8 Half Marathons in Italy You'll Love Running
From Bibione to Pisa to Tuscany to Verona to Venice — all updated for 2025
Napoli City Half Marathon
Naples, Italy | Sunday, February 23, 2025
Run in the shadow of nearby Mount Vesuvius — the volcano that buried the city of Pompeii in ash and stones in 79 A.D., and remains active today — at this race that runs through the heart of the historic center of Naples, one of the world’s oldest cities. Long stretches of the half marathon take you along the city’s waterfront on the Bay of Naples, and feature stunning views of the hilly coastal homes that look out onto the bay. The race is held at a time of year when the weather should be perfect for running, with temperatures between the low 40s and upper 50s, and in a place the New York Times says is a “city of glorious but tattered beauty, known for its vibrancy and, yes, a frisson of menace.”
Bibione Half Marathon
Bibione, Italy | Sunday, May 11, 2025
Nestled along the golden beaches of the Adriatic, just over an hour away from Venice, this seaside tourist resort hosts this race’s seventh annual running this spring, along a beautifully scenic route that unfolds along long stretches of the beach, canalside trails, past forests and marshes, and within view of the beautiful old Bibione Lighthouse at the far east end of the island. The town is considered an oasis of peace away from the (much) more crowded areas in nearby Venice, especially during the peak tourist season between May and September. While you’re there, explore the town on two wheels, as its bike paths are said to be the best way to see the island.
Chianti Classico Marathon
Mercatale in Val di Pesa, Italy | Sunday, May 11, 2025
I know I keep describing certain races as “once in a lifetime,” but this truly is — a gorgeously scenic run through Italy’s Chianti region near Florence, along a route that runs past many of this wine-growing area’s most famous landmarks. You’ll run mostly on dirt roads, across vineyards and through the woods on a course made up of gently rolling, soft hills, past sights like the ancient Abbey of Badia a Passignano, the medieval village of Montefioralle, the castles at Verrazzano and Gabbiano, the Antinori cellars and the Greve at Chianti, a small village with art galleries, shops and restaurants, where you’ll want to spend more time while you’re there. The race offers an 11K, 21K and an “ultra trail” 45K, slightly longer than the standard 42K marathon distance.
Moonlight Half Marathon
Venice, Italy | Sunday, May 24, 2025
Venice’s Moonlight Half Marathon starts just as the sun is setting over the Venetian coast, where you’ll get to take in “sea, water canals, sunset and white beaches,” organizers say. Starting from Piazza Milano, the course travels through the countryside of Jesolo, alongside the Cavetta Canal, and to the tourist marina of Cortellazzo before heading along the Piave River and the green parklands of nearby Lido.
EcoMaratona Chianti Half Marathon
Tuscany, Italy | Saturday, October 18 - Sunday, October 19, 2025
A gorgeous run along the roads lined by Tuscany’s famed cypress trees in one of the most beautiful and romantic places in Europe, through wooded forests and vineyards that have inspired artists and writers for centuries. The starting line of the marathon lies at Brolio Castle, the oldest vineyard in Italy, and the race features views of castles, homes, wineries and plenty of scenery here in the Tuscan hills. As part of this tour’s itinerary, you’ll also get to stay in the medieval walled city of Siena and “enjoy a full day trip to the enchanting towns of Montepulciano and Montalcino. The drive through the Val d’Orcia is one of the most scenic in Italy,” the organizers note.
Venice Marathon + Half
Venice, Italy | Sunday, October 26, 2025
Run through the heart of this world-renowned city built on dozens of small islands along Italy’s Adriatic Sea coastline, where you’ll cross over the iconic bridges that span several of Venice’s canals. You’ll start about 15 miles outside the city in a small town called Stra, where wealthy Venetians vacationed back in the 18th century. From there, you’ll pass by Venetian villas built back between the 15th and 18th centuries, on your way into the city. The last few miles of the race are “simply unique and unforgettable,” organizers say, adding that runners will “cross the Grand Canal on a bridge especially built for the race.”
Verona Marathon + Half
Verona, Italy | Sunday, November 16, 2025
Perhaps most famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, this Italian city along the Adige River offers up stunning views of the city center and long stretches along the Adige, the famed Piazza del Erbe, and past the first-century Roman amphitheater in the heart of the city. You’ll cross over the bridges across the river a few times during the race, and finish back where you started, under the the arches of Portoni della Bra.
Maratona di Pisa
Pisa, Italy | Sunday, December 15, 2024
Nestled along the banks of the River Arno in Italy’s Tuscany region, this ancient city — archaeological digs have found evidence of people living in a city here as far back as the 5th century B.C. — plays host to a gorgeous run that finishes in front of its iconic leaning tower, built between the 1100s and the late 1300s. From the starting line in the city, the course runs past majestic cathedrals and crosses over the Arno, taking those running the full marathon out for a stretch along the shoreline of the Ligurian Sea. The half marathon unfolds along the riverbanks in the second half, all the way back into the city for the finish in front of the tower.
Doing a race in Italy is definitely a must!!!