Roma (Rome) Marathon - Race Reviews

NOT a PB Course. Not Fast - hills, cobbles and lots of twists and turns. Expo was a bit annoying as out of town. Arrived Saturday, long queues and only had large and extra large T-shirts left. Race Day - start was a bit chaotic, not enough toilets and lot of slow runners starting in the wrong wave. Amazingly, even 3:30 pace makers were at the front - clearly in the wrong section.

NOT a PB Course. Not Fast - hills, cobbles and lots of twists and turns. Expo was a bit annoying as out of town. Arrived Saturday, long queues and only had large and extra large T-shirts left. Race Day - start was a bit chaotic, not enough toilets and lot of slow runners starting in the wrong wave. Amazingly, even 3:30 pace makers were at the front - clearly in the wrong section.

NOT a PB Course. Not Fast - hills, cobbles and lots of twists and turns. Expo was a bit annoying as out of town. Arrived Saturday, long queues and only had large and extra large T-shirts left. Race Day - start was a bit chaotic, not enough toilets and lot of slow runners starting in the wrong wave. Amazingly, even 3:30 pace makers were at the front - clearly in the wrong section.

This was my 283rd marathon (or longer) and I ran it with my adult daughter for her first marathon. The Good: This flat course was spectacular, starting and finishing next to the Colosseum and Forum, and passing through a part of the Vatican. Well stocked aid stations and pretty good traffic control (for the most part). Despite all the admonishments to bring this or that to check-in, there were plenty of English speakers and wonderful help. We went to packet pick-up Friday morning (as recommended) and avoided any crowds whatsoever. It was all so organized and efficient, I thought I was in Switzerland. Students from the Universtat in Rome were doing a survey. As someone who spent too many years in grad school, filling out this short on-site computer form would truly benefit these young scholars. The Bad: There was a jam-up getting into the runners' area before the race, but this is easily solvable. Too few porta-squirters, but this is a universal problem in marathoning. The Ugly: Being my daughter's first marathon, and her not having run over 10 miles before, we ran easy (6:24:27), just to cover the distance and see the sights. As we were passing through a shopping district (still well under the cut-off times), crowd control broke down as shoppers demanded their Gucci. I would have given this event straight 5s across the board, if not for the pre-race jam-up (organization) or the rabid Gucci shoppers (spectators).

I ran the Rome marathon in 2015. The good: The course is absolutely stunning! Although a bit of the course takes places outside the city in the boring areas, most of the course is run inside the city along side the historic monuments. This alone is worth doing the race! The finisher medal is very beautiful and changes every year, although the style is kept. Aid stations are good and support is good for most of the race. The bad: The cobble stone streets make for a fairly slow race, so don't run this one for the finish time, run it for the course. Finding volunteers (or anyone involved in the organisation of the race) on race day that spoke even a little English was hard, so tough luck if you are a foreigner and have questions on race day. For example, my family who came to support me missed me crossing the finish line because access to the streets around the finish line had been blocked completely and with no one speaking English, they could get no directions or help. The few bad things aside, this is a race to run!

In my opinion Rome is the most beautiful city in the world and only the trip is worth because of this. Said that, part of the course is outside the city centre, with no spectators and this makes running pretty hard. Bring good cushioned shoes because the pavement is not very even and after a while your feet are really beaten up. Getting to the start can be tricky because of the subway getting completely full of runners (I arrived late!), so just take your time and it will be fine. Organization was good, just a bit far to reach the Expo to pick up the bib. Said that I really liked the race and Rome is always a beauty! :)

Rome was my fourth marathon and I fully expected it to top the Paris Marathon and become my favorite. Rome was great but not the best. I chose Rome for a flat course in a great city. It promised to be scenic and more than 16,000 runners. Although I train alone, I like to race in a crowd. Rome delivered all of these. The advance logistics and communication were frustrating. Organizers answer Facebook questions quickly but individual queries sent by email get useless, auto replies. The medical certificate and running club membership required for non-Italians are pointless. My medical certificate was ignored; the running club membership felt like a cash grab. Eventually I did get confirmation that I was registered. The marathon expo is large but the offerings are slim. There are many booths promoting other marathons and a few vendors. I thought I would be able to find short running shorts. I didn't. The expo was inconveniently located in Rome. The event T-shirt and backpack were very nice. The logo is great but I am always surprised when non-English cities have English-only slogans: 'All Roads Lead to Rome.' The race day was generally well organized. Runners are marshalled into the road behind the Colosseum. Bags are stored in trucks by bib numbers. It is simple and efficient. As a 3:30 runner, I was in an early group. I should have been less honest about my previous best time and entered with 3:15. The start areas flowed well but I was boxed in for the first five kilometres. It was partly my own mistake not the organizers. It cost me at least five minutes. The course has many turns. I expected to run much more than 42.2 km. I did not. By running the tangents my actual distance was 42.4 km. That was a pleasant surprise. Run smart on the many turns or you could come close to 43 km. The sites in Rome are splendid but 2017 was not the year to enjoy the view. It rained for much of the race. It was cold, windy and the torrential downpour made the cobblestones slick. I think you can have rain or cobblestones but not both if you want a fast time. There is a hill near the finish. Part of the hill is in a tunnel. It is a tough price to pay for a downhill homestretch. There were more than enough aid stations with water, 'salts' (energy drinks) and fruit. Someone told me there was biscotti. It wasn't true but there were other types of cookies at some stations. There were many sponge stations too. In the rain, the volunteers must have felt redundant. The crowd is notoriously ambivalent. In the rain, the crowd was notably thin. Even bands sought cover from the deluge under doorways and awnings. There were areas with good cheering - typically the biggest tourist sites like the Piazza Navona. The finisher medal is lovely. For some time, the medals have had a bronze finish and original designs. Though the details change year over year, the medals seem to combine an ancient feel with a contemporary look. The are perfect for the Eternal City. Overall, Rome puts on a wonderful event. To be fair in this review, I have needed to separate the weather from what organizers can control. If you have never run a great marathon in Europe, pick Paris. If you have done Paris and want something new, Rome is a great race.

I learnt my lesson and registered on the Thursday. No crowds no queue but still in a venue that is relatively inaccessible. The real reason to run this is the wonderful course and it really is that. There are some dull bits in the mid 20's km but what can beat the start at the Colosseum, St peters at 16 km and the final 7 km through the sights of this wonderful city. A downhill final kilometre is welcome too but getting to the start is still pretty arduous. The marshalling and funnelling at the start are better and the negatives are being dealt with. Great support considering this is the wettest marathon I have ever run and efficient marshalling and processing. Drinks are in cups but you can nip round the back of the drink station and grab a bottle without too much fuss. No gels but lots of fruit. All in all now a top league marathon but still a long way to go for organisation to be up there with the best

Your first marathon experience is very crucial. I had my first in Rome, and I couldnt ask for a better one! Ive been several times in Rome and I know the city, but seeing it from point of view of a marathon runner, is a completely different thing. It is advisable to participate in at least another running race in Italy just to get a glimpse of what organisation looks like for Italians. Luckily I did that, so I knew what to expect, good, but not without hiccups. While perhaps not the ideal, the marathon organisers try to do their best. The registration process, through a website that is a tad erratic, was not completely stress free. Sending emails didnt work, however the organisers are much quicker to respond through their Facebook page! The start and end of the area are well organised and located. Read the instructions you get with the registration package very very carefully! Along the race, as usual sponge and refreshment areas, with water and salt as they call electrolyte beverages, as well as food in the form of fruits. I didnt see gels, however I had mine with me, so no problem there. The race course goes through some of the most spectacular sights of Rome (dare I say of the world?!) and that is completely worth despite an almost indifferent crowd. The last 5 kilometres, while reserving some of the best parts of the Rome historical city centre, were particularly painful for me: 1) running in the cobblestone track (the Romans call them Sampietrini) was horrible. I was always afraid I would stumble and fall! 2) unless you are one of those whose finish time is less than 3 hours, the end of the race for you will correspond to the midday, under a very generous Roman sun. It can get very hot and I thought my feet were on fire. However, the finish - exhilarating! One that I will never forget - and the medal - beautiful. I was able to locate the truck where my bag was on store quite easily and continued walking with a huge smile on my face. Post race, I found myself having to sift through hundreds of pages with photos, locating my photos was a marathon by itself ;-) Overall, I would recommend Rome to anyone. It was my first, that convinced me that it would not be the last.

