by InTrieste
The city of Udine will celebrate the 25th edition of its half marathon this September, an event that regional officials say has grown into a cornerstone of Friuli Venezia Giulia’s sporting calendar.
At a press conference Friday at the Astoria Hotel, Mario Anzil, the region’s vice governor with responsibility for sports, praised the Maratonina Città di Udine as “a story of synergy between sport, prevention, and health, while also highlighting the city’s most scenic corners.” He added that the race has earned its place among top-level competitions and confirmed that the regional government would continue its support.
This year, the region has allocated €31,510 to the event, a tangible sign, Anzil said, of the administration’s commitment to sport and community well-being. He also delivered greetings on behalf of Governor Massimiliano Fedriga, calling the half marathon “a pillar of the Friuli Venezia Giulia sports calendar, an event that showcases Udine’s charm beyond regional borders.”
The program for the anniversary edition will begin on Thursday, Sept. 18, with a talk featuring Lorenzo Barone, an Umbrian explorer known for his extreme journeys. On Friday, the schedule includes the invitational uphill time trial “Salita del Castello Autotorino,” followed on Saturday by the Minirun Conad for children and a dog run through the city center.
The main events will take place Sunday, Sept. 21, with the half marathon on a fast course and the popular StraUdine, a noncompetitive race that attracts thousands of participants. To mark the milestone, the organizing association has invited all past winners, including Ruggero Pertile, the only Italian to have claimed victory, in 2014, when he also set his personal best.
Special recognition will be given to artist Giorgio Celiberti, who designed the original medal for the race in 2000 featuring a dove, a symbol of peace and the universal values of sport. Until 2012, the motif appeared on both medals and T-shirts.
In addition, the association Friuli nel Mondo will award commemorative plaques to the male and female athletes from Friuli Venezia Giulia who traveled the farthest to compete.
Mayor Alberto Felice De Toni and Paolo Bordon, president of the Udine Marathon Association, also attended the presentation, underscoring the event’s broad civic support.
