Marathon Details - Palermo Marathon

International Marathons > Italy > Palermo > Palermo Marathon

UniCredit Palermo Marathon & Half Marathon

Palermo, Italy

November 19, 2023

http://www.palermomaratona.it

More Info:	News
Results:	Top 3 Finishers by Year

Contact

Name:	Salvatore Gebbia
Address:	MARATONA INTERNAZIONALE DELLA CITTA DI PALERMO Via Empedocle Restivo, 70 90144 Palermo ITALY
Phone Number:	+(39) 392 988 6742
Fax Number:	(+39) 091 619 33 03
Email:	Email the organizers



Become a Verified Race, and stand out from the crowd. We feature a blue check next to verified races on our calendar, and feature your race on the Verified Races section of the website.	Get Verified Now



Getting ready for this event? Get a personalized adaptive training plan and 1:1 coach assistance.	Get Your Plan

Reviews

Course 4.2

Organization 4.3

Spectators 2.8

Write a review

Number of comments: 11 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]

A. E. from London (11/15/2015) "PALERMO, FANTASTIC!!" (about: 2015) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran in the Palermo marathon and it was an incredible experience! The scenery is stunning, refreshments perfectly located and very friendly atmosphere. Lots of support at the finish and great buzz. Only difficulty was the increased gradient in the last 5k, nearly killed me and ate into my time. But otherwise this was one of the best!
M. R. from Bremerton, Washington (12/13/2010) "Cold and Rainy" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I really enjoyed the run; the scenery was amazing. The only thing that it could have used more of was porta-potties. Other than that, it was a great RUN!!!
G. P. from Belgium (11/18/2009) "hills and warm" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 There were about 800 athletes in the half and 240 in the the full marathon; I completed the full and I was completely empty at the finish: this was a tough one. The first 7K are uphill; then it's downhill back to the starting place; then up and down for about 8K to the finish. At 9 a.m., it was about 20° C; at noon, it was about 25°C. This was much too warm for me. Most of the athletes ran the half, so I ran the second loop alone. The last 4K were surreal. The people had no eye for the athletes and I had to run between the hundreds of people walking in the Via Liberta. Some people didn't even move aside for the athletes. Everywhere impatient Italians sat in their cars because they had to wait for the passing runners. This was a weird scene.... I finished in 3:06 in 14th place. Not my best, but the hills and the warmth prevented me from running a good time. The combination of the city and marathon was a very positive experience. But don't expect to run a very fast time, and be ready to tolerate the lack of interest from the Italian spectators.
J. S. from Naples, Italy (11/16/2009) "Congested course" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 The race was well organized. The course loops and was relatively easy. The weather for the 2009 race was perfect. However, the residents of Palermo saw the roads being closed to car traffic as an opportunity to leisurely stroll along them. There were people walking arm in arm in the middle of the course; strollers, dogs and bicycles were everywhere, and they did not make way or even recognize the runners, nor did they clap. Not even the elite runners were treated with respect. I live in Naples and have run many races throughout Italy. I have never seen anything like this. It was disgraceful.
K. T. from Chicago, IL USA (11/23/2008) "Fantastic Scenery!" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first international race and it was amazing. The course was flat (and I am from Chicago). We ran by Mt. Pelegrino, Mondello, down Via de Liberta and through the courtyard of Capella Palentina. I was disappointed about the bag, which had some chocolate, a t-shirt, and some cheese. But oh well. I do agree with the other posts that the majority of the people do the half-marathon.
Diana Tinervia from USA (5/20/2008) "It was a nice small marathon" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Running through the quaint Sicilian streets and markets was exhilarating.
D. p. from Kenya (11/29/2006) "Nice road but no tifosi" (about: 2006) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 The race was nice. The race passed next to great buidings and nice places. A lot of runners do only the half marathon, so I was a bit lonely for the last 20 KMs. Quite well organized. But people from Palermo were not interested by the race, and nobody was encouraging runners.
