Lake Maggiore Marathon 2026

You're about to run a marathon…Maggiore 🤪.

In November, head to Northern Italy for the Lake Maggiore Marathon, a fairytale sporting event that starts in the charming town of Arona, in the heart of Piedmont 🧚. There, you'll run between the silvery reflections of the lake and the majestic mountains watching over in the distance ⛰️. Trust us, it's a far cry from urban asphalt! 😍

Get comfortable, close your eyes, and picture a setting worthy of a storybook 📔. The Lake Maggiore marathon guarantees you a unique course ☝️. It all starts in Arona, a little waterside gem 💧. Built in antiquity among the cliffs of the Vergante massif, it is today a true gateway to Lake Maggiore. You then pass through Meina, then Lesa, Belgirate, Stresa, and Baveno, before arriving in Verbania 🌱. Whether you're signed up for the 10 km, the half, the 33 km or the marathon, every kilometer offers you a living postcard: old villas 🏘️, small fishing harbors 🎣, churches ⛪️, swans on the calm waters… And cheers punctuated with sing-song accents: "Forzaaa! Daiii!" (no one will ever cheer you on as well as they do here) 💪. For half-marathoners, the finish line is in Stresa, right across from the legendary Borromean Islands📍. For enduring marathoners, the route continues all the way to Verbania. If the adventure appeals to you but you're still a bit too young, keep the dream warm: this race is reserved for... adults ("majeurs" in French means both "of age" and "Maggiore") 😂. Looking up, you may spot the imposing Sancarlone, located on Mount Arona 👀. This statue of the Italian archbishop San Carlo Borromeo is 35 meters tall ⬆️. And the craziest part? You can climb to the top of this statue and enjoy a breathtaking view of Lake Maggiore 😲. But well, that will be once you've finished your race 🙃.

By the way, what do we do after 42 km? 😎 All the races start in the morning, which leaves you plenty of time to explore the surroundings 🔎. Once you've crossed the finish line and put your sneakers away, it's time for the reward: a good plate of pasta 🍝, a spritz in the Pallanza district 🍹, or why not a trip to the Borromean Islands from Stresa? For the most curious, head to Verbania to visit the Museo del Paesaggio, or go on a nature escapade to the summit of Mount Mottarone 🥾. Nota bene: every Saturday, on the Piazza del Mercato and the Piazza Don Minzoni, you can enjoy the largest weekly market on Lake Maggiore 🥕.

So, ready to fall in love with Italy? 🇮🇹