On paper it ticks all the boxes - and it delivers on most, but there are a few hiccups: - the start is crowded. this year there were roadworks by the colloseum, but getting into corals was non-existent, and messed up the start for many - expo is quite a way out of the city (go early pre-12pm to beat major queues) - the crowds and course does have its dull points, but this is to be expected. basically dont expect it to be a london / boston / nyc crowd, but the last 7k is great - tends to be hot. if you're training for a time, this ones not for you. Not a hiccup so to speak. The course takes in all the points you would expect from rome - st peters square being a standout, as is the start / the route from 35k. Gels/ drinks are standard for a well-organised race, and having video available afterwards is still a relatively modern addition.

Registering for and participating in an international marathon in a country that speaks an unfamiliar (to me) language can be intimidating, especially to a novice. I would not recommend this marathon to a first time marathoner. (Everyone should do it though and obviously run more than one marathon.) As I started this journey about a year ago I tried to make note of things that would be helpful to share in a review, things I learned, mistakes I made and etc. This review will be a combination of general tips and a review of the specific marathon put on on March 22, 2015. Registration: This was the most confusing part for me. Most international marathons require additional paperwork from foreign participants. (American marathons may do the same but I have yet to encounter anything.) The Rome Marathon required either a running club membership card or a completed health form with physicians signature and stamp. I went the route of the health form. Even though I am a member of the Greenville Track Club, I do not have a membership card. Running clubs in Europe are also structured differently than many American clubs. Since I do not understand them I wont try to explain. Regarding the health form, I believe that many doctors in Europe must have an official stamp, like that of a notary public. In my case, my doctor used a stamp that had the name and address of the entire practice. This form must be submitted and verified before ones registration is complete. This is where I got nervous. Navigating the website, especially the registration portion, was a bit of a nightmare. The organizations lack of timeliness in responding to inquiries during this time was unsatisfactory. I got two emails indicating that the mailbox for the official email was full and that the message could not be delivered. It wasnt until I took to their Facebook page and inquired about my registration status that I received confirmation that my registration was complete. Do not discard the health form. I had to present it at the expo to withdraw my bib and race packet. Travel to country: Be sure to arrive at least two days before race day. It was a bit of a logistical hurdle at work but worth it. One never knows when an airline strike (including air traffic controllers) will leave one stranded in Frankfurt because no flights are entering the entire country of Italy, all day. True story. I found out eight hours before my light left Charlotte about the cancellation. This led to a mad scramble resulting in train tickets taking us from Frankfurt to Rome including a night train. While this was far from ideal, I had enough of a cushion that I was still able to attend the Expo. The Marathon did allow for some race day pick up because in addition to an Alitalia strike there was a Lufthansa strike. Thats a point in their favor. Expo: For foreign competitors unable to use their phones without outrageous charges, designate a place to meet your family member before you enter the participants entry line. I did not do this and ended up making an anxious call to my dad when I realized that he had my ID on him. I also could not find him when it came time to enter the vender portion of the expo. Since I did not print my confirmation letter ahead of time, oops, they printed it for me. This was a fairly painless process and did not take long at all. Shirt and bib retrieval went really well also, very organized. Ill briefly mention the swag I received. In total I received a New Balance shirt with All Roads Lead to Rome on the back, a logo backpack to use for bag drop, plenty of samples and a full bag