Lake Maggiore Half Marathon 2026

Ciao ragazzi! 👋 It's high time to put on your road shoes 👟 and jog around the famous Lake Maggiore! 🛶

Head to the north of Italy, on the border with Switzerland 🏔️, for this race that will introduce you to breathtaking views (but not literally, we hope)! In April, the temperatures are ideal in this alpine region: not too hot to sweat like mozzarella in the oven 🧀, nor too cold to shiver! Italian spring at its finest, with bonus views of the Alps that will make you forget even your phone number ☎️. No time to sip a spritz on the terrace 🍹, because over these 21.097 km of asphalt and trails, you'll discover why this lake is dubbed the pearl of the Italian lakes! The course runs along the lake's shores on terrain that's mostly flat (thank you geology!), with a few undulations to remind your thighs they're working 💪.

This iconic race offers two distances to satisfy all levels of challenge! The "10K" will start at Fondotoce and head directly to the finish in Verbania-Pallanza. It's the perfect distance to save enough energy for the post-race aperitivo! 🥂 The classic half marathon will start from the glamorous Stresa! You'll pass through Feriolo, then Fondotoce (where your 10K buddies have already started) before finishing like everyone else in Verbania-Pallanza. If you usually do 10Ks, get ready to experience new sensations after the 15th kilometer! 😅 The course will mainly follow the lake's shores on the legendary SS33 of Lago Maggiore 🛣️, passing through typical villages. You might see Italian nonnas cheering you on from their flower-filled balconies 👵. You'll pass by Belle Époque villas with Italian-style gardens (and wonder how many half marathons you need to win to afford one 💭). You'll also see marinas housing yachts larger than your apartment ⛵, as well as the delta of the Toce River cascading into the lake 🌊.

The hardest part? Resisting the urge to stop at every café terrace to order an espresso ☕ (spoiler: it won't be the last time you think about it)! Stresa and the Lake Maggiore region offer a thousand and one discoveries beyond Italian coffee joints! You can't miss the three Borromean Islands 🏝️: Isola Bella with its 17th-century baroque palace, Isola Madre with botanical gardens straight out of a postcard, and Isola dei Pescatori, literally the 'island of the fishermen' 🎣. As for gastronomy, the region pampers you with delights: risotto with gorgonzola, lake fish, osso buco Milanese-style, and don't forget a good artisan gelato 🍦 by the lake and mountains 🏞️. To relax your sore muscles, head to the Premia thermal baths in the Antigorio valley ♨️! Nothing beats a hot mountain bath to melt away soreness like snow in the sun ☀️.

Buona corsa and may the dolce vita be with your strides! 🍷