Semi-Marathon International de Palerme

In Italy 🇮🇹, we love football so much that the country feels like a boot 👢 kicking a ball ⚽️. This ball is the Sicily 🍋, widely known as the mobster hideout in films 🍿. Come on, settle into your finest leather chair, put your cat 🐱 on your lap, and watch the program awaiting you 👇.

Today, we’ll break the clichés by telling you about a sensational race: the Palermo Half Marathon! It’s in this sunlit city sunny ☀️ and history-packed 📚 that you’ll start one of Europe’s most significant half-marathons 🇪🇺. Of course, you can choose to run the 21 km (as you might expect from the course name 😅), but you can also run a 10 km, just as spectacular, or a 5 km to pace yourself 🎇. For those who don’t want to worry about timing, there are also the Walkthon of 5 km and 10 km non-competitive (but with a time limit, too). No matter the distance you choose, the course will take you on a journey between land 🪵 and sea 🌊, through this vibrant city of 650 000 inhabitants. You’ll enjoy the beautiful Mediterranean beaches near the Mondello Gulf as well as the lovely streets of the city of Palermo, including the Via Libertà, filled with villas in the Art Deco style Art Deco ✨, some by architect Ernesto Basile. You’ll pass by all the city’s monuments: the Palermo Cathedral ⛪, the Statua della Libertà, Palazzo dei Normanni with its splendid Palatine Chapel or the Oratory of San Lorenzo 😍. You’ll stroll through green spaces like the Parco della Favorita 🌳. You’ll also hear about the former royal residences 👸 such as the Villa Niscemi or the Palazzina Cinese 🇨🇳.

By the end of October 🍁 the organizers invite you to their island 🗾. Don’t worry: even though it’s October, the weather is usually mild 🌞 for this time of year in Sicily, with temperatures ranging between 17° and 20°C And even if a few showers ☔ interrupt your race, remember that in Palermo, the drama has its charm, as the rapper Passi 🎤.

The start 🏁 will be at the Politeama Square, one of the most important in the city 🌆. Here you’ll find the Teatro Politeamaan renowned opera 🎙️. Yet, it isn’t as renowned as the Teatro Massimo, the largest in the island, where you can go after your run to enjoy a performance of the Vespri Siciliane by Giuseppe Verdi 🎭. Also on the itinerary, the Quattro Canti is the lively square of Palermo : it’s surrounded by stunning Baroque-style monuments 🤌. Horror and chills lovers will head to the Catacombs of the Capuchins ☠️, which rival our Parisian catacombs. If you prefer to immerse yourself in the culture and the city, you can wander through the historic district of Palermo. This area, lively and characteristic 🍻, is known for its fountains, sculptures and cobbled streets that give it a certain charm. The city also counts several museums 👀 that tell the tumultuous history of Sicily... 📚 Exciting stories, to be sure! 😏 Finally, for those who want a bite after their run, you can try some delicious Sicilian specialties: the panelle, the cazzilli, the arancini (or arancine), the sfincione, the pani ca' meusa, the cannoli (or arancine), the sfincione, the pani ca' meusa, the cannoli (or arancine), the sfincione, the pani ca' meusa, the cannoli or brioche col tuppo (a pastry filled with ice cream 🍦)... 😋

Ready to discover the wonders of this Sicily’s jewel? Don’t wait and enroll in the Palermo Half Marathon! 📝