Results at the 17th Edition of the Rome Marathon

Today at 9 am in Via dei Fori Imperiali, Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno gave the start to the seventeenth edition of the Rome Marathon started. 

Mr Alemanno has evoked a "feeling of solidarity with the people of Japan and in l'Aquila that we must never forget".

On stage, before departure, the Italian flag and Japan hit by earthquake and radioactivity. 

At the start of the race, to which about 16 000 athletes took part, there was also ambassador to Tokyo. 

It is interesting to notice that the four Km non-competitive race, more than 100 000 runners participated to the event.

The Kenyan Kiptolo Chumbe Dixon won the Rome Marathon with a time of 2h08'44. Chumbe, representing the 10th Kenian winning the competition, arrived before the Ethiopian Amda Siraj Gena (2h09'21") winner at the 2010 edition, which was followed by fellow Dawit Shami Abdulahi (2h09'42") and Tekeste Nekatibeb (2h10'17").

At this stage, we cannot comment on the final number of runners who arrived at the Coliseum. We will update the article with statistical analysis later on.

Since few readers are interested to see the full results, you can find below the ranking for the 17th edition of the Rome Marathon: 2011 Rome Marathon Ranking.

Rome Marathon 17th edition on internet

At 9:00 am this Sunday March 20th, the most important Italian marathon will depart. If you are not one of the 16000 runners that will participate to the competition, you still have a chance at least to see what you missed. The Rome Marathon can be watched on Internet through the Broadcasting from the Italian Television, at the Rome Marathon Live Internet link.

Sixteen thousand marathoners at the 17th edition of the 2011 Rome Marathon

This article is freely adapted from several press releases of the Rome Marathon.


After a significant effort to promote the event and with the Road Race IAAF Gold label, the Rome Marathon will depart on Sunday March 20th 2011, 
in via Fori Imperiali.


16,188 runners enrolled from 84 different countries, of which 9,147 are Italian, while 7,041 are international runners. Sixteen thousand runners represents a new high record for the Rome marathon, 5% higher than the previous edition.
This figure also represents the highest number of participants ever for an Italian marathon. 

On the international enrollment side, France confirms its first place with 1335 runners 
(+6% more against 2010), ahead of Germany, England, Spain and the United States. 
In the top ten foreign countries, Canada entered at the sixth place, while Denmark (tenth).
Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland are completing the ranking.



This year’s edition is labeled “Road Race IAAF Gold Label” for the first time. The IAAF Gold label is the most prestigious label awarded by the International Association of Athletics 
Federation. With this award, the Rome Marathon entered the top 16 marathon list, while last year it was the 17th largest competition in the world.


Both participants and the international media have always defined the route of 
the Rome Marathon “the most scenic in the world”.  The 2011 course is he 
traditional one, turning in via Ostiense after the first kilometers and back into the 
city centre at the end. The start line is in  via dei Fori Imperiali;  the route 
continues on to piazza Venezia, turns into via del Teatro Marcello, via dei Cerchi, 
via Ostiense, St. Paul’s Basilica, viale Marconi, Porta Portese, then stretches on 
all along the Lungotevere towards the Synagogue, the Ara Pacis, piazza Cavour, 
St. Peter’s Square near the Vatican; then back to the Lungotevere and to Foro 
Italico, one of the legendary places of the 1960’s  Rome Olympics. The route 
continues toward the  Mosque,  via Ripetta,  piazza Navona,  largo di Torre 
Argentina,  via del Corso, Piazza del Popolo, Piazza di Spagna, the Trevi 
Fountain, piazza Venezia, via di San Gregorio, (where the finish line of the 1960’s Olympic marathon was), the Colosseo, and, finally, the finish line in via dei Fori 
Imperiali. The route stretches along more than  500 places of high historical, 
archeological, religious and architectural significance.  


The Rome Marathon has probably organized the best world pasta party,
in cooperation with "Gragnano in Corsa", a superb pasta-brand from Gragnano (Naples), the world's capital of pasta. The pasta party will take place at the Marathon Village on Friday 18 and Saturday 19, from 11am to 7pm.

Rome Marathon 2010: few statistics

According to the site organizing the RFID tags for all participants at the 2010 Rome Marathon, 11025 people have concluded this 16th edition. This figure represents +0.17% over last year and means that 71.8% of the enrolled participants have finished the 26.2 miles, a pretty high standard for bigger competitions. Rome (along with Paris) is indeed one of the few largest marathon in the world requiring a mandatory medical certificate to enroll in the competition (for all other marathons it is only recommended).
2010 represents the fourth year in a row where more than 10000 participants arrived at the finish line. After 2006 where we had 9956 runners crossing the finish line and 2007 with the record of 11895 runners, in 2008 10248 runners completed the marathon.

