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Sport in Florence: marathons, tennis and traditions

The major sporting events held in the cradle of the Renaissance.

Florence’s Renaissance art draws millions of tourists each year, however, it also hosts many sporting events that thrill both participants and spectators. From healthy amateur competitions to those for the pros, the city is enriched by grand-scale marathons, historical traditions and plenty of sports news.

Ready…set…go!

Florence Marathon and Corri La Vita

Like many other major cities in Europe and the world, Florence also has its own marathon, the running race that is a phenomenal mix of exertion and passion. The Florence Marathon is among the top 20 marathons in the world due to the number of participants, the quality of the organization, and for the route (without gradients, as per regulations), which is considered among the best in the world. This year, it will take place on November 27. Find out more about the Florence Marathon and Corri La Vita, the charity race to raise funds to support breast cancer research.

Deejay Ten

The Radio Deejay race is one of the most anticipated and celebrated events in the city. The route starts from Lungarno della Zecca Vecchia and reaches Piazza Santa Croce at the 5km mark, and Piazza Duomo for the 10km route. It’s an explosion of sports, colours and music that brightens all of Florence, a true celebration of physical activity that mustn’t be missed!

Tennis: Unicredit Firenze Open

After twenty years, great tennis returns to Florence! The sport that has been a hot topic of late given top quality Italian athletes returns to the city with a brand new ATP 250, the Unicredit Firenze Open. The tournament will take place from October 10 to 16 in the equally new multipurpose sports facility, Palazzo Wanny.

Calcio Storico Fiorentino and Notturna di San Giovanni

Speaking of sporting events in Florence, we can’t leave out Florence’s most signature sport that has been around since the Middle Ages: Calcio Storico (Historical Football). This centuries-old giuoco (old word for game in Italian) is a mix of modern American football, rugby, boxing, and combat sports. The tournament takes place every year at the dedicated arena in Piazza Santa Croce and the final is fought on June 24, the day of San Giovanni (St. John), the patron saint of the city. Notturna di San Giovanni (the evening race of San Giovanni), on the other hand, is held on June 18. One of the oldest road races in Italy, departure and arrival is from Piazza San Giovanni (or Piazza Duomo).

100 km of the Passatore

The last edition on May 2022 marked 48 editions of the 100 Km del Passatore. Taking place from Florence to Faenza, the historic international running race was formed in 1973 and follows along the Via Faentina, bringing runners from Florence to Faenza, passing through Fiesole.

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