Beach Volley Marathon, the most well-known and spectacular open air sporting event (boasting 1.748 teams and 8.000 participants last year!), is offering two new appointments for the summer of 2009: the first to open the season, beginning on Friday 22^nd, Saturday 23^rd and Sunday 24^th May and the second, to close the season, to be held on Friday 4^th, Saturday 5^th and Sunday 6^th September. Matches will take place at the new beach arena in front of the Villaggio Turistico Internazionale (Bibione Thermae area) and the location is, once again, one for grand occasions with over 150 courts on which two distinct tournaments will be held* so that the participants can take part in diversified competitive encounters. Beach marathon participants will be able play in both tournaments since the matches have been programd so that no overlapping of events shall occur. At sunset the sporting activities give way to beach parties which are not to be missed and the fun then continues in the best discos in town.
*Friday and Saturday: 2x2 Men's and Women's tournament; Saturday and Sunday: categories 3x3 Men and Women - 4x4 Mixed.

N.B. If you are not part of a team or are not able to find a partner so as to form one, simply enter your request into our Guestbook at www.beachvolley.it where your request will be automatically matched with similar requests so as to assure your participation in the tournament.

2x2 Men's and 2x2 Women's category. Matches are to be held on Friday and Saturday. The games' format follows a double elimination scoring so that teams are moved from the winners' scoreboard to the losers' scoreboard after their first defeat; from here they will be eliminated should they lose their next match. The program of events will be compiled according to the registrations received, assigning the best positions (top of the list) to the couples whose registration was entered and registered first. The matches are played according to the international rules of Beach Volley with the possibility of having a substitute player who can enter the game at the beginning of, or during the match, should a regular player not be able to continue the game.

3x3 Men's; 3x3 Women's and 4x4 Mixed category. Matches are to be held on Saturday and Sunday. The tournament will begin with a qualifying event (Saturday) with matches held according to Italian rounds with four/five teams. At the end of the qualifying event a list of provisional results will be set up for each category based on the point ratio scored up to that moment by each team. The final rounds will be held on Sunday and shall see the participation, by category, of the remaining 536 teams with the best point ratio from the qualifying event. The closing matches right up to the “finalissima” (finals) will be held on the basis of the above mentioned results and played by direct elimination. The rules for the games are available at: www.beachvolley.it

Insurance policy. Athletes without their own insurance are advised to add 10,00 Euro to their participation fee. This will buy them a policy against unfortunate injuries during the event. The full names of each person requiring an insurance policy should be clearly marked on the Athletes' Form to be sent along with the Application form. Before taking out the insurance policy we recommend that you download the policy information from the site.

Medical certificate. All players must have a medical certificate that confirms that they are healthy and able to practise sports (however, not at a professional level) and must be valid throughout the entire course of the tournament. A copy of the medical certificate must be presented to the organisers upon arrival during the check-in procedures.

Awards. The first four teams classified according to categories 3x3 M/F and 4x4 Mixed, will receive special prizes from our sponsors together with the following cash prizes: Euro 1.000,00 (first place); Euro 500,00 (second place); Euro 300,00 (third place); Euro 200,00 (fourth place). As for the category 2x2 M/F, the cash prizes will be 50% of the above mentioned amounts.

Check-in. Check-in is to be carried out at the Centro Tennistico Comunale di Bibione (Bibione Tennis Club, via Cellina, 2) on Thursday and Friday from 11.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. (and until 8.00 p.m. for those teams who have not registered for accommodation) and Saturday from 8.00 a.m. to 9.00 a.m. Upon arrival at Bibione, the person in charge of the team is to carry out all check-in procedures and will receive the program of events as well as all the information regarding accommodation and evening entertainment. All athletes whose registration fee has been duly paid (pls. see registration form) shall be given their souvenir t-shirt and a coloured identification bracelet which is needed in order to take part in the games (those accompanying the team will receive an identification bracelet of a different colour). The bracelet, which has to be worn on the wrist or ankle at all times during the entire duration of the event, allows for free entrance to the Villaggio Turistico Internazionale with its many facilities such as changing rooms with hot showers, large swimming pools with slides and spa bathes, cafés, restaurants and free use of beach facilities such as deck chairs, beach umbrellas and much more. With the bracelet participants also have free entrance to parties in the discos, reductions for tickets to the thermal baths and discounts in pizzerias and restaurants which take part in the event.

Accommodation. For participants and those accompanying them, accommodation is available at discounted prices in apartments, hotels, holiday camps and camping sites (see registration form).

Reductions. Reductions on the registration fee are given to teams who benefit from the accommodation offered, for those who formalise their registration first and for teams registered in both tournaments within the same sporting event.

Bibione: a city for everyone. Bibione is the ideal holiday beach resort which offers beautiful sandy beaches, a calm sea, intact nature and access to culture. Venice is not far and very easy to reach. Bibione's beach extends over 7 km and the sea is calm and clean. The thermal baths in Bibione (Bibione Thermae) is a modern wellness centre with thermal swimming-pools, water games and jacuzzi baths for adults and children. The Thermae has an avantgarde beauty centre with saunas, Turkish baths, sunbeds and restaurants (all participants and those accompanying them will receive a 20% discount on the entrance fee to the thermal baths). Bibione is the ideal place in which you can relax but it is also a city for the young and restless with its many discos, its fun park and its numerous pubs and shops. Bibione is well-known and highly appreciated throughout Europe thanks to its intact lagoon and its deep respect of nature. Everybody will find what they're looking for here: adults as well as children; young disco-goers as well as wellness enthusiasts, curious newcomers as well as experienced gourmets.

Further events. The Beach Volley Marathon set for May will be enhanced by a spectacular fitness event. On the Friday, Saturday and Sunday a 1000 metre covered platform will be set up directly on the beach at a few metres from the central arena for one of the most important national fitness conventions (open to everyone). Courses presented include aerobics, step, hip hop and dance course all hosted by the best national and international presenters: Gil Lopes, Ary Marques, Laura Cristina, Guillermo Vega, Paolo Evangelista and many others. Info: www.radunofitness.it

Check-in:
- Thursday and Friday* from 11.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. (until 8.00 p.m. for teams not registered for accommodation: *Friday from 8.00 a.m. to 9.00 a.m. for 2x2 Men's and Women's tournament)
- Saturday from 8.00 a.m. to 9.00 a.m.
Category 2x2 M/F:
- Friday: from 9.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m.
- Saturday: from 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. (finals beginning from 3.30 p.m.)
Category 3x3 M/F - 4x4 Mixed
- Saturday: from 8.30 a.m. to 7.00 p.m.
- Sunday: from 8.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. (finals beginning from 3.00 p.m.)
Bibione Fitness Convention
- Friday: from 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.
- Saturday: from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and from 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.
- Sunday: from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and from 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.

 

Evening animation on the beach in collaboration with 2night.it … the best the night has to offer!
Spritz Party on the beach (Friday and Saturday) from 7.00 p.m.
Disco Party party in disco (Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday) beginning at 11.30 p.m.

Please note: games will be held regardless of the weather conditions. The organizers, however, have the right to modify the program of the matches should very bad weather conditions (or other unpredictable external events) have caused considerable delays in the schedule of the games. In the worst case, the organizers have the right to suspend the event in full, without being liable to the refunding of the participation or vacation fees of the participants.

Info: Phone +39 041.5951560 - Mobile +39 338.2712384; +39 340.5787013 - info@radunisportivi.it - www.beachvolley.it