5 race distances, 6,000 competitive runners, and over 35,000 participants in the Stracittadine and 10Crono races. These are the figures for the Padova Marathon, a major event on the international running calendar, but also a huge public celebration.
The race starts at the Stadio Euganeo, then winds through the towns in the city’s outskirts before reaching the finish line at Prato della Valle for the grand finale.
When, as you approach the finish line, Prato della Valle opens up before you in all its magnificence, the emotion is indescribable. But it is not just the final stretch of the route that makes the Padova Marathon unique: it is the entire region that forms the backdrop to the event.
The volcanic, hilly lands reclaimed by monks, the picturesque entrance to Abano, where thermal waters have been flowing since prehistoric times. And then the return through the most touristy part of the city, passing in front of the Basilica of Saint Anthony.
In the heart of ‘beautiful Padua, cradle of the arts’, as sung by Shakespeare.
