Happy Bavisela

Cristian and Eva punch it in at the finish, 2013
 

Few events liven up the city like the Bavisela Marathon/Halfie/Family fun run. I recommend it. I have done it every year (or almost) since I arrived in Trieste (it will be ten years in June, a gd lifetime, by the way!).

It changes every year, although the route has been more or less the same for the last few years, which is a good thing. There was a wack-o idea sometime around 2004 to try to make the route as flat and as repetitive as possible to try to attract more elite runners, but I think there was a general backlash on that one as 62% of the runners (minimum) slept through 3/4 of the run.

The quality of t-shirts and swag bags increases and decreases in no particular pattern, just like the events associated with the Bavisela. The fans are comotose, unless you count the fun run people. They are kind of fun, but they're not really watching the halfie/marathoners until the last stretch. So don't look for extrinsic rewards at the Bavi, unless your friends/family are waiting for you at the finish line.

There were a couple of years where the Bavisela felt like an important European run. It kind of lost that feeling at about the same time the organizers got busted for corruption. The new organizers have toned it down and brought in a kind of old-school, the-whole-town-is-involved authentic feel. I definitely like it better now. There is less pomp, but, at the same time, it's about the running again.

Trieste is definitely a running town.