Your plan in four answers
Venice Marathon has not announced its next date, so we have estimated October. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- 10K, Half marathon, Marathon
- Terrain
- Flat
Course
The Venice Marathon course
A point-to-point marathon that starts at Villa Pisani in Stra and follows the Riviera del Brenta past a string of 18th-century Venetian villas before reaching Marghera, Mestre and the M9 museum. About 2 km wind through San Giuliano Park, then comes the almost 4 km straight of the Ponte della Libertà across the lagoon into Venice.
Read the full course notes
The course is essentially flat: the only climbs are three or four short ramps of about 100 m between 25 and 35 km. The final kilometres run along the Giudecca Canal and the Zattere, cross the Grand Canal on a 170 m pontoon bridge built for the day, pass St Mark's Square (tide permitting) and finish on the Riva Sette Martiri. The last 3 km are on stone slabs and include 14 small canal bridges, each covered with wooden ramps over the steps.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- 10K, Half marathon, Marathon
- Weather on race day
- Late October in Venice is usually cool and damp, with daytime temperatures of roughly 10–18 °C, so the 9:40 start is often in the low teens. Humidity is high and the open lagoon crossing on the Ponte della Libertà can bring a headwind or crosswind, so tuck into a group there. There are no sponge points, so use water from the aid stations to cool off if the day turns warm.
What to train for
Flat and fast for 35 km, then the character changes: the last 3 km pack in 14 ramped bridges, each a short rise and a quick drop on stone.
Prepare by adding 15–20 second surges up short ramps or bridges at goal pace in the final 4–6 km of your long runs, so you keep your rhythm on tired legs.
Practise holding marathon pace into the wind for 3–4 km, because the long, exposed Ponte della Libertà arrives just when the race starts to bite. Long runs of 30–32 km with the last 10 km at goal pace are the key sessions.
Sample week
A sample Venice Marathon 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 × 1.5 km at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 10–11 km
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 16 km with 10 km at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 6 km, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 26–29 km, the last 6 km at race pace
- Sunday
- Easy run, 6 km, then 6 relaxed strides
Taper
Tapering for the Venice Marathon
Start the taper two to three weeks 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 Venicemarathon in October. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Venice Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Venice Marathon?
Most runners give a marathon sixteen to twenty 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 Venice Marathon course hilly?
Flat. A point-to-point marathon that starts at Villa Pisani in Stra and follows the Riviera del Brenta past a string of 18th-century Venetian villas before reaching Marghera, Mestre and the M9 museum.
What is the weather usually like at the Venice Marathon?
Late October in Venice is usually cool and damp, with daytime temperatures of roughly 10–18 °C, so the 9:40 start is often in the low teens. Humidity is high and the open lagoon crossing on the Ponte della Libertà can bring a headwind or crosswind, so tuck into a group there. There are no sponge points, so use water from the aid stations to cool off if the day turns warm.
When should I start tapering for the Venice Marathon?
Start the taper two to three weeks 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 Venice Marathon 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.