Course Map
About this Race
Acea Run Rome The Marathon is a journey through antiquity, starting and finishing beside the Colosseum and threading past the Vatican, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Forum, and crossings of the Tiber. The unmistakable signature is the cobblestones, the ancient sampietrini that batter the feet and legs and make this far harder underfoot than the flat profile suggests. Run in spring, it draws a large, international, sightseeing-minded field there for the open-air museum as much as the result. The crowds are atmospheric rather than overwhelming, and the uneven historic surfaces demand respect from anyone pushing the pace. It suits runners who want to soak in one of the world's great cities and don't mind sacrificing time to its storied streets.
Course Insight
Rome dazzles and punishes in the same stride: the route past the Colosseum, the Vatican and centuries of ruins is unmatched scenery, but the sampietrini, Rome's hard, uneven cobblestones, are the real adversary, hammering feet and legs in stretches no flat profile can offset. The elevation is gentle, yet the cobbled sections rewrite the difficulty entirely, so condition your feet for them and don't expect a clean fast split. Reading the surface and picking the smoothest line matters more than usual. Spring timing is pleasant. Come for the history and respect the stones, and you'll finish with a story rather than a sob.
Difficulty Breakdown
Mostly due to tough late hills, lots of turns.
Course Details
- Course type
- Loop
- Elevation gain
- 190m
- Elevation loss
- 145m
- Highest point
- 31m
- Lowest point
- 8m
- Net elevation
- +55m
- Start
- Via dei Fori Imperiali (Colosseum)
- Cutoff time
- 6h 30m
Course Records
- Men's
- 2:06:24 — Asbel Rutto (Kenya), 2024
- Women's
- 2:22:44 — Pascaline Kibiwot (Kenya), 2026
Race History
The Rome Marathon was first held in 1995, weaving a course past the Colosseum, the Vatican, and the ancient monuments of the Eternal City over its storied cobblestones. It grew into Italy's largest marathon and a major international draw, prized as much for the open-air-museum scenery as for the racing. Rebranded as Run Rome The Marathon around 2021, it continues to start and finish near the Colosseum each spring. Today it draws a large, sightseeing-minded field of tens of thousands from around the world.
Plan Your Trip
Everything you need to know to get there, get settled, and get to the start line.
- Nearest airport(s)
- Rome Fiumicino (FCO), Rome Ciampino (CIA)
- Best area to stay
- The Centro Storico for walking distance to the Colosseum start and atmospheric hotels, Monti for boutique charm near the route, and Trastevere for lively stays a short walk away.
- Getting to the start
- The start is on Via dei Fori Imperiali by the Colosseum; take Metro Line B to Colosseo and walk straight to the start.