Races in Emilia-Romagna

There are regions you come for the scenery, and others for what you eat there. Emilia-Romagna pulls off both, but let’s be honest: its reputation rests first and foremost on its food. The region stretches diagonally from Piacenza to the Adriatic, cut straight through by the Via Emilia, a road the Romans laid out 2,200 years ago and which lines up all the major cities like pearls on a string. Bologna sits at the center, with its forty kilometers of arcades and its two leaning towers. Parma lives off the cheese and ham that bear its name. Modena makes Ferraris and balsamic vinegar within a ten-kilometer radius. Ravenna hides Byzantine mosaics that are fifteen hundred years old. And Rimini has been partying on its beach forever 🇮🇹.

The landscape reads in two horizontal bands. To the north, the Po Valley: completely flat, ideal for fast times, crisscrossed with fields and poplars. That’s where the art cities rise up and where marathons are run quickly. To the south, the Apennines climb gently and then steeply, forming the natural border with Tuscany. The Trebbia and Taro valleys carve out wooded terrain that few tourists know about—Hemingway considered the Val Trebbia among the most beautiful valleys in the world, and it’s well worth the detour. Then comes the coast: the Romagna Riviera lines up its seaside resorts from Cattolica to Comacchio, and right at the end, the Po Delta unfurls its lagoons where flamingos spend the whole year 🦩.

Season-wise, the plain sets the pace. Summer is heavy and humid, winter cold and often drowned in fog, but the in-between is perfect for running fast. That explains the concentration of marathons between October and March, when the air is cool and steady. The coast extends the fine season into November, with a sea still warm for triathletes. The Apennines, meanwhile, open their trails from late spring to autumn, away from the valley heat ❄️. A word about the fog, actually: the nebbia padana can turn a November run into a ghostly stroll, with visibility down to just a few meters. Locals have learned to live with it.

The race calendar in Emilia-Romagna is overflowing with flatland marathons. The Ravenna Marathon flies along in November between mosaics and pine forest, known for fast times. The Bologna Marathon runs under the arcades in March, and the StraBologna takes over on the popular side in May. The Ferrara Marathon loops around the Renaissance walls in February, while the one in Reggio Emilia closes out the year in December. The Verdi Marathon pays tribute to the composer near his birthplace, while the Parma Marathon and the Rimini Marathon round out the picture. Add the half marathons of Comacchio in the delta, Piacenza and Reggio. On the trails side, the Tartufo Trail chases truffles in Calestano, The Abbots Way Ultra follows a medieval pilgrimage route from Bobbio, and the Ferriere Trail Festival climbs into the Piacenza Apennines 🥾. The region is also the capital of long-distance triathlon: the Emilia-Romagna Ironman and its 70.3 bring together thousands of athletes in Cervia in September. Cyclists, for their part, wouldn’t miss the Nove Colli for anything, a legendary 200-kilometer gran fondo starting from Cesenatico 🚴.

After a race in Emilia-Romagna, the table isn’t optional—it’s the reason for the trip. Bologna is nicknamed La Grassa, “the fat one,” and it’s no accident. Tortellini are soaked in broth, tagliatelle carry the real ragù (never spaghetti—we’re warning you), mortadella is sliced thin. Parmigiano Reggiano ages in cellars between Parma and Reggio, Parma ham dries in the hill air, Modena balsamic vinegar matures for twenty-five years in barrels 🧀. To toast, a glass of sparkling Lambrusco, served chilled and without fuss (Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health; consume in moderation). On the sports side, the region claims Alberto Tomba, the Bologna skier with three Olympic gold medals, the absolute star of the 1990s ⛷️. But Emilia-Romagna is above all the cradle of engines: Enzo Ferrari in Modena, Lamborghini and Ducati right next door, a density of horsepower unique in the world. Add Giuseppe Verdi, born near Parma, and Federico Fellini, a child of Rimini who filmed his city all his life 🎬. So, a flat marathon under the arcades or an ultra in the Apennines? Compare the local marathons and trails, but save room for dessert 👟.