Rome Marathon

Rome Marathon: Run through 3,000 years of history!

Traversing 400 different eras, the Rome Marathon is a leap into the richness of the eternal city. However, the Rome Marathon hasn’t always been this popular. Created in 1982, it initially struggled with few participants. In the 90s, two editions even had to be canceled due to poor organization and a lack of bibs at the starting line. It wasn’t until 1995 that the Rome Marathon managed to hold an edition worthy of its name.

For the 2000 edition, Italians went big! At the start, on January 1st, to kick off the year right, thousands of runners gathered at St. Peter’s Square in front of the Vatican. To mark the opening, Pope John Paul II himself was present. The capital’s residents are used to hosting editions with unique anecdotes! In 1960, although the marathon wasn’t yet established, the 42.195km were part of the Olympic Games as an event.

The grand winner of this edition, Abebe Bikila, would win the gold medal in 2 hours 15 minutes 17 seconds running barefoot! The Rome Marathon is also, and above all, an impressive course that lets you discover the city from a sporty perspective. The capital, having gone through many eras and changes, now brings together nearly 400 spots from entirely different ages. Just on the course, sharp-eyed runners can appreciate completely different worlds. For example, along the 42 km route, there is the Vatican. This essential place in Rome houses several monuments, some dating back to the Early Christian period, but most of its current buildings date from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Circus Maximus, belongs to the ancient Roman era. As for Castel Sant’Angelo, it was transformed into a fortress and papal residence during the Middle Ages.

On equally diverse terrain, with 175m of elevation gain and 6 km of cobblestones, the Rome Marathon remains an iconic event in a runner’s calendar. On the same dates, the organization offers a 5 km FunRun, focused mainly around Circus Maximus. This distance allows people of various athletic levels to compete.

Another option is the 4-person relay. The different segments are divided into 10 km distances, a perfect fit for those who are undecided. All starts will take place at the beautiful and mythical Colosseum, one of the largest amphitheaters built during ancient Rome. This relic of the past launches runners on their journey to write their own story.