Marathons in Italy

The Marathon and Italy share a deep bond ❤️. Not surprising for the world's most romantic country! Italy is teeming with marathons. One of the first significant events was in 1960 during the Olympic Games Marathon in Rome. Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila won the gold medal with a world record time of 2 hours 15 minutes and 16 seconds 🥇. His performance was even more remarkable because he ran... barefoot! 🦶

After this feat, the capital didn’t host another marathon until 1984, which marked the first edition of the Rome Marathon. Today, runners from all over the world flock to the City of Seven Hills for a run and a celebration 🥳. While 1984 might evoke dystopian fears (thanks, George Orwell 😅), in Tuscany it’s a year of joy and passion with the inception of the Florence Marathon! This event gathers at least 8,000 participants. And while you’re in the region, don’t miss the Leaning Tower during the Pisa Marathon!

If you’re looking to set a new personal record ⌛, there’s a race just for you: the Milan Marathon. It’s the fastest 42.195 km race in Italy and one of the fastest in the world. The records? Both were set in 2019. For women, it's held by Ethiopian runner Hiwot Gebrekidan with a time of 2 hours 19 minutes and 35 seconds. For men, Kenyan runner Titus Ekiru's time is 2 hours 2 minutes and 57 seconds.

We leave Lombardy and Milan to head towards the “Serenissima”! Venice, the city of love and gondolas. You’ll undoubtedly fall in love with its magnificent Renaissance buildings. That’s the case for the 8,000 runners who participate in the Venice Marathon in October. In Veneto, you’ll also find the Verona Marathon, a perfect chance to visit the city of the star-crossed lovers.

Italy is undoubtedly a runner’s paradise, full of beautiful marathons. We didn't even mention the Bologna Marathon, the X-Bionic Lake Garda 42 by the Lake Garda, the Mythos Marathon, or the Ravenna Marathon.