2010 Rome Marathon: fewer American runners but more than 15000 participants overall

According to the Rai Italian Television, the 16th Edition of the Rome marathon will see more than 15 thousand runners at the starting line. This year the 15346 participants from 83 countries will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome where Ethiopian legend Abebe Bikila, running bare-footed, won the Marathon.

Among the participants, 8834 are Italian and 6512 are foreign. 12674 are men and 2672 women. Rome (including the province) is the city with the highest number of athletes at the start, 2320, as well as Lazio, with 2778 members is the most representative. The second city by number of runners is Naples with 287, while Lombardy remains the second region with 785 participants. Abroad, for the second consecutive year, the French are the most represented, with 1297 members, almost 200 more than in 2009.

Moreover, this year there is a slight decline for the U.S. runners (462), Germans are stable (966), while we noticed a sharp increase over previous editions, for Dutch (287), Belgium (271), Russians (37), Czechs (33), Romanians (34), Greek (70), Finnish (213), Danish (138), Helvetian (153), Japanese (67), Israel (50), Argentineans (23), Brazilians (73), Slovenians (56) and Croats (78).

This year 36 charities organizations are involved in the project for fund-raising. The Tottenham football club has already won the solidarity championship by sending 25 runners participating in the Rome Marathon to raise funds in support of the “Round Table Children's Wish'', a British charity which supports children aged 3 to 17 years terminally ill, helping them to make a wish.

Finally more than 85,000 runners are expected to take part in the mass 4 km Roma-Fun race which will be set from the worldwide Via dei Fori Imperiali.

On Saturday the 15346 participants can pick up the bib of the race at the Marathon Village Palazzo dei Congressi. The marathon village will be the biggest sporting expo in Italy this year, and will be an opportunity for all runners not only to not to receive the kit race but also to offer fans an exposure full of concerts, shows and entertainment.

At the end of the event, the runners could get the medal which is signed by the famous sculptor Alfiero Nena. The press release of the event said that "the artist takes an epic of Bikila and reinterprets. The Ethiopian and imposing runner is transformed by Nena. Long hair and European features. But bare feet and 11 on his chest. He is the runner of the World, is black and white together, and amateur champion. This is the message Abebe innervating the passion of thousands of marathoners. The traditional slogan, "we win any discrimination" has a meaning all new and old: we are all part of the same community".

On Sunday March 21 2010, every 15346 runner can “start his or her dream”, as indicated by the slogan of the event.

2010 Rome Marathon news: record of enrollment?

The 16th edition of the Rome Marathon will take place on the 21st of March 2010. It will be a part of a group of events that will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the 1960 Rome Olympics. The Rome Marathon will be dedicated to Abebe Bikila, the Ethiopian who won gold at the Olympics games in Rome in 1960, running barefoot. Bikila then regained in Tokyo 1964 and therefore the Rome marathon decided, since August last year, to twin with Tokio Marathon.

More than a month before the event, the organizers have communicated that the number of foreign runners will be the highest ever. In 2007, the number of foreign participation was 6109 and last year 5993. To date 6136 members are already enrolled from abroad. It is most likely that more than 7 thousand foreigners will participate to this great event. In total, already 12,148 are currently enrolled.

Details on the Rome Marathon live experience are in the link above, where you can find information from other runners.

2009 Rome Marathon: a live experience

This post describes a live experience for the March 2009 Rome Marathon and gives you insight of what it is really look like. Below you can find an Italian translation from the original posting on the Rome Marathon live experience. The next 2010 Rome Marathon is scheduled on the 21st of March 2010 and will be an unforgettable event.

In a village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire to call to mind, there lived not long since one of those gentlemen ... whenever he was at leisure (which was mostly all the year round) gave himself up to reading books of chivalry with such ardor and avidity that he almost entirely neglected the pursuit of his field-sports, and even the management of his property." In this way it begins the adventure of Don Quixote, who harnessed his armor, has taken the road that would lead him to fight many battles to win his Dulcinea.

Sunday we weds Don Quixote along with many Sancho Panza we weren't in La Mancha but in Via dei Fori Imperiali (right). We were also wearing top and shorts eager to conquer our Dulcinea

equally wary asking us to fight tough battles before giving her hand; our beloved today is called the Rome Marathon.

