Firenze Marathon

Registration is open, so there's no lottery. It opens in January and closes on November 20 or when the field sells out. FIDAL-affiliated Italian athletes, World Athletics-affiliated foreign athletes, and RUN CARD holders can all register, as can non-competitive foreign runners who sign a liability waiver.

Yes, the Firenze Marathon is a certified Boston qualifier. If you finish within the BQ standard for your age group, the result counts toward Boston Athletic Association registration.

The course has roughly equal gain and loss across 26.2 miles, so it's net flat, but don't treat it as a flat race. The climbs are real and distributed throughout, which means pacing conservatively early pays off in the second half.

The time limit is 6 hours from the race start.

The Firenze Marathon typically sees around 15,000 finishers, making it one of the larger marathons in Italy.

The race is held in late November, when Florence is cool and sometimes damp. Expect temperatures in the low-to-mid 40s at the start, warming into the mid-50s by midday. It's generally good running weather, but pack a throwaway layer for the corral and be prepared for rain.

Both the start and finish are in Piazza del Duomo in the heart of Florence, just steps from the cathedral. Staying in the historic center puts you within easy walking distance of everything you need on race morning.