of tried pasta. I had to laugh at that one. I tried to find my dad at this point but when I couldnt, tried to find the exit. This took far too long. Perhaps if I had been able to find him it would have been more enjoyable. That being said, I am not a fan of the expo organization that herds participants past all the booths. This particular expo had to be one of the most confusing. I kept turning a corner expecting to see an exit only to be led through another corridor of booths. It definitely did not suffer from lack of size. Pre-race: Its hard to beat a warm up area in front of the Colosseum, even in the rain. Speaking of the rain, its a good idea to prepare by bringing a trash bag, extra ziplock baggies and a biggie of rice, just in case. Finding all those things in a foreign country could have been difficult. There were a good number of porto-potties, although bringing your own toilet aper and nose plugs is highly advisable. By the time you make a second trip those things are rank. I watched several ladies in the line next to me walk in and then right back out, not caring about the line. Corral set up was the best Ive experienced. The entire bib, not just a portion, were color coded by corral. Before entering the bib is checked. The you walk along a section of pavement separated from the later corrals by fencing that opens up into the specific corral. No line jumpers here. I cant speak to the pre-race announcements because I have no idea what he was saying. Course: This is a fabulous course. I wish it hadnt been raining and that I had been just a little more aware of my surroundings. Most of the scenic spots are located in the first and last 10km. (The course is marked in kilometers with the addition of 10, 15, and 20 mile markers.) The cobblestones are a little more taxing that regular pavement but not significantly more so in my opinion. Even when wet with rain they werent too much of an issue. Elevation change is also practically non-existent. There is one hill around mile 18 and one somewhere between miles 21 and 22. Water stops/refreshment stations The race provides water in bottles and cups. For some reason the ratio of bottles to cups increases towards cups as the race progresses. Electrolytes are called salts. The stops are well marked with signs. The volunteers are not exceptionally vocal. The race also has several sponge stations. In the rain, these stations seem pointless. Regardless, watch the ground in these sections to avoid stepping and slipping on a discarded sponge. I believe there was medical support on the course. However, since I did not make use of it I do not know where it was located or its adequacy or lack thereof. Spectators: This makes or breaks some peoples race. Not mine. Unlike what some reviewers mentioned, there were plenty of spectators, mainly in the city center, even on the rainy day. Be on the watch, however, for tourists crossing the path. There are plenty. I had one woman cross directly in front of me making me stutter-step to avoid tripping over her rolling suitcase. I had shouted No! No! No! at her as I saw her start to cross but to no avail. Finish/Post-race: Running through the piazza in front of the capital building towards the Colosseum is awesome. Definitely motivating. Immediately after finishing I was handed my medal. No ambiguity there. (One review I read mentioned some lack of organization at this point. I did not see it.) I also grabbed a 1.5l bottle of Gatorade with a flip top opening. They really need to see Gatorade bottles like this in the states! I also got a bag with another (smaller) bottle of Gatorade and other goodies. The walk back to the exit was extremely long, way too long. we had to walk past all of the left luggage trucks where several men took the opportunity right there to strip down and change. Im pretty sure it took me close to 15 minutes just to exit. It was likely longer due to how slowly I was walking at that point. Photos/Video: The video is not as impressive as I thought it would be, not worth paying for. Searching for photos was rather difficult until I realized that the marathon opens the search before all of the photos have been posted. The finish line photos must be searched for by finish time. They do not sort those according to bib number. Conclusion: Even with the quirks I would definitely recommend this marathon for American participants. Just plan to do your sightseeing afterwards, slowly.

