Due to the intersection of two important events in the capital and in order to maintain maximum convenience and the best conditions for runners, the start and finish site of the "If" Vilnius Half Marathon, which will take place on May 24, will be moved from Cathedral Square to Lukiškės Square this year.
In Vilnius city the same week, May 22nd On the Cathedral Square The ceremonial inauguration of the German 45th Armored Brigade will take place. As in other long-distance races, the most important thing here is the team, its endurance and a common goal. And our goal is clear - to be free, independent, to defend our state and values. The German soldiers join us - that's NATO part of a team run and a testament to our shared determination.
Lukiškės Square – a great alternative to a running festival
"Although the venue is changing, the same great experience awaits runners." event with updated and carefully planned routes. The 5 and 10 km distances have been changed to be faster and smoother, so we can expect better results and even more intrigue. The quality of the surface on all routes has also increased, which will provide even more comfort for runners.
New start and finish location – Lukiški Square – a spacious, comfortable and easily accessible location in the city center, where we will ensure the same festive atmosphere and comfort for participants,” says Gediminas Pajėda, director of the Public Institution “International Marathon” and organizer of the “If” Vilnius Half Marathon.
New trails – new experiences
Due to the change of venue, all the routes of the If Vilnius Half Marathon have also been updated - the half marathon, 10 km, 5 km (along with a special Nike Youth 5K route for young people), the children's run and the run "For Your and Our Freedom" to draw attention to Ukrainian veterans. The routes will run through the most beautiful places in the capital and will maintain the spirit of running in the heart of the city.
After starting Lukiškiai square, the longest - half marathon distance runners will run towards the Žvėrynas bridge, before reaching it they will turn left, towards the end of A. Goštautos, turning around they will run along the same street towards Žvėrynas, Vytautas street to Upės street, along which runners will run past the Žaliajis bridge almost to the Cathedral. From it, Gedimino pr. runners who ran will turn right to Vilniaus st., from which they will continue running along Goštautos st. and back. In the second half of the distance, runners will run through the Old Town towards Užupis, Paupis, and practically reaching Manufaktūrų st. they will run back towards the Cathedral, having already run Ugės st. only in the other direction, towards Žvėrynas. After running from Žvėrynas, runners will run along Gedimino pr. will move towards Lukiškės Square, run around it on the left side past A. Jakšto St., and rush towards the finish line, which, like the start, will be at Lukiškės Square.
Runners will be accompanied and timed by guides along the half marathon course, who will challenge runners to complete the longest distance of the race within a pre-planned time. There will be a total of 9 different distance times to choose from, from 1 hour 24 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes, so everyone will find their own pace here.
We invite you to get ready for the run and join us to run together.
For the first time in the history of the event, the organizers invite you to prepare together and run social runs 3 times a week throughout the entire month of May until the "If" Vilnius Half Marathon. On Wednesdays, runners meet at 18:00 PM at the Lithuanian National M. Mažvydas Library and run 6 km, on Saturdays, at 11:5 AM, runners gather at "Skalvija" on A. Goštauto St. and run 9 km, and the most serious runners are invited to join the 00 km run at a set pace on Sundays, at 21:13 AM, starting from the "Not Only Coffee" cafe on Užupio St. XNUMX. More information about these runs can be found on the "If" Vilnius Half Marathon Facebook and Instagram accounts.
The "If" Vilnius Half Marathon will take place on May 24 at Lukiškės Square, already in the evening. During the event, all participants will be able to enjoy different running distances, music, support from the audience, surprises from the event sponsors, and, of course, the opportunity to get to know Vilnius from a different angle, among a crowd of thousands of runners.
