I have taken part in a good number of marathons and half-marathons, and this was among the best for organization, which is not always what you expect in Italy!! Packet pick up was a bit out of town, but easy to reach by metro (free 7-day transport pass included!) and was very well organized. Expo had plenty to see without being over the top and was not too crowded. Great goody bag too!

The start was very well organized and supplies on the course included Gatorade, fruit, biscuits, etc. - and did not run out even for tail-end Charlies like me. The course was also well marshaled. About a third of the course is on cobblestones, which I found very hard on the feet, especially in the latter stages. The only thing which let things down was the lack of support and the fact that you had to fight your way through hundreds of pedestrians in the last 5K or so - pedestrians who were not remotely interested that you had just completed 40K non-stop, and who really did get in the way. All in all, though, an excellent European marathon with an 8-hour time limit for slowbies like me!!

Highly recommended!!

I'm Italian, and have been living in Rome for the past 22 years. The 2006 Rome Marathon was my first, and the 2007 my second... after that, I've done Pisa and DC. That's to say that my experience is somehow limited.
Anyway, I have to agree with the comments about people (please, let's not say spectators... Romans don't care much about the marathon) crossing the road in front of the runners and the street cleaners doing their job right in front of the slow runners' (like me) legs.... I've risked tripping a couple of times, and I've actually bumped into a girl crossing via del Corso.
I've run the USMC three months ago, and it's been a wonderful experience also because of all the people along the route cheering every runner, giving us high-fives and so on... while in Italy motorists honk and swear at us for slowing down the traffic (like they're going to work, on a Sunday!).

A little note about the metro: the Colosseo station has two entrances. The one on via dei Fori was closed, but you could get in and out from the upper entrance, 50 meters away. It's just a little secret to give us eye-talians and unfair advantage over the foreigners. :-)

I've already registered for 2008, so see you there (in the back, of course)!

My hope for this year is filing down my time under 5 hours, and not having to see runners peeing on the Coliseum before the start, just to skip a few-minute line at the porta-loos!

Wonderfully organized race course with lots of support people and water stops, but still my payment was not accepted - credit cards declined and bank draft returned. Two months after the race and a first-place finish in my age group, and I'm still not told what payment they will accept. Very poor communication.

This was not my first marathon, but was by far the most enjoyable. The course I found to be perfect. When planning a course over 26.2 miles, you are going to have some boring sections, some sections where you run next to cars etc. It just has to be expected. I do trail runs also, so the cobblestone was a non-issue. The refreshment stops were plentiful, but poorly staffed. I should never have to wait for a beverage to be poured. The sponge stations were AWESOME. Also, giving out sugar cubes should be forbidden. Just Kidding. Those things are great. I train to go long ways with little nourishment, but there was just so much to eat on this course. I had cookies, sugar cubes, oranges, bananas. I was full when I finished and never hit a wall. I had no pain the entire race, took 208 pictures during the race and finished in 4:30. It's an easy and fast course, if you actually want to run the whole thing. I spent time at almost every historic sight and it was well worth it.

The start and finish at the Coliseum makes one feel like a warrior! Running through this ancient city is an honor. If you enjoy seeing amazing sites during your marathon, this is the marathon for you- check out the course. This marathon has probably more interesting things that you pass (like the Vatican), run through, etc., than any of the other marathons we've run.

Expo was efficient (be sure that you get your required medical form faxed in well in advance). Start area and finish area about as organized as any other marathon of this size. While many marathons have more aide stations, many have fewer, and they were located exactly where it was indicated / advertised they would be.

If you're looking for a European marathon to do, I would highly recommend this one. Just expect some 'European' eccentricities- there isn't much of personal space 'bubble', there will be cobblestones, and some non-marathoners along the route may impede your speed.

Expect great 'swag' (shirt, commuter bag, amazing medal).

Carb loading has never been so fun. Enjoy this marathon as part of a great vacation, and while running, count your blessings for your good fortune to be able to participate / sight-see in your passion in the 'Eternal City'.

