hassan Lahssini |  France | 2:11:01  | Anne Jelagat [nl] |  Kenya | 2:30:17  | [21]
2002  | David Makori |  Kenya | 2:08:49  | Anastasia Ndereba |  Kenya | 2:29:03  | [21]
2001  | Moges Taye |  Ethiopia | 2:10:08  | Zahia Dahmani |  France | 2:33:32  | [21]
2000  | John Bungei |  Kenya | 2:09:50  | Ruth Kutol |  Kenya | 2:28:16  | [21]
1999  | Julius Bitok |  Kenya | 2:10:34  | Sonia Maccioni |  Italy | 2:28:54  | [21]
1998  | Japhet Kosgei |  Kenya | 2:11:27  | Lucilla Andreucci |  Italy | 2:30:34  | [21]
1997  | Antonio Serrano |  Spain | 2:11:59  | Irina Kazakova |  France | 2:33:44  | [21]
1996  | Sid-Ali Sakhri |  Algeria | 2:11:11  | Alena Mazouka |  Belarus | 2:31:07  | [21]
1995  | Danilo Goffi |  Italy | 2:09:26  | Maura Viceconte |  Italy | 2:29:11  | [21]
1994  | Tena Negere |  Ethiopia | 2:10:50  | Ornella Ferrara |  Italy | 2:32:16  | [21]
1993  | Artur Castro |  Brazil | 2:10:06  | Helena Javornik |  Slovenia | 2:37:27  | [21]
1992  | Joaquim Pinheiro |  Portugal | 2:13:33  | Emma Scaunich |  Italy | 2:35:06  | [21]
1991  | Carlo Terzer |  Italy | 2:14:49  | Antonella Bizioli |  Italy | 2:36:56  | [21]
1990  | Gelindo Bordin |  Italy | 2:13:41  | Laura Fogli |  Italy | 2:38:33  | [21]
1989  | Marco Milani |  Italy | 2:16:08  | Emma Scaunich |  Italy | 2:36:02  | [21]
1988  | Orlando Pizzolato |  Italy | 2:15:24  | Graziella Striuli |  Italy | 2:39:04  | [21]
1987  | Salvatore Bettiol |  Italy | 2:10:01  | Rita Marchisio |  Italy | 2:29:36  | [21]
1986  | Salvatore Bettiol |  Italy | 2:18:44  | Paola Moro |  Italy | 2:38:10  | [21]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Faniel mentioned "ha[ving] to run alone on the Ponte della Libertà" as a reason why it was not an easy win for him.[9]
2. ^ The high tide in Venice may result in the course being rerouted, as was done in the 2018 edition of the race.[15][10][11][12]
3. ^ The race is marketed as a 10K, but is actually about 10.7 km (6.6 mi) in length.[16]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Archived copy". www.worldathletics.org. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2022.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. ^ "Venicemarathon, venti anni mondiali - la Nuova di Venezia".
3. ^ a b "Venicemarathon - History year by year".
4. ^ a b Sampaolo, Diego (2010-10-24). Kenya and Ethiopia share honours in Venice Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-10-24.
5. ^ "Pioggia, vento e acqua alta: Il keniota Kisang trionfa nella Venice Marathon "estrema"". 28 October 2012.
6. ^ "Runners competing in the Venice Marathon arrive during high tide at".
7. ^ a b "Faniel wins Venice Marathon after leaders take wrong turn". Associated Press. 22 October 2017.
8. ^ "Leaders get lost during Venice marathon, local takes advantage". 23 October 2017.
9. ^ a b c "Italian Runner Wins Venice Marathon After All the Favorites Take a Wrong Turn". NPR.org.
10. ^ a b c "Elites and Amateurs Wade Through Ankle-Deep Water to Finish Venice Marathon". 29 October 2018.
11. ^ a b "Marathon runners race through Venice's flooded streets – video". The Guardian. 30 October 2018.
12. ^ a b "Mekuant Gebre and Angela Tanui win the 33rd Huawei Venicemarathon". www.huaweivenicemarathon.it. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
13. ^ a b https://web.archive.org/web/20201021053108/https://www.venicemarathon.it/en/news-en
14. ^ "Maratona di Venezia 2020: Annullata, ma si farà in modo virtuale". www.veneziatoday.it. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
15. ^ a b c d e f g "Venicemarathon -42K". Archived from the original on 2020-09-03.
16. ^ a b "Venicemarathon - Marathon 10K".
17. ^ "Venicemarathon - Family Run". www.venicemarathon.it. Archived from the original on 2020-06-30.
18. ^ Venice Marathon (2022) worldathletics.org. Available at: https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7176788 (Accessed: October 25, 2022).
19. ^ "Sofiia Yaremchuk Biography". fidal.it (in Italian). Retrieved 4 September 2022. "Nel gennaio del 2021 riceve la cittadinanza italiana e nell'ottobre di quell'anno debutta in maratona con il successo a Venezia in 2h29:12."
20. ^ a b c "Venicemarathon - History". Archived from the original on 2020-09-03.
21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae Civai, Franco (2009-10-26). Venice Marathon. Association of Road Running Statisticians. Retrieved on 2010-01-31.
22. ^ Sampaolo, Diego (2013-10-27). Machichim and Kibarus take the honours at Venice Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-10-28.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

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1 mile|

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