Your plan in four answers
La Mezza di Genova has not announced its next date, so we have estimated April. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 13K
- Terrain
- Flat
Course
The La Mezza di Genova course
La Mezza di Genova starts at 9:00 on Via della Mercanzia by Piazza Caricamento, next to the Porto Antico, and finishes at Piazzale Mandraccio in the same harbour area. The 21.097 km course is FIDAL certified and runs between the sea and the historic centre, past the Genoa Aquarium, Piazza De Ferrari, the 19th-century Via XX Settembre and the old fishing village of Boccadasse.
Read the full course notes
For one day the elevated Sopraelevata road is closed to traffic and reserved for runners. The organizers describe it as a fast course whose highest point is just 41 m, and the course records are 1:02:41 for men and 1:11:50 for women. Pacers run for finish times from 1:24 to 2:00, and the time limit is a generous 3 hours.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Half marathon, 13K
- Weather on race day
- Genoa in April is mild, with average highs around 16 °C and lows around 11 °C, so a 9:00 start is usually cool and comfortable for running. April brings about 13 rain days and roughly 110 mm of rain, with around 6 hours of sunshine a day, so have a light layer or rain shell ready for the wait at the start. The sea is still cool, around 14 °C, which keeps the waterfront fresh.
What to train for
With a low, fast profile, this is a great race to chase a personal best, so build towards it with weekly tempo runs of 6 to 10 km at half marathon pace and long runs of 16 to 21 km.
Add a few short ramps or hill strides to prepare for the rises onto the Sopraelevata and the climb towards the centre.
Practise holding your rhythm by the sea, where a breeze can pick up, and use the official pacers from 1:24 to 2:00 to settle into an even effort. If you are not ready for 21 km yet, the 13 km Corri Genova on the same morning is a great goal too.
Sample week
A sample La Mezza di Genova training week
A week from the middle of the build, about six weeks out. Your plan sets the real distances and paces from your own fitness and adjusts them every week as you train.
- Monday
- Rest, or 20 minutes of mobility
- Tuesday Key session
- Intervals: 5 × 1 km at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 8–10 km
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 11 km with 6 km at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 6 km, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 16–19 km easy
- Sunday
- Easy run, 6 km, then 6 relaxed strides
Taper
Tapering for the La Mezza di Genova
Start the taper ten to fourteen days before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week.
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Build me a training plan for the La Mezza di Genova (Half marathon) in April. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
La Mezza di Genova training questions
How long should I train for the La Mezza di Genova?
Most runners give a half marathon twelve to sixteen weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The plan above counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
Is the La Mezza di Genova course hilly?
Flat. La Mezza di Genova starts at 9:00 on Via della Mercanzia by Piazza Caricamento, next to the Porto Antico, and finishes at Piazzale Mandraccio in the same harbour area.
What is the weather usually like at the La Mezza di Genova?
Genoa in April is mild, with average highs around 16 °C and lows around 11 °C, so a 9:00 start is usually cool and comfortable for running. April brings about 13 rain days and roughly 110 mm of rain, with around 6 hours of sunshine a day, so have a light layer or rain shell ready for the wait at the start. The sea is still cool, around 14 °C, which keeps the waterfront fresh.
When should I start tapering for the La Mezza di Genova?
Start the taper ten to fourteen days before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week.
Do I need an account to get a La Mezza di Genova training plan?
No. The plan above builds in your browser with no account, no email, and no card. Make a free account only if you want to keep it, log your runs against it, and have the coach keep adapting it as your training goes.