Vilnius Half Marathon
20-50 €
Pros
- Multi event with many options
- The location
- Nice route
- Everything close to the city center
Cons
- Can be difficult to reach
- Expo could be bigger
| Year of first edition: | 2012 |
| World Athletics Label Road Race: | No |
| Expected participants: | 4000 |
| Distances: | 21K, 10K, 5K |
| Type of race: | Flat, city run |
| Time limit: | 3 hours (21K), 90 min (10K), 45 min (5K) |
The Vilnius Half Marathon race is held in spring in the beautiful capital of Lithuania.
Like many multi-events, it offers challenges on many distances. In 2023, the longer distance was the half marathon, but a 10K, a youth 5K were in the program too.
In particular, that year was also the 700th birthday of the beautiful city, with additional celebrations for the special event. Why should you (or shouldn’t you) run this race? I will try to tell you more in the following. Starting, as usual, from the booking process.
The booking process
The website is user friendly, the english version fairly good. I reached out to the staff for few info, both on their instagram channel, and the event official Email.
In both cases, friendly and good level of support. It is possible to go through the booking process in few clicks, and you can choose wether or not to buy the event T-shirt, for an add-on price. I chose the half marathon distance.
The organization
As already mentioned, my experience with the organization was good. Every time the response was fast and kind.
The expo is usually organised in the city center, at the Cathedral Square. Start and Finish of the race are also located in the same area.
Therefore, it is quite possible to book an hotel that will be strategically close to all you want, in this experience.
The expo is quite small, with few stands. However there is very low risk of queuing, not only because of the relatively small dimension of the event, but also due to the efficiency of the personnel. Some stands will tempt you with some last minute deal. Of course, I found an opportunity to buy something!
The Expo in Cathedral square
The course
The race begins in the heart of Vilnius, at Cathedral Square, and takes participants through the city’s charming old town and scenic parks, offering stunning views of the city’s famous landmarks, including the Vilnius Castle Complex, Gediminas’ Tower, and the Three Crosses monument. It is relatively flat.
My GPS watch counted 121 meters (400 ft) of positive gain.
Personal impressions
The cheering volunteers at the finish line
Conclusions
Vilnius Half Marathon is a race that will lead you through a beautiful, green and modern city, and its old past.
A warm welcome from the locals and the tourists, that will give you that nice boost of energy. A great show in a beautiful city.
Did you like this review of Vilnius Half Marathon?
Please contact me for any question or if you find info to be rectified!
Find my traveling tips: what to do in Vilnius.
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