I was looking for a Spring marathon, and with the following combination: having always wanted to visit Rome - along with the rugby - this was the marathon to enter! The directions to the Expo were ok, but some people got lost from the Metro - I followed the crowds and found it. As an International runner registration was easy and efficient, the Expo was quite large with excellent trade stands. The T shirt supplied was of very good quality and the idea of a bag was also excellent! The course was spectacular, passing every historic site and I did spend some time checking out the views... Coming from a much colder climate the temperature for me was very warm so I was glad of the frequency of the water stations, which provided sports drinks as well - better to have too many than too few drinks / sponge stations. I had never run on cobbles before so felt the going that bit harder than my usual training routes but I'm not expecting organisers to dig up the roads!! Spectators were good in many spots around the course, they were sparse in places but it didn't matter in this glorious city. My problem was near the end going through the narrow streets where shop keepers and shoppers had decided enough was enough and began to infiltrate on to the course, and trying to pass laden shoppers wandering along was very annoying. On arrival at the finish we were presented with a very nice medal... unfortunately these were on tied ribbons and not sewn, so I have a ribbon to say I completed Rome, but my medal was lost... as it slipped from the ribbon by the time I got to the baggage trucks... All in all it was a good race. Note for the organisers sew the ribbon on to medals, and keep an eye on those shoppers wandering along the narrow streets when the marathon is still going on. If you are thinking of Rome - do it - well worth it!!

Having never run a marathon before, I found the Rome one really good. Yes, there were some boring parts, but I was so concentrated on finished that even when the interesting parts came along, I was like, "Oh there's the Trevi Fountain" and kept going!! For me, there were enough liquids to keep me going through the whole thing. At the 40 KM refreshment stand, I didn't even want any. I would rather 15 stops as opposed to 35, as the ground is always wet around the stands, and if you have to slow down 35 times, that's a bit of a pain.

Can recommend this for first-timers. Had no hassle with left luggage. But many spectators were more interested in crossing the road than actually cheering you on!!

I had very high hopes for the marathon. Unforunately, I was very disappointed.

First, the postitives: I picked up the race packet on Thursday afternoon and felt I had the expo to myself. It was a fairly small expo, but very nice to get in and out without any crowd issues. You get an actual bag for the goody bag, which is probably the nicest I've seen. The day of the race was beautiful and amazing to start in front of the Coliseum.

Unfortunately, things went downhill from there. Seems the route went through some of the most uninspiring areas of Rome. There was pushing by other runners throughout the race and the smell of some runners (right at the beginning) was enough to make me sick to my stomach. There were cars parked on the roads, which I cannot believe. The course was not cleared and cars were not towed. Things got substantially better when we entered St. Peter's Square/Vatican City. The sight literally took my breath away and was very inspirational. After St. Peter's things again were boring and they even had us running on a dual carriage-way (freeway/4-lane road). That about did me in. The last leg of the run was through familiar sites: Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps. However, the tourists were crossing the route in front of the runners. The end took us past the Roman Forum and ended at the Coliseum. The medal was nice. A downside: The Metro stop at the Coliseum was closed, so we needed to walk several blocks uphill to the closest Metro stop.

Overall, the crowd support was sparse, at best. There were individuals lining the road, but they didn't offer much support or encouragement. The course was pretty much flat (watch for the cobblestones), but if you are looking for a race with good crowd support and courteous competitors (i.e. no pushing), you may want to consider another marathon. I am pretty confident I will not return to this one again.

This is a great course, starting at the Coliseum, running towards St. Pietro and along the Tiber, with the last 4 KM through old Rome and past the Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, and Fontana di Trevi. The course is flat but there are two hills at the end. A large part is on cobblestones and I could feel this on my feet and my knees. The spectators were warm when present. Disadvantages: there could be more water stations, there were big parts of the course next to traffic, there were parts with no spectators, and many parts were very quiet. More entertainment would help.

Overall, it was a very positive experience.

The start at the Coliseum was chaotic and slow, and as result, it was only after the first few miles I was able to find some space and pick up my pace. Along the Tiber, the route was very pleasant before heading into magnificent St. Peter's Square, where the crowds, locals and tourists, were cheering us on (even the priests lined the streets clapping).

Refreshment and sponge stations were placed every 3 miles, which was just right and at the half-way mark and beyond there was plenty of fruit, biscuits and even sugar cubes.

However it's the course finale that makes the Rome Marathon so special, as it winds through the old streets past the Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. But tiredness and cobblestones can make dangerous running, and there were several nasty trips. It was also difficult if you wanted to pick up the pace, with so many runners in the narrow streets.

Don't do this marathon if you're looking for a PB, but if you want to run through one of the most beautiful and historic cities in the world, it really is an unforgettable marathon.