There will be 3 separate starts, in the following order: lite women, handbikes, mass. The starts will take place between 9:15 and 9:30 am. The exact start times will be decided the day before the race, according to operational needs and TV broadcasting needs. Start is located in Stra (a small country town about 25 km west of Venice), at the beginning of Riviera del Brenta, the beautiful riverside area where rich and noble Venetians built their vacation mansions in the 18th century. The finish is in the historic centre of Venice, on the embankment named Riva Sette Martiri, in a scenic position facing the lagoon. The first part of the route, along the Riviera del Brenta, lays in an environment rich with history, culture and beatiful landscapes, characterized by the numerous Venetian villas facing on the waters of the river. The marathon goes through the centre of Marghera and Mestre, then runs for more than 2 kilometers inside San Giuliano's Park and gets to Venice via the Liberty Bridge (a flat and straight bridge long just a little less than 4 kilometers). The race proceeds in Venice's renovated port area and reaches the city centre for the last kilometers, which are simply unique and unforgettable. Marathoners run next to the Giudecca Canal to Punta della Dogana, where they cross the Grand Canal on a pontoon bridge, especially built for the race. Passing by Piazza San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale, the marathon route gets to the finish line located in Riva Sette Martiri. Passing through Piazza San Marco (high tide allowing...), near the Belltower and the Palazzo Ducale, the marathon route reaches the finish line located in Riva Sette Martiri. The Venicemarathon course is basically flat and fast. There are just a few difficulties, represented by 3-4 short slopes (100 meters or so) between the 25th and 35th kilometer. In the final part of the marathon route (last 3 kilometers), runners will face 14 little bridges over Venice's canals. Wooden ramps are put in place to prevent athletes from running on the steps. There is no cobblestone on the course (apart from the last 100 meters before the finish line). In the final 3 kilometres the running surface will be mainly made of large rectangular stone slabs. The course is entirely closed to traffic and marked every kilometer. Riviera del Brenta, with several 18th century mansions just next to the course (in particular the impressive Villa Pisani next to the marathon start line). Zattere, a 2-km-long embankment next to the Giudecca Canal, where athletes run close to the water. Pontoon Bridge over Grand Canal, a 170-meters-long floating bridge which is built the night before the marathon and dismantled the night after. Piazza San Marco and Palazzo Ducale, renowned Venice landmarks. Finish line in Riva Sette Martiri, in the picturesque waterfront of St. Mark's Basin.