Loved the Rome Marathon. Very scenic course; you begin and end at the Colosseum. There's no better way to see Rome.

Pros:
Very scenic
Great finisher's medal
More than enough porta-potties
Adequate food/water

Cons:
Impossible to register online and no one answers emails, faxes etc. Had a friend in Italy pay for me. Once you got past the very difficult registration, the rest of the event was very well organized.

This was my first marathon and it was great!!! I run it in 4:28 with no problems. The time limit was 8 hours, so there was no stress to finish the race. The course was wonderful. I could recommend it to everyone, especially if you want to run your first marathon.

The expo was different then others I have been to and it would have been nice if it was downtown. My biggest complaint was the corral start. Looks like we are set-up in the order that we registered, so I was behind 8,000 other runners. Great sites, but I did not know what I was running by so I would suggest a little homework before you run. The weather was perfect and the water stops and sponges worked perfectly. I ran alone and that was the hardest part. I would recommend finding a partner. Not a fast race, but it was flat.

Great fun but let's be objective.

First, I loved this event and it will rank as one of my favorite all time runs. Why? Because it is not just in Rome, but through Rome. Kind of a tour of the best of this wonderful city at marathon speed. But you better know your way around marathon events if you hope to appreciate this one.

The problems with Rome:

The organization is chaotic. I was unable to complete registration prior to leaving for Rome after five attempts via web, email, fax and phone. They did have my name at the expo but it took half and hour and four people to complete the required paperwork.

The crowd was not just sparse; it was downright hostile. They looked at the passing runners with disdain. Kind of like, "Why are all of you people clogging up our streets? We want to cross and you are all in the way." Actually, I found it funny to watch their faces.

The starting area is a mess. No signs. No services. Not even a drink of water. Once in the holding pens it was a claustrophobic jam of bodies - folks who clearly don't share our definition of personal space.

The course in half spectacular and half OK, and the finishing area is again a jam of bodies you have to walk over. Runners blocked the exit routes as they lay on the ground resting and changing shoes.

What's great?

Running where others have run for thousands of years.

The best goody bag. A logo backpack.

No mile makers - just kilometers. Boy, they go by fast. Only problem is there are 42 of them.

And, Rome. The Eternal City and home of the best pasta dinners in the world.

Go. Put it on the list. Just be prepared.

A friend and I decided to run this marathon because it was Rome. After reading several previous comments about the race, I would agree with some and also note that if you are going to Rome to run a P.R., forget it - just have fun!

First, we stayed at Hotel Paba, which is a short walk to the start/finish area. Very nice place to stay! The expo was o.k., somewhat small and the traffic flow was not the best, but the goody "backpack" was cool.

During the race water/Gatorade were every 5K. I knew this ahead of time and planned to carry a water bottle the first half. This helped. You just have to drink extra at the aid stations. Port-o-johns were somewhat sparse as well. Less than half the course was on cobblestones and was not an issue for me. The crowd support was unenthusiastic in places but better near the end. The course is relatively flat, except for a minor hill near the end, and runs past several "famous" places, but unless you know what to look for, you can miss it. I ran past the Vatican and did not even know it!

Overall, I would say that this race was good but was not remarkable; but like I said, hey, it's Rome! We hit all the major sites after the marathon and that made the trip worth it! If you go, go for the vacation rather than the marathon. Not a bad marathon, just not spectacular.

Truly a great marathon experience. The course scenery was breathtaking. The Italian hosts were exceptional!

I normally run 1/2 marathons and I'm accustomed to little wonderful souls of kids cheering us on, which is absolutely incredible to see. In ROME we had mostly older, wonderfully-inspired souls dressed in suits cheering us on, which my heart felt. While running I was so captivated by everything around that I felt like I was in another world - as though I was running in slow motion through evolution. With the scene of the different eras and the monuments to support the feelings and the heartfelt people giving out olive branches and cheering, "BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO" - WOW! I was very proud to run this marathon and be part of the Italian culture and I thank the Italian people for embracing the participation of ALL kinds during this run. It was organized like no other marathon that I've experienced. The people really felt you and provided customized support for each and every runner. THANK YOU, ROME for making this the most memorable run for ME!