I was supposed to be the 3-hours pace-maker, but finally the organization wanted to move me to 3'15'': my reply was dry and immediate. No, for a while I want to fight for achieving the goal of 3 hours before going to the next step.

Free then to leave my legs to seek their own pace, the pace I can take without suffering too much in the first part and that allows me to look around.There is a problem in Rome, it would be nice to look around and what you could see would surely be admired but the ground is uneven, uncertain and supporting my ankles (with tendons attached) deserve consideration, the hocks of my horse should be treated with care and preserved. So much of the race I had to spend like the others to pick up precious energies on checking cobblestones, Sanpietrini (right picture).
The pending departure has been long and lived together with my friends Renato Ventura, Stephen and Michael, the main comment was related to the wind that could have influenced our performance, luckily a bright sun was there to accompany us until the 26 miles. Aeolus is lazy but always blows contrast, if all goes well you can find one side and on the stretches where it should be for (if physics is not an opinion) comes Murphy's Law, that portion will be covered and thus you do not enjoy all of the 'beneficial effect'.

The music at departure with the soundtrack of Chariots of Fire has served to raise the level of adrenaline, and then the shot: the battle is getting started. A river of people, anxious to free energies legs, elbows are wide gaps where looking strung, smiles, wishes, fears, superstitious gestures. That the marathon start (left picture, 2009 departure).

Piazza Venezia and the Altar of the Fatherland on our left (right on the picture), we will review it and now must find the right pace, in front of me I saw two meshes with the Moors Sardinian is Pierpaolo Stefanopoli, a greeting and then both after the same goal, under three hours. The Circus Maximus, the Pyramid and the way to the Basilica of San Paolo where the 5 km mark, the average marks is 4'08 min/km, not a pace that I was looking for, my legs are going alone, therefore the pace is obviously the right one, I just press the split button without even check it every km. We come back along the Tiber for a long stretch on one side first then, after crossing a bridge, on the other side, a new bridge and we head towards "Er Dome, the avenue that offers a view of St. Peter's Basilica is fascinating to follow.

At my side almost from the start there are two friends Venetian, Titian Treviso Camignada I knew the last year and an affiliated “Aggredire” company of which I, forgetful, I forgot the name. We exchange a few words, at times struggled to keep their pace but we are always there. Every so often a look at the Garmin: the indication is fixed on the same pace, the legs are going with AUTOPILOT: 4'08” min/km. Passing the half in 1:27 '19'', I thought immediately: this is about the same time, the second of my move to Barcelona three weeks ago, but today I am sure that time will be difficult to repeat, my legs are starting to acknowledge the fatigue and then the wind does not give us respite.

We are in the area of the Foro Italico, it is time to pull together: When you are in trouble the best defense is to attack. The Don Quixote within me greets friends, borrow Durlindana from Orlando and then decided to fight before falling to the Roncesvalles will conquer my Dulcinea. We should attack the windmills (anyway wind is not missing!) I then started a good progression helped also by the slight descent, passes alongside the mosque. In a temporary state of grace, I overtake a lot of competitors and gained positions with regularity. At 30 km mark my average is not moving from 4'08 min/km, my tired legs yet are not to give up.

The intermediate at 35Km told me I have even increased my pace by few seconds. I could then see downtown Rome in front of me at 36 km, and I got overtaken by Sancho Panza, attempting to escape. A squire never gives up his head in time of need. He is not Sancho, he is a runner dressed as a warrior who I had passed in the early miles, sword in hand running light, I try to keep up but my legs suffer from fatigue. Between Via del Corso and Piazza del Popolo gather encouragement from so many viewers, my name engraved on the tank top is scanned in a variety of languages: "Courage, Antonio" screams one Spanish, "Go, Tony, go" one lovely American and I have also heard some "and Annam Anto" clearly from the city. Now we were at the end, there are only "four dirty km", I was in Piazza di Spagna, another massive crowd and several encouragements, I have not the strength to turn my face

to the left to see the steps, the Trevi Fountain deserves much more than the my indifference. I appeal to the usual strategies to consume the last km: I am just missing to the finish two poor rounds of the park where I always train.
I see the Altar of the Nation, homage and respect, but the Colosseum is now my goal. Do the maths, the result is already marked, I will finish in 2h:55min if my heart and head helped for the absence of legs in the last 2 km.

Using the remaining energy, the cobblestones of Via San Gