Races in Catania

Catania has the volcano in its blood. Destroyed in 1693, rebuilt in black stone from Etna, it shows off a unique dark Baroque, listed in the Val di Noto ⛪. On the Piazza del Duomo, u Liotru, the lava elephant, watches over the Cathedral of Saint Agatha and its patron saint. Via Etnea points straight toward the crater; behind the Duomo, the Pescheria screams its fish. Running in Catania: black rock, and the volcano at the end of every street 🐘.

To the north, Via Etnea climbs on a gentle slope, as if to draw you toward the giant. And the giant delivers: in under an hour, the road rises toward Nicolosi and Rifugio Sapienza, over frozen lava flows that set your thighs on fire 🏔️. The trail on Etna offers paths of black sand, between pines and extinct craters, with all of Sicily under your feet 🌑.

The Ionian Sea frames the city in blue. To the south, La Playa stretches out kilometers of sand; to the north, the Riviera of the Cyclops plants the rocks of Aci Trezza, those of Homer’s Cyclops 🌊. Right in the center, Villa Bellini serves as a green lung for Catania’s early risers. The climate is enviable: mild winters in short sleeves when Etna turns white, scorching summers tackled at dawn, and springs and autumns made for long outings ☀️. The seafront never lets you go—its own theme to keep you running—and the race calendar in Catania runs almost year-round.

Three events set the tone. The Catania Marathon, in mid-December, is a fast, flat course by the water: marathon, half, 10K 🥇. The Supermaratona dell'Etna, in June, climbs from the coast to nearly three thousand meters—one of Italy’s biggest challenges. The Mezza Maratona di Catania loops the Baroque center in autumn. Further afield, the Sicily page leads to Syracuse, Taormina, Noto, and Palermo. At the finish: a pasta alla Norma, named after Bellini’s opera, a piping-hot arancino, a pistachio granita-brioche, a glass of Etna rosso (Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health; drink in moderation). Francesco Coco, AC Milan defender, grew up on these cobblestones; Carmen Consoli, the cantantessa, lent her voice here; Giovanni Verga wrote his novels here 🎶. Your turn to choose: marathon for the volcano, half or 10K by the water, with food and culture and history for what comes next.