I just got back from Rome today. We had OK weather for the run - slightly cloudy and cool to start and of course WONDERFUL scenery - well, some of the time anyway. (Lol.) Rome has some not-so-pretty sites too, like any other big city. The runners got really nice backpacks. Water (sans gas) and Gatorade were plentiful, as well as salt, sugar, oranges and sponges. The volunteers, police and marathon support on the course were GREAT especially at keeping people from crossing in front of the runners. Not nearly as many spectators as I am used to though.

The not so good stuff: the cobblestones are jarring - gave me a headache and backache before I was through. And I counted only 10 porta-potties (yikes!) at the start. Most people (men and women) were just using the bushes. There were places to stop along the way; just bring your own TP. All in all, my toughest marathon so far...

This was my 1st marathon and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I totally recommend it. Positive elements: (a) its flat course, (b) runs through an amazing city, full of historical sites, (c) excellent organizers, and (d) fun people.

Forget about all the clichés about Italians... The organization reaches the best standards and shows how friendly and efficient Italy can be. Expo was very nice, although a bit far from the city center. The race is just the nicest you could find in Europe and cobblestones are not such a big deal.
This was marathon number 40 for me and I have run all over Europe. It is definitely number one and even beats 'must do' like Venice or Paris.
Run there and enjoy the city. This will be your experience of a lifetime.

The course has many highlights, but there are many miles of dull running through residential areas, so don't expect St. Peter's around every corner. Only a couple of hills worth mentioning.

Would advise runners to get their bags on the buses early and get into the start area - it took me 35 minutes to pass through the bib check and I missed the actual start by a couple of minutes. Lots of water and Gatorade ever 5K.

Cobbled surface a bit uneven in places but not too bad.

Some very supportive fans but many more locals who are upset by the roads being closed. Quite a few cyclists, rollerbladers and even scooter riders mixed in with the runners in the mid section of the race.

This is a great run in an amazing city! The organizors made a great effort to prepare a spectacular run along many sights in Rome. Spectators were friendly and supportive and refreshments stands were well organized. I very much enjoyed my time, and I will run here again if possible.

However, one thing in the organization needs improvement for next year: bag disposal and recollection. The bags were left in busses assigned to the runners' numbers. Apparently, no particular order was used when storing the bags in the bus which ended up in trouble finding things after the run. Tired runners then basically forced their way into the bus to look for their stuff themselves, resulting in a very chaotic procedure. It took me more than 30 minutes of being pushed and pushing in a crowd of runners to find my way into the bus and get my stuff. This is really nothing you want to do after 42km.

1. Getting to packet pickup/expo: Take the subway to the station they suggest. (There's NO taxi stand there.) Cross the main road and go straight up the hill to the road on top. To your right should be a 'cubic' building with arches on all sides. Go left to the expo. The bus line suggestions wind all over that part of Rome and sometimes involve transfers. Walking, it's only a few minutes. The expo is... modest.

2. Last loop through the city: You need to be familiar with the loop from Pz. Venezia to Pz Populi to Pz. Espagna to Trevoli fountain to Pz Venezia, particularly later in the race. That part of Rome is open to window-shoppers and the course is poorly marked and not barricaded. Check it out ahead of time! Be prepared to wind your way through crowds of oblivious Romans and tourists.

3. If you're slow, carry a wider mouth water bottle (I use the Gatorade E.D.G.E.). They do run out of cups (and sponges) at the water stations, but I could always refill my bottle.

I really enjoyed the race--it was my first--and, since I'd trained on hard surfaces, wasn't bothered by the cobblestones. While most of the run was incredible (the northern and southern loops excepted), my favorite part was the last two miles, as you come down towards the Coliseum, curve around it, and up to the finish line.

It's true that no one cannot be moved by the awesome beauty of the Eternal City, but the cobblestones on this course are enough to make the most resolute veterbrae jar up and down and punish one's patellas beyond belief.

A must along with Berlin, Paris and Athens for those wanting to run Europe's big four cities.

The race was fantastic. Starting and finishing the race by the coliseum was the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed. Forget about the cobblestoned streets and the sparse fan support in some areas, you're in Rome. The most majestic city in the world. I would definitely recommend this to any level marathon runner from beginner to seasoned pro. This was my sixth and definitely the most amazing. It wasn't my best time by any means but my girlfriend and I were able take in all of the sites and landmarks along the course. The finisher's medal was the most beautifully crafted medal I have ever received. This marathon is a must!

There is nothing more spectacular than to start a run in front of the Coliseum and have church bells peeling for you first thing in the morning.

This was my 4th marathon and I would consider this the hardest of the four. The cobblestones take a toll on your back & legs. I would recommend that anyone considering doing this marathon do some trail running and use trail running shoes on the run. The toughest part of the race is the last 15kms. The out and back is boring and rather mind numbing. As well, there is little fan support out in that section.

People at the water/sponge stops were helpful & friendly. They could use more porta-potties along the route, especially for us ladies! The race could have started earlier, by about 11:00 am the tourist were out and in the older, narrower parts of the course this can cause some traffic congestion (i.e. runners vs. tourists).

The race expo is a bit of a pain to get to, but you can get there by metro and then a short walk. The expo is small and could do with a better system at the souvenir booth. There is a 5km run at the same time as the marathon. The shirts that the 5km participants get is the same as the souvenir Roma Marathon shirts. The only thing is that to sign up for the 5km costs 5 Euros (with t-shirt & race goodies), whereas to buy the souvenir t-shirt it costs 20 Euros. Needless to say we signed up several times for the 5km.

Overall a great experience but don't expect to run a PB.

What a pleasant surprise the entire experience was, running the Rome Marathon 2004!

I?d read about sparkling water at aid stations. Seen movies about ?unpredictable? Italians. And last but not least the weather forecast was amazingly different, depending on which site I tried.

Well, this 10th marathon of mine was absolutely great, thanks to the extraordinary well organized Italians!

Picking up our number went smoothly. The backpack, full of useful things was the nicest package I?ve received on such an occasion.

The Marathon Village and pizza party were within walking distance from each other and the rain we feared came on Saturday.

The weather was pretty close to perfect while we were running, and I never had to use the ?sensa gas? sentence I?d learned in order not to have sparkling water at an aid station. The only thing that turned out as badly as I?d expected was having to run so much on cobblestones, but making up for that was the incredible even route with a sightseeing that you find nowhere but in Rome - apart from the small hill at 41/42K.

I?ve run marathons in many countries and never been as pleasantly surprised with everything as I was in Rome.