Lots of Love,
GG

I loved this marathon!! What a wonderful city! The expo is small, and a little out of the way, but the race is well organized. The goody bag is a very nice backpack, and they threw in 2 tech shirts.

On race day the weather was perfect. There are some minor hills, but nothing to worry about. The cobblestones took their toll, but I loved every step of this race.

It wasn't even close to my best time, but what an experience! I wore my name on the front of my race shirt, and people along the way would yell, "Via, via, 'Rico!!! Forza, forza, forza!!!" The crowds were the best near the forum and in the Piazza Navona. Elsewhere they were sparse, but those who were there were supportive.

My wife and another couple came with us, and they had no problem seeing me at several spots on the course. The last mile of the race we ran along the edge of the Circus Maximus, made a right and ran straight toward the Arch of Constantine with the Coliseum right next to it. The finish felt like a Roman triumph!! Since it was Palm Sunday, people were carrying palms and olive branches from Mass, and waiving them to cheer us on.

I've read that some people complained the the course got boring at times, but I never found that to be true. You are in ROME! You run thru some neighborhoods, business districts, and shopping areas, but they all have something to offer in defining the Eternal City.

I thought the support was very good (it's not New York or Chicago... if you need crowd support you should run those). They never ran out of water, Gatorade, fruit, etc.

I would absolutely run this race again. Thank you, City and people of Rome!

Just wanted to say that this was my first ever marathon race. I was very impressed by the initial organization of the event itself. The route was excellent, the sights impressive, the city wonderful.

However, I was running with a friend and we both sustained injuries at about 15 miles. We had to walk (painfully) the rest of the way. By the time we re-entered the main part of the city, the support staff had virtually disappeared. There were hundreds of pedestrians all across the route - even helping themselves to food and drink at the final refreshment station! Nobody did anything to stop it!

We had to push people out of the way. We then turned a corner into another street and two cars were driving right at us and other runners!!! It was crazy and incredibly dangerous! We then also found support staff clearing away the route and cleaning the cobbled streets with water - making them slippery to walk on, never mind run on!

The final stages of the race were appallingly managed - there was no respect for the race or the tail-end runners at all. I was very angry at the way we were treated. I was not the last runner in, so there were plenty more behind me who finished in under 8 hours - your so-called maximum time for keeping the course open.

It would seem you only care about the 4-hours-or-less runners! If this is the case, do not pretend to keep the course open for 8 hours; reduce it to 5 and keep it for "elite" runners only.

I'm very disappointed at the outcome of the race due to the complete disregard for safety, security and well-being of the runners who finished with me and after me. You have spoiled what should have been an incredible occasion. I never want to run your race again after this!

Neil Priddey (UK)
Bib: 13232
Time: 6 hours, 25 minutes, 36 seconds

I am currently living in Naples and this is my first marathon. I thought it would be disorganized (I live in Naples and everything there is disorganized) but I was pleasantly surprised by everything. The weather was perfect for running. Signing up was easy and I had no problems doing it online. The gift bag was very nice and instead of a "bag" they gave out little backpacks. The organization was great for Italy and the porta-potty availability at the beginning wasn't bad, but people had to just pee on the wall at the start line because it's Italy and they can. The course was ok. I have been to Rome plenty of times, so it might be more impressive for the first-timer, but the first 10K we ran through crowded streets and it took almost 5 miles before I could break free and get on pace. The water/sponge stands were more than adequate but the volunteers were always a little behind but not bad. I don't remember seeing porta potties on the course but all the guys just went on buildings. That's right, peed right in the streets; that was priceless! Running the last 6 miles on cobblestones was horrible though. Sure you were running by Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, etc., but those cobblestones were absolute murder. Plus people crossed the street in front of you and expected you to dodge them. The crowd was very sparse for most of the race, so if you need motivation while you run, you won't get much here! But overall, I thought it was a nice marathon and if you're coming to Rome it would be a great day to spend the day. Just make sure you get some practice in on uneven terrain so you can handle the cobblestones. I woke up this morning with 2 black and blue ankles from those cobblestones!