c. r. from London, England (11/21/2005) "good 1/2, maybe not-so-good full" (about: 2005) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I'll try to sum up. I did this marathon because I am living temporarily in London and wanted to get one in before I left Europe. Flights are cheap from London to Palermo, and who wouldn't want an excuse to spend a few days in Sicily? Basically, it's only 25 Euro, and quite nice overall, but its really not a run to do a full marathon unless you are a fast finisher (under 3.5 hrs) and not one to do if you really need fans (unless you bring your own). Oh and you get a great bag, cute super soft t-shirt, and lots of other stuff with the race pack. I ran the half (meant to do a full, but was under-trained and sick, so I scaled down). The half was a good run and toured a large part of the city, which was interesting. The full just double-loops the half course, so that probably got a little boring for people doing the full. To comment on what other people wrote: Don't be fooled; the course does have HILLS, not Catalina category by any means, but still hills - it's not completely flat. But, I think for almost every up there was a corresponding down so at least you get that comfort. Also, the Italians are not great fans of this event, that much was evident. Some were encouraging but many did look bewildered by what was going on and a lot were ticked about the road closures. Good points: Police were really good about keeping the road closed (at least during the 2 hours I was on the course, not sure about after that). There are a ton of sponsors - the Italians have done a great job there. Also, they manipulated the start in such a way that despite starting everyone together people spread out quickly, they kind of bottlenecked us, which was also quite brilliantly done. If you have a trainer or friend with a bike willing to come along, bring him! Bikes were allowed on pretty much the whole course; I've never seen that kind of system (I have run 3 fulls and a few halfs and a 10K) but I think for the people who brought trainers it was great, and even for those who didn't, they really were not in anyone else's way. I stayed in the Excelsior Palace Hotel, a little expensive (more than $100/night), but I could sneeze and hit the starting line which was very convenient. The start is latish (9:15) and I don't think we actually started until about 9:20, so if you are a sleeper, this is good. And the weather was ideal - rained really slightly in the early morning but was about 60 (I think) for the whole race and cloudy. Bad points: As said, this is not a race for slower marathon runners; the few fans there were, were almost gone at the 4-hour mark. Also might be good to know some Italian; I dont know any and had some slight communication problems. Massages: very weird system, free but kind of hidden away in what appeared from the outside to be an injury tent - and not a great massage, so I would plan on hiring out if possible after the race. Drink stations: Not the best system, but they were around and there were a lot of sponge stations.
A. G. from The Hague, Netherlands (12/15/2003) "Good winter venue" (about: 2003) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Ran for first time in 2003. Although relatively small (ca. 1,700 runners), still feels and acts like a big city marathon. Fantastic weather (20c or 70f) and adequate water/isotonic every 5k. Marathon is twice round the half marathon course. See the lead runners regularly as they come the opposite direction. Undulating course rather than hilly, but not a noticeable strain. Interesting combination of narrow Sicilian streets, broad avenues and 'park-type' stretches. Start and finish in a main city square. As with other Italian events, spectators look bemused and (held-up) drivers in the traffic are positively fuming, so not a lot of support other than at the start and end. Main reasons to do this run are the weather, the opportunity to visit Palermo (superb!) and an easy, relatively quiet run.
T. M. from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (2/5/2003) " excellent marathon for experienced runners" (about: 2002) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I chose Palermo as my first marathon due to its warm location and proximity. The route is beautiful: partly through the center of the city, with restored buildings and overhanging trees, and partly through a wooded park. The course is flat with some inclines that one doesn't feel much (I trained entirely on flat ground and was fine). Locals met were friendly and pre-race carbs readily available in a plethora of pasta restaurants. Pre-race materials were in Italian only; if you don't speak Italian or Spanish (I don't), you need to be flexible before, during and after the event - and use your hands often. The water stands were superb, with a choice of water, gatorade and oranges. Sponges were readily available along the route, and traffic was strictly controlled. The two downsides of this marathon were: (1) it was very small - 277 runners in total - and did not draw a crowd. A trickle of supporters gathered at certain points only. For miles 15 - 22, I was entirely alone, and (2) it was a very fast marathon. At 4 hours, 40 minutes, I was the 5th to last. Water stands were taken down after 3.5 hours and thus I ran with a gatorade bottle for the last 6 miles. By the time I finished, the pasta party was over and almost everyone had gone home. If you are looking for a boisterous marathon to push you along, this is not perhaps the best choice - unless you bring your own crowd of fans. If you are looking for a fast run and a vacation after, however, this is the marathon: the weather is cool, the course flat and very well controlled, the competition present and the island worth a visit.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]

Become an Advertiser

A. E. from London (11/15/2015) "PALERMO, FANTASTIC!!" (about: 2015) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran in the Palermo marathon and it was an incredible experience! The scenery is stunning, refreshments perfectly located and very friendly atmosphere. Lots of support at the finish and great buzz. Only difficulty was the increased gradient in the last 5k, nearly killed me and ate into my time. But otherwise this was one of the best!
M. R. from Bremerton, Washington (12/13/2010) "Cold and Rainy" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I really enjoyed the run; the scenery was amazing. The only thing that it could have used more of was porta-potties. Other than that, it was a great RUN!!!
G. P. from Belgium (11/18/2009) "hills and warm" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 There were about 800 athletes in the half and 240 in the the full marathon; I completed the full and I was completely empty at the finish: this was a tough one. The first 7K are uphill; then it's downhill back to the starting place; then up and down for about 8K to the finish. At 9 a.m., it was about 20° C; at noon, it was about 25°C. This was much too warm for me. Most of the athletes ran the half, so I ran the second loop alone. The last 4K were surreal. The people had no eye for the athletes and I had to run between the hundreds of people walking in the Via Liberta. Some people didn't even move aside for the athletes. Everywhere impatient Italians sat in their cars because they had to wait for the passing runners. This was a weird scene.... I finished in 3:06 in 14th place. Not my best, but the hills and the warmth prevented me from running a good time. The combination of the city and marathon was a very positive experience. But don't expect to run a very fast time, and be ready to tolerate the lack of interest from the Italian spectators.
J. S. from Naples, Italy (11/16/2009) "Congested course" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 The race was well organized. The course loops and was relatively easy. The weather for the 2009 race was perfect. However, the residents of Palermo saw the roads being closed to car traffic as an opportunity to leisurely stroll along them. There were people walking arm in arm in the middle of the course; strollers, dogs and bicycles were everywhere, and they did not make way or even recognize the runners, nor did they clap. Not even the elite runners were treated with respect. I live in Naples and have run many races throughout Italy. I have never seen anything like this. It was disgraceful.
K. T. from Chicago, IL USA (11/23/2008) "Fantastic Scenery!" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first international race and it was amazing. The course was flat (and I am from Chicago). We ran by Mt. Pelegrino, Mondello, down Via de Liberta and through the courtyard of Capella Palentina. I was disappointed about the bag, which had some chocolate, a t-shirt, and some cheese. But oh well. I do agree with the other posts that the majority of the people do the half-marathon.
Diana Tinervia from USA (5/20/2008) "It was a nice small marathon" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Running through the quaint Sicilian streets and markets was exhilarating.
D. p. from Kenya (11/29/2006) "Nice road but no tifosi" (about: 2006) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 The race was nice. The race passed next to great buidings and nice places. A lot of runners do only the half marathon, so I was a bit lonely for the last 20 KMs. Quite well organized. But people from Palermo were not interested by the race, and nobody was encouraging runners.
c. r. from London, England (11/21/2005) "good 1/2, maybe not-so-good full" (about: 2005) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Palermo Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I'll try to sum up. I did this marathon because I am living temporarily in London and wanted to get one in before I left Europe. Flights are cheap from London to Palermo, and who wouldn't want an excuse to spend a few days in Sicily? Basically, it's only 25 Euro, and quite nice overall, but its really not a run to do a full marathon unless you are a fast finisher (under 3.5 hrs) and not one to do if you really need fans (unless you bring your own). Oh and you get a great bag, cute super soft t-shirt, and lots of other stuff with the race pack. I ran the half (meant to do a full, but was under-trained and sick, so I scaled down). The half was a good run and toured a large part of the city, which was interesting. The full just double-loops the half course, so that probably got a little boring for people doing the full. To comment on what other people wrote: Don't be fooled; the course does have HILLS, not Catalina category by any means, but still hills - it's not completely flat. But, I think for almost every up there was a corresponding down so at least you get that comfort. Also, the Italians are not great fans of this event, that much was evident. Some were encouraging but many did look bewildered by what was going on and a lot were ticked about the road closures. Good points: Police were really good about keeping the road closed (at least during the 2 hours I was on the course, not sure about after that). There are a ton of sponsors - the Italians have done a great job there. Also, they manipulated the start in such a way that despite starting everyone together people spread out quickly, they kind of bottlenecked us, which was also quite brilliantly done. If you have a trainer or friend with a bike willing to come along, bring him! Bikes were allowed on pretty much the whole course; I've never seen that kind of system (I have run 3 fulls and a few halfs and a 10K) but I think for the people who brought trainers it was great, and even for those who didn't, they really were not in anyone else's way. I stayed in the Excelsior Palace Hotel, a little expensive (more than $100/night), but I could sneeze and hit the starting line which was very convenient. The start is latish (9:15) and I don't think we actually started until about 9:20, so if you are a sleeper, this is good. And the weather was ideal - rained really slightly in the early morning but was about 60 (I think) for the whole race and cloudy. Bad points: As said, this is not a race for slower marathon runners; the few fans there were, were almost gone at the 4-hour mark. Also might be good to know some Italian; I dont know any and had some slight communication problems. Massages: very weird system, free but kind of hidden away in what appeared from the outside to be an injury tent - and not a great massage, so I would plan on hiring out if possible after the race. Drink stations: Not the best system, but they were around and there were a lot of sponge stations.
A. G. from The Hague, Netherlands (12/15/2003) "Good winter venue" (about: 2003) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Ran for first time in 2003. Although relatively small (ca. 1,700 runners), still feels and acts like a big city marathon. Fantastic weather (20c or 70f) and adequate water/isotonic every 5k. Marathon is twice round the half marathon course. See the lead runners regularly as they come the opposite direction. Undulating course rather than hilly, but not a noticeable strain. Interesting combination of narrow Sicilian streets, broad avenues and 'park-type' stretches. Start and finish in a main city square. As with other Italian events, spectators look bemused and (held-up) drivers in the traffic are positively fuming, so not a lot of support other than at the start and end. Main reasons to do this run are the weather, the opportunity to visit Palermo (superb!) and an easy, relatively quiet run.
T. M. from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (2/5/2003) " excellent marathon for experienced runners" (about: 2002) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I chose Palermo as my first marathon due to its warm location and proximity. The route is beautiful: partly through the center of the city, with restored buildings and overhanging trees, and partly through a wooded park. The course is flat with some inclines that one doesn't feel much (I trained entirely on flat ground and was fine). Locals met were friendly and pre-race carbs readily available in a plethora of pasta restaurants. Pre-race materials were in Italian only; if you don't speak Italian or Spanish (I don't), you need to be flexible before, during and after the event - and use your hands often. The water stands were superb, with a choice of water, gatorade and oranges. Sponges were readily available along the route, and traffic was strictly controlled. The two downsides of this marathon were: (1) it was very small - 277 runners in total - and did not draw a crowd. A trickle of supporters gathered at certain points only. For miles 15 - 22, I was entirely alone, and (2) it was a very fast marathon. At 4 hours, 40 minutes, I was the 5th to last. Water stands were taken down after 3.5 hours and thus I ran with a gatorade bottle for the last 6 miles. By the time I finished, the pasta party was over and almost everyone had gone home. If you are looking for a boisterous marathon to push you along, this is not perhaps the best choice - unless you bring your own crowd of fans. If you are looking for a fast run and a vacation after, however, this is the marathon: the weather is cool, the course flat and very well controlled, the competition present and the island worth a visit.

Become a better runner

Marathon Details - Palermo Marathon