SU E ZO PER I PONTI: Second edition with the Port serving as starting hub for the short route!

Led by the Port Authority, the Port Community has teamed up once again for the 43rd edition of SU E ZO PER I PONTI (‘Up and Down the Bridges of Venice’), a non-competitive running and walking event whose route first crossed the port waterfront of Santa Marta and San Basilio in 2009.
The collaboration between the event organisers and the Port Authority has evolved over the years, with new ideas and innovations that have helped strengthen the port-city relationship and have inspired a specific project called SU E ZO PER IL PORTO (‘Up and Down the Port of Venice’).
While in the first editions the port area was simply a place of transit for runners and walkers, over time it has evolved into a real hub, called Punto Porto, which offers several thousand participants the opportunity to get some rest and entertainment while exploring an area of Venice that is little known and somewhat off the beaten track in spite of its historical relevance for the city and its maritime-port origins.
The 2023 edition will consolidate the format introduced last year in response to post-pandemic needs: the starting line for the short route will be right at the Santa Marta waterfront, which will host the reception area, a refreshment point and a stage with entertainment provided by a folk group.
This year a new member will join the large family of institutions and operators involved in the successful Su e Zo per il Porto project: for the first time the ‘Camplus’ university campus will open its doors and the new Hum.us ‘affinity food space’ especially for this occasion. This is a chance for new connections and collaborations between the waterfront community members.
Another novelty is the fact that the event will be included in the spring programme of the Italian Port Days, a national initiative promoted by Assoporti.
Speaking on behalf of the Port Authority during the official presentation of SU E ZO PER I PONTI at Ca’ Farsetti on 27 March, the Director of Strategic Planning and Development emphasised how this event is particularly dear to the Port Authority, whose efforts over the years have been aimed at fostering the integration of the current and former port areas into the urban fabric of Venice, focusing on the values of sustainability, integrity, training, and the inclusion of young people – all pillars of the SU E ZO PER I PONTI event.