Half Marathon Empoli

The Half Marathon Empoli takes runners through the heart of Empoli, a Tuscan town on the south bank of the Arno, halfway between Florence and Pisa. The half marathon is listed on the FIDAL national calendar and is organised by Fispal, a sports company based in Sovigliana, in the neighbouring municipality of Vinci. Empoli has hosted a race over the half marathon distance for a number of years; long held at the end of winter, it has since moved to the autumn and now takes place at the very beginning of October, a good window for fast times once the summer heat has passed.

The morning features three formats. The 21.097 km half marathon starts at 9.15am from Via Roma, right in the town centre, on an entirely urban course. A quarter of an hour earlier, at 9am, the competitive 10K sets off from the same spot. Both races are chip-timed with official results. Finally, a "cardiocamminata" of about 3 km, a fun walk with no timing or ranking, leaves Piazza della Vittoria at 8.30am: open to everyone without a medical certificate, it also welcomes under-18s accompanied by an adult, with places capped at 150.

The course is designed to be fast: flat, smooth streets with no trail or countryside sections, making it a good place to chase a personal best or test race pace ahead of an autumn marathon. The 10K suits licensed runners who prefer a shorter, sharper effort, while the walk lets families and beginners share in the atmosphere. The half marathon has a 2 hour 30 minute time limit and the roads reopen at noon; medical cover and a sweep vehicle follow the race to the end.

Empoli owes its character to its compact historic centre, once enclosed by walls, home to the Collegiata di Sant'Andrea with its Romanesque façade in white and green marble in the Florentine tradition. Piazza Farinata degli Uberti, the heart of the town, recalls the episode of 1260 when the Ghibelline leader opposed the destruction of Florence at the council held in Empoli. The Montalbano hills and Leonardo da Vinci's birthplace are only a few kilometres away, making race weekend a good opportunity to discover this part of Tuscany.

The race village and bib collection are in Piazza della Vittoria, on the Saturday afternoon and evening and again on Sunday morning before each start. Entries are online only and close on the Thursday before the race; groups of at least ten runners benefit from dedicated terms. The half marathon is open to FIDAL members, members of clubs affiliated to a World Athletics-recognised federation and Runcard holders with a medical certificate for competitive athletics. Empoli railway station, served by lines from Florence, Pisa and Siena, is a short walk from the start area.