Rome Half Marathon (Roma-Ostia) 2026

Rome - Ostia... The crowd goes wild before the whistle blows! Excitement is at its peak in the Italian capital! 🇮🇹 After seeing this, we can die in peace! It's not about football ⚽️ today, but running, specifically the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon! 🏃‍♂️ Plus, this year the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon celebrates its 51st anniversary! 🎂 Yes, it's not exactly young anymore... But experience can be handy in certain situations! Here, you'll thrive in a top-level organization! 🏅 At its first edition, only 300 participants were involved, it grows up fast! 👶

Rome - Ostia... It's not just another Roman derby ⚔️, but a half-marathon! 🏃‍♀️ Starting from the EUR district (Esposizione Universale di Roma) in Rome and finishing at the seaside in the resort of Ostia, this 21 km race is organized annually in March, for 50 years (thanks Jamy 🤓)! To kick off your road racing season, there's nothing more suitable than this half-marathon, with optimal conditions! With the weather, expect dry and mild conditions 🌤️. In the Lazio region, it's almost always sunny! ☀️ Che bel sole as they say in Italiano, with a singing accent ala Marco Verratti ("what a beautiful sun," in case you didn't choose Italian as a second language in school 😉). Additionally, the course is relatively flat, so you might just set your personal best! 🕦 In fact, the Roma-Ostia is the fastest Italian half-marathon in history 🚀, with no less than 11 runners finishing it in under an hour 🤯. In 2022, the second-fastest world time of the year was recorded between Rome and Osti. Quite the half-marathon 😮.

Uno, due, tre… Off you go! Your race will begin in the EUR district, south of Rome 📍. Less known to tourists, this area built by Mussolini is full of historical insights 🏛️. In fact, Mussolini wanted to make this place a showcase of fascist ideology. Thus, he constructed modern and futuristic buildings, as well as green spaces 🌳, all connected to the city center by the Via Cristoforo Colombo. And indeed, it's this artery of Rome you will take for 17 km, not to head into central Rome, but to run to Ostia, the closest seaside resort to the eternal city. When you cross the finish line, you'll get to see the sea 💦! A quick dip? Unless you fancy a cryotherapy session 🥶, we don't recommend swimming; the water's at 14°C... It is March after all! 😬

Monuments, sea views... It almost feels like a tourist walk! But beware, the Rome half-marathon is also a true sporting challenge! 💪 For proof, some of the world's greatest athletes have run this half-marathon! 🏆 British athlete Stephen Henry Jones, known for running the Chicago Marathon in just 2 h 8 min 05 s (a world record in 1984), has participated in the Rome half-marathon! Ready to break records on champion tracks? 😜

So, what's next after all this? 🤔 If you're well-acquainted with Rome, it's Ostia where you should lay your bags! 🧳 At 30 km from central Rome, Ostia is THE seaside resort of Rome! 💧 Not easy to sunbathe in March 🏖️, but Ostia is a lively city! 🥳 You can visit the Ostia Theater 🎭. Built during Augustus's reign, at the end of the 1st century BC, this theater could host up to 2,500 spectators for all kinds of performances! To fully experience la dolce vita, rent a Vespa 🛵 and explore the village of Torvaianica with its sandy beaches and dunes! And (best for last 😋) taste Lazio specialties in Ostia's many restaurants 🤤. Pasta alla Zozzona, Gnocchi alla Romana 🍽️ or even the classic pizzas 🍕, accompanied by a little Spritz on the terrace... 🍹 What more could you want?

So don't forget your running shoes 👟 and your best Italian accent (little tip: you can watch Verratti's interviews)… And get ready for a grand event! 😎