Media release ,  03.05.2024

Running as lifelong healthcare for strong, reliable communities – this weekend at the Generali Genève Marathon

• As title partner of the Generali Genève Marathon on 4–5 May, Generali Switzerland is making an important contribution to health and society with the Generali Running Family.
• Tadesse Abraham, one of Switzerland’s top marathon runners and Generali’s running ambassador, will inspire participants to their top performances as the pacesetter.
• Generali’s The Human Safety Net Switzerland foundation is a charity partner of the Generali Genève Marathon and brought in around CHF 13,000 in donations for the welfare of sick children in Geneva in 2023.

Adliswil – The Generali Genève Marathon on 4 and 5 May 2024 is considered one of the most beautiful marathons in Europe. In 2023, over 18,000 runners representing 138 nationalities tackled the splendour of the Geneva route, starting on Geneva’s outskirts and finishing in the heart of the city, on the waterfront before the famous Jet d’eau. 

Running to promote health and strong communities

Running is a popular activity: 27% of the Swiss population runs regularly (Source: Sport Schweiz 2020 – Sportaktivität und Sportinteresse der Schweizer Bevölkerung, federal office for sport Baspo). You can run whenever and wherever you want. It’s cheap and therefore accessible to most people, whether alone or in a group. Just put on your sportswear, lace up your trainers and off you go! As a lifetime partner that is there for its customers through all the ups and downs of life, Generali supports sporting events that promote health and thereby form strong and reliable communities. In addition to the Generali Genève Marathon, it is also a partner of the St. Gallen Ascension Run and the SwissCityMarathon in Lucerne. The insurance company is also involved in leading running events in Germany, Spain, Slovenia, Thailand and Malaysia. 

Running connects with the Generali Running Family

The growing Generali Running Family in Switzerland is open to everyone who wants to run together and get regular exercise. The free Generali running groups in Zurich and Geneva meet twice a week and are supported by professional running coaches. Please check the Generali website for information and registration.

On Saturday – the evening before the actual marathon – Generali runners will be filling up on carbohydrates at the Pasta Party and celebrating their first successes of the two-day running event, complete with DJ. Above all, however, it is about like-minded people coming together and exchanging ideas.

Top athlete Tadesse Abraham to be the pacesetter for one ambitious runner

The Generali Running Family also includes our ambassadors, Tadesse Abraham and Dominic Lobalu, as role models and motivators. They both arrived in Switzerland as refugees from Eritrea and South Sudan and are now among the most influential athletes on the Swiss running scene. Tadesse Abraham will be taking questions from journalists at the press conference in Geneva this morning. Those taking part in the running spectacle can also look forward to a special experience: on Saturday 4 May, Abraham will act as the pacesetter in the 5-kilometre run, motivating one ambitious runner and pushing them to new heights. The decision will be made by lottery.

The Human Safety Net is raising money for sick children

The Human Safety Net, a global initiative set up by Generali, campaigns for parents and children under the age of six who are growing up in fragile family situations in Switzerland. The Human Safety Net Switzerland foundation is also a charity partner of the Generali Genève Marathon. All participants can choose to run for children and donate an amount of their choosing when registering. Last year, around CHF 13,000 was raised and donated to the local organisation Cerf-Volant in Geneva. This year, we are collecting for the “Pomilo” circus days at the Treffpunkt Tschüdanga in Valais. The circus days give seriously ill children and their siblings the opportunity to escape everyday life and try something new. 

Generali Switzerland is proud to join the runners on the start line as the title partner of the Generali Genève Marathon. Here’s to a fantastic event with all participants – true to the motto “Run for it!”