Andersen Run
Where
Sestri Levante, Italy
Date
4 October 2026
Distances
Registration cost
€5–30
What runners say
When you reach the walkway and see the water of the Bay of Silence beneath your feet, you forget you're racing. It's one of those moments you don't expect — and never forget.
Why it's special
A race that literally runs over water: on a specially laid walkway, you run just centimetres above the surface of Sestri Levante's Bay of Silence.
What's around
The Andersen Run takes place in Sestri Levante, a Ligurian town famous for its Bay of Silence — one of the most beautiful in Italy — and for its connection with Hans Christian Andersen, who stayed here and drew inspiration for some of his fairy tales. The race takes its name from him. Organised by Atletica Levante, a local FIDAL club, it offers two distances: the 7 Fairy Tale Miles (around 10.5 km) and the Half Between the Bays (21.097 km). Both pass through the historic centre, the characteristic narrow alley, and build to the most iconic moment: the walkway over the Bay of Silence, where you run just centimetres above the water. Visibility outside Liguria is almost zero. No international communication, no buzz on European running channels. And yet it's one of the most spectacular race courses in the entire Italian calendar.