Vivicittà Half Marathon, Relay & Walk
The organization strives to be as eco-friendly as possible, and supports a charity each year. The popular Vivicittà Village, full of sports themed events and information booths, will be set up all weekend in Piazza Santa Croce acting as a retrieval point for the athlete’s families.
The event has five different races for runners and families of all ages and skill levels. The classic Half Marathon (13.1 miles – 21km) is open to all Italian and foreign athletes enrolled in USIP, FIDAL and other athletic associations. Runners are required to have a medical certification and register online for €27, which includes a race bib. The starting time is at 9:30 am from Lungarno della Zecca, near the Biblioteca Nazionale.
The course, which is completely flat asphalt, leads athletes along a winding course through the Renaissance city, passing all the greatest monuments that made it so famous. Runners will race past Lungarno, Piazza della Signoria, Piazza Santa Croce, across the river to Oltrarno, finishing at Corso dei Tintori.
For runners of other skill levels, other race options include the Mezzoperuno, a relay that divides the course into two equal distances for two runners who want to take a slower jog around the city. Other choices include non-competitive 8k (5 mile) and 5k (3.1 mile) runs, and exclusively for kids, the free Tommasino run that’s only 1.5 km (0.9 miles).
For those interested in a leisurely cultural stroll, there is a Walk with Dante sight-seeing guided tour by Eugenio Giani from the Società Dantesca Italiana (Italian Dante Society) on Saturday April 8. Meeting time is 3 pm under the statue of Dante Alighieri in Piazza Sante Croce.
Participation is limited, so race over to halfmarathonfirenze.it for all information on registration, times, and course maps. (tessa lucia debole)