Just loved, running through Piazza Venezia, Spagna, Piazza Navona etc. Hated the Cobblestones - so many of them. Beat my PB with 21 min. on the course. It's flat, with two small hils. Organization at the Expo and the end of the race was fantastic. But the start of the race was terrible. Didn't know that the race was started, so was 7 min after the start and it was just a mess. Also the pace runners were no where at the expected time. I wanted to run with 4:15 - but because of the start I didn't find them. After 6 km I passed the 4:45 and after 40 km I passed the 4:30. And ended with a 4:21 time!!Didn't make sense. But yes - I would do the race Again.

Fun race to run just remember that Europeans do things a bit differently. Race started on time but corral chutes, design, and management of the staging area are poor. Get there early. The channeling of runners or lack of it will slow you down for the first 2-3 miles. It rained but the cobblestones weren't too slippery. Expect a good majority of the race on cobblestones. They will deaden your feet/legs a little and they will try your patience. Still, it wasn't awful and you're all in the same boat. Streets are closed to traffic however, there were MANY spectators crossing them and there were countless scooters/Vespas that drove down the course. They are quiet so pay attention. The security didn't shoo a single one way. Aid stations are 3 miles (5K) apart. Be prepared, esp. if it's warm. They do not have aid stations the last 6-7 miles at every mile like in US races. Mile markers/KM markers are easily visible. Tech tee and backpack are excellent, as is the medal. The expo is fairly chaotic and you're channeled through a specific path unlike US expos that you can aim in any direction as desired. Aid stations are abundant with water/Gatorade and many had food and fruit. A lot of sponge stations but unneeded this year b/c of the light rain. Website and FB page updated often; results and photos posted quickly. Few spectators (rain may have had impact). Course is scenic with only a few dull spots. Bag retrieval was organized and easy. Finish line area had lots of food, friendly volunteers. Priced well. A lot of historical sites close by. Booked 'Run Italy' for this - glad I did. Well-organized and many benefits pre- and post-race.

Of all the 35 marathons I have run the has to be the worst organized I have come across. On line registration works well but that is it. Take registration. I turned up at the Expo Hall which is way out of Rome a good walk from the nearest tube station only to find such massive queues outside that I realized I did not have time to register so decided to come back later. A relatively wise decision, the queue was just half as long but it still took half an hour to get into the venue. Once in there were empty desks with staff waiting for runners to turn up and register- so why the queue? - No idea. Race instructions are inadequate - Map a joke. So the next day in pouring rain having started out for the start a whole load of runners are sent on a 2 km detour to get to the baggage lorries which, like to pre assembly area don't appear on the start map. The start is pretty inaccessible Rain meant a crowd building up and it was chaos getting into the start area. Then shepherded into the correct starting pen we shuffled along in a jammed queue whilst all the slower runners shot passed up before we were sent into the main area to join them. Once going you can forget because - along with Jerusalem this is the best city course I have run. It goes through the Vatican, lifts your heart as you see the sheer beauty of Piazza Navona at 36Km and then the Spanish steps at 40Km before finishing in the Piazza Venezia just by the Roman forum. A good walk though efficient post run processing before being discharge into the Colosseum. Water stations coped - bottles of that and Isotonic helped greatly and the facilities were good. Support especially over the final stages was superb. This is a wonderful marathon and I may be a spoiled by the wondrous efficiency of London but they need to sort out the organization.

The main thing to run Rome for is the course. It's really something special. You start at the Colosseum, run along the Tiber (over multiple bridges), and past some pretty impressive sights. There are a few spots where it's not as glamorous, but really that's true of all big city races. The ending in particular is really impressive as you run through the piazzas and narrow roads hemmed in with people. The cobblestones could be uncomfortable at points, but I don't think they really affected my time very much. Overall, it's pretty flat (one big hill at mile 18, a steady incline at mile 25 through a tunnel) so was able to run a good race. Organization is very good, though a couple things could have been improved. The expo was very professional, but they really needed someone at the subway station pointing the way (my brother has lived in Rome for 8 years and even he had trouble figuring out where it was). A person at the train and along the road there pointing the way would have done wonders. Also, along the course I thought there were too few water stations and too many 'sponge' stations. Water and Gatorade (or 'Salts' as the sign translated it) every 5 km is too infrequent - if you missed water at one stop because you didn't want to stop or because you grabbed a half empty cup (or spilled it), you wouldn't be able to get anything for a long while. Since it wasn't too hot, it was fine. But if it the temperature is high some year, this would make the race extremely uncomfortable. Finally, they should have a 'reunion area' for a event this large in an international race  finding friends and family after the race was a little chaotic. Really impressive swag (t-shirt and backpack) and medal is an original piece, a great unique addition to any medal cache - recovery bag was very solid. The crowd support was generally 'spotty' for a big city race though where there was a crowd, it was enthusiastic. Especially at the end, there were huge crowds that really helped pull through the last few miles. Overall, a great way to see an impressive city. It has a little ways to go to be a true stop on the 'world tour' of marathons, but a great race to run.

This is my second time at the Rome marathon. The course changed a little this year. It did not go around the colosseum this year and also skipped Trevi Fountain. This year's race started in the rain, was mostly dry during the race and poured just after this back of the packer finished. The course is fine, wonderful sights to see (St Peter's at the midpoint, Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona near the end). It started and finished a stone's throw from the colosseum , close to Piazza Venezia. The race bottlenecks briefly at the first turn then is open the rest of the way. The route follows the Tiber river out of the city center and back so is relatively flat in that section. There is a major hill at 18 miles , which crushed me. The cobblestones had minimal impact on my race. The support was good, water/gatorade every 5 km. and oranges/bananas and cookies at the tables towards the later stages. The crowd support is still poor, mostly foreign tourists and friends of runners, along with a smattering of bemused Romans. Although this year the weather was poor for spectators. The water stations could have had a person sweeping up the cups from the course in the later stages. The water cups for some reason were plastic and hard to run over when the street is filled with them, same goes for the sponge stations. All in all, this is a wonderful course and a great city to visit for a travel marathon, not quite as polished as Chicago and nowhere near the crowd support, but still well worth going. I went with Marathon Tours and it was a top notch experience.

This is a fantastic course through an amazing city. Organization at the start was chaotic but was ok on course and at the finish. Good medal, rucksack and T shirt

I ran the ROME Marathon with RunITALY.com with RUN ITALY TOURS... they were Awesome and so was the course. We did it the right way,,,,don't miss out! Do this race and make sure you do this with the Best Tour company I've ever been with... RunItaly.com

I'm from Paraguay South America. I am 60 years old and my 23 marathon was  in Rome marathon Fabulous the Rome marathon. Excellent tour of the main sights of Rome. Very efficient organization provision of drinks, good closure of streets,

This was my 1st international marathon (I've done 40+) and my girlfriends 1st. A great place to do your 1st international marathon. The city is unbelievable so it's a great way to see Rome and combine it with a marathon. Course is fun, food on the course great, and the view spectacular. We wouldn't recommend using Marathon Tours. They left us on our own even though they were suppose to handle everything. Book on your own.

Hi, This was my 4th Rome Marathon and this race I find one of my favourites, the course is challenging towards the end but nothing that a trained runner cannot overcome. A great city with lots to see and very good organisation. I love the finishers medal and is far better quality than a majority of others I have. I recommend this race at least once in your running CV :)

At least once in your life, you have to run this race. The course is a beautiful tour of the ancient city. Starting at the Colosseum and passing the Vatican, piazzas, fountains, statues; so many other historical sites, it is a cultural history adventure. The cobblestone sections weren't bad. The hills in the last few miles were a little tough. Fan support is big city level. Organization was ok. You will never forget this race and that you were here in Rome.

