Split Marathon 2027

Welcome to the running arena: when Emperor Diocletian meets... your calves! 🦵

The best gladiator fight takes place in February in the city of Split and bears the legendary name “Split Marathon”! 🏃 If you want a race among Roman ruins with a view of the Adriatic, you’ve come to exactly the right place! 🌊 Plus, in Croatia at that time, temperatures hover between 5°C and 12°C 🌡️. Ideal for running without ending up as a pillar of salt like those in Diocletian’s Palace ☀️, and also for enjoying the Mediterranean climate without burning up! 🔥 By the way, 5 races are on the menu for this Roman celebration: a marathon, a half marathon, a 10 km, a 5 km and even a family 2 km to turn the kids into real centurions! 👣 UNESCO-listed ancient palaces, the Dalmatian coast, Marjan Hill, the football stadium of Hajduk Split (yes, you’ll literally run around a football stadium ⚽)... It’s the legendary cocktail that will shape the route of your epic! 😎

We know you’re as curious as a cat in front of an Egyptian sphinx, so here’s more about those famous courses 🗺️...

The Split marathon is no leisurely stroll for tourists in flip-flops! 🩴 You’ll start on the West Coast (Západna obala) facing the sea, follow the coastline as if you were on a Roman after-meal walk 🫡, pass through the legendary Poljud Stadium of Hajduk Split (you can shout “GOAAAAAL” if you still have breath at km 20 😂), climb the wooded Marjan Hill to admire the view (and mostly to remember why you love flat courses), head east along the modern Žnjan–Stobreč coastal promenade, and finish like an emperor on the Riva, right in front of Diocletian’s Palace! 🏰 A palace that’s 1,700 years old and so well preserved that 3,000 people still live inside it! Imagine: you finish your marathon and find yourself in a UNESCO listed monument where people sip their coffee amid 4th-century ruins 🤯. Diocletian, that emperor who loved growing cabbages 🥬 in his garden after retiring (true story!), would be proud of you! Now, we won’t lie: the course is AIMS-certified but it’s not as flat as a pancake 🥞. Translation: get your thighs ready because you’ll have 220 m of elevation gain to climb! 📈 But tell yourself that every climb will reward you with an insane view of the Adriatic 🌅. Better than staring at a wall, right? Maybe you’re dreaming of smashing your PR? 🕐 The half marathon might be better suited for chasing fast times! Thanks to intermediate timing points broadcast live, you’ll be tracked like a gladiator star! 📡 And for the 10 km and 5 km, it’s the perfect opportunity to discover Split without suffering too much 😅. One last good thing to know: your result at the Split Marathon will earn you points in the worldwide AbbottWMM ranking 🏅, which includes the world’s most renowned marathons (Tokyo Marathon, London Marathon) 👀.

As if one piece of good news weren’t enough, you can guess we’ve got another nice thing to tell you. The day before the marathon, the “Family Run & Fun” 5 km and 2 km races, open to all ages and even strollers, bring the whole tribe onto the Riva. No more excuses not to come with friends 👯. Running in Split is great, but running in Split with your loved ones or your running club buddies is even better! 😎

During your Croatian stay, you’re going to love sightseeing! 🏛️ On the program: Diocletian’s Palace of course (have you seen Game of Thrones? This is where Daenerys hid her dragons in the cellars! 🐉), the Peristyle with its columns brought from Egypt and its 3,500-year-old sphinx (older than your running coach 😜), the Cathedral of Saint Domnius built as the emperor’s mausoleum (irony of history: it became a church even though Diocletian persecuted Christians 😬), and the ruins of Salona a few kilometers away. You can climb to the top of the bell tower for a 360° view over Split 📸, explore the palace’s underground cellars, stroll along the Riva while sipping a Dalmatian coffee ☕, and above all, go for a swim in the Adriatic after the effort! 🏊 Bačvice beach is right next to the palace—handy for rinsing your cramps in the water! 🏖️ And if you really want to play emperor, stick around until noon to see the changing of the Roman guard on the Peristyle: Croatian students dressed as centurions with Diocletian and his wife greeting you in Latin 🛡️. Food-wise, after 42 km, your stomach deserves a chef’s feast! 🍽️ Don’t miss pašticada (a beef stew slowly simmered with prunes and red wine—the killer traditional Dalmatian dish! 🍷), grilled fish freshly caught from the Riva fish market 🐟, and the famous pršut dalmatinski (smoked dry-cured ham) served with Pag cheese and olives! If you’re curious, try crni rižot, a black cuttlefish-ink risotto that will give you pirate teeth 🏴‍☠️. And finish in style with fritules, little crispy lemon-scented doughnuts best enjoyed warm! Watch out for rakija (50-proof brandy) as a digestif—your insides will heat up! 🤪

True connoisseurs know that Split proclaims itself “the most beautiful city in the world” 🌍—just like its residents do. Only you can confirm what they say... So, heading for Dalmatia? 🇭🇷