This was my second time running the Rome Marathon. I love this City and this race, and I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in history or culture. Having said that, how does an organization run out of toilet paper BEFORE the race starts? I was prepared for the AFTER-race dearth of TP, but not before. If I run it again, I'll carry a backpack full of it and make a fortune selling it during the race. The course itself was outstanding. If I could give it 6 stars I would.

This race has great organization.The expo was laid out great and easily reached by train for 1 euro each way. The backpack/drop bag complete with race number genius. The color coded bibs for corral assignment brilliant ( no walkers at the front of the line). I loved the sponge station and all the fresh fruit.the course was amazing and the cobblestone unforgettable.

This is the most spectacular setting I have run in - starting by the Colosseum, running past all sort of major attractions in Rome. Vatican City, Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain etc... The race is relatively flat, with a few gentle inclines and descents, and a couple major inclines in the last 3-4 miles. The course runs through central Rome and outside, and you will be running on cobblestones for part of the way. the cobblestones didn't impact as much as I thought they would, but definitely a little harder than running on asphalt. The race organization is pretty good, the expo is ok, no waiting on Friday to get packets. The expo is a little out of the center, so a trek on the subway is needed. The race day organization is fine, plenty of space, volunteers, and the start area is reasonably well organized with good gear check setup. you start in chutes/corrals by race bib (determined by you recent times). the start bottlenecked twice about 4-5 minutes after the start line and runners had to walk for a minute. water stops every 5k with bottles and cups of water available, the water tables and sports drink tables are marked by signs, however the sports drink was colorless so be careful when you dump 'water' on your head that it is really water. Port-a-lets - barely enough at the start. there are some along the way at some of the water stops. certainly not enough and the hygene is horrid. they should really leave a pallet of TP outside these, honestly why run out, and they do need more port-a-lets, nobody wants to wait 10 minutes in the middle of a race. Spectators - a bit disappointing - at times it seemed like there were more volunteers than spectators, and especially not too many local fans. the most enthusiatic people on the sidelines were friends and family of foreign runners. Finish - awesome view, a bit of a hill coming around the Colosseum towards the home stretch and finish. good medical support along the way and at the finish, good post race refreshments. I would definately run this race again.

This has to be one of my favourite marathons so far, for the history of the city and the sights you see along the way. You WILL get a lift when you need it when the Colloseum comes into view near the end. You won't get a lift from the spectators though as they are quite sparse, even at the finish. The refreshments are good, with water, salts, sponges and salts when you need them. Just after the start there was an inflatable arch that we had to funnel through, which literally made everyone stop running to walk (what were they thinking so early before the runners spread out??), and along the way I almost fell over an old lady shuffling acros the course pulling a shopping trolley. I had to laugh. There are probably 20k of cobblestones along the route which do not help, but it is quite a flat(ish) course. At the finish, the medal is nice and there are plenty of drinks, fruit etc. The expo was too far out and should be closer to the city centre. Also the 'pasta party' was a total waste of time. A 30 min wait for a tiny portion of nearly cold pasta from surly staff for 4 Euro? I expected better for Italy. That's my last pasta party for sure. But the actual race was very enjoyable and the city is quite amazing to see. I will be back to beat 3.52 next year.

This was my first marathon, and what a way to start. The course is stunning, and the crowd support was really good even for me who ran in the back of the field (5:39). Great medal, but the medal engraving at the end was chaotic. Plenty of drinks and food along the route. I loved every second of it, and I'd love to go back every year.

As has been noted by many, the Rome Marathon route appears to have been designed by the tourism bureau - most of the well known attractions are featured, which helps to make the experience more enjoyable. The course is basically flat, but the cobblestones are a different experience - watch for the occasional "bump" and be prepared for some additional unfamiliar soreness after the race. Apart from the exit after the race, organization was very good throughout. Sponge stops were appreciated. The expo's location is accessible by metro but it's too bad it couldn't be located more centrally. I've run London, Paris and most of the large North American races - and Rome is the best "tourist city race" I've done. Lastly, for those anglophones considering this, I found the volunteers and runners unfailingly hospitable. Bottom line, this is a great destination race for anyone's bucket list.

Incredible marathon!!! Nothing could beat this route!

I choose which marathons I run based on the possible surrounding tourist opportunities while I'm there, and for that the Rome Marathon was perfect!! Got most of my site-seeing done enroute. The course is brilliant - a couple of little hills, but it was seriously interesting and had no annoying double backs or loops. Spectators were present most of the way around, though whey were not generally as supportive as, say, the ones in London or Berlin. The race went by so fast because there was always something to look at and the finishing stretch coming into the Coliseum is just amazing. The organization was mostly flawless - though a little confusing at the finish when trying to walk back to where we started. That was quite slow and agonizing. Altogether, a great run - highly recommended!

I really loved this edition of the Rome Marathon. It was absolutely perfect- everything!!!! I must suggest that ALL runners get a chance to run this course. If you do not know Rome, you will be amazed about the beauty of the ETERNAL CITY and the views you get while running; if you know it well, it's a paradise to enjoy! JUST PERFECT... THE BEST SCENIC MARATHON OF ALL THE WORLD! Great medal, great bag, great t-shirt. ALL THE ROADS LEAD TO ROME (a beautiful truth)!

As mentioned in my title, 5 stars just don't do this course justice. Any notion that the Paris route was unbeatable was quickly put to bed as we approached the Vatican City, with the sun blazing down and the Pope on the big screens. This was all before you run through/pass the Stadio Olympico, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona, and before rounding the Coliseum to finish. More an outdoor museum than a run. I can't think of a run that comes close to matching it. Even the organization and t-shirt slogan were perfect: Veni, Vidi, Vici -- Marathona Di Roma. All roads lead to Rome, and when you get there you won't be disappointed.

I won't lie: the cobblestones did hurt, so don't forget to bring shoes with excellent cushioning!! However, I have NOTHING NEGATIVE to say about this race. It was organized well; packet pick-up was fast and easy. The fans were great, but it's the route that's the real winner! Amazing, incredible, historic route. I don't even remember it being tough because I only have great memories about this run. I'll gladly run this one again. It's not a run; it's an experience. Grazie mille, Roma!!!!

I really enjoyed the run and the city. I shall return one day.

I, like many others, have always wanted to do a marathon, just to "tick that box," so to speak. After much research, I decided on Rome. All I can say is that, if like me you want to do one marathon in your life, this is the one to do. The course is primarily flat, set out as if the Rome tourist board had designed it, as you will see all the sights on your run. Nothing can prepare you as you enter St. Peters Square. and there's an eruption of noise from the crowd; it is truly AMAZING. The support throughout the course is constant and vocal. The food and drink stops are of a high standard, and are very regular, with a mass supply of water, sport's drinks, food, etc. The finish line is magical as one loops around to the Coliseum, a memorable finish and a great photo-op with friend, family, etc. The medal is nice - unique in terms of race medals - and the t-shirt is as good as you will get. That night in Rome there was a good buzz with plenty of runners looking to celebrate the day... and celebrate we did.

Loved beginning and ending at the Coliseum. There was no need to sightsee the next day. The last 3 miles were great; bring a map, but watch your step on cobblestones. Great race package, and good amenities during the race.

This is an easy course, though it was a bit congested in the early stages. Ample aid stations; though there were no syrup-type energy gels, they had fruit and sugar cubes. If you rely on gels, bring your own. It's beautiful with lots of spectators and sights. It can be warm, as it starts at 9 a.m. It's amazing to stand outside of ancient Rome in a huge crowd, awaiting the start! If your time is really important to you, I suggest you put down a really good finish time, as the starts are staggered, and by the time they get to the 3.5-hour finishers, it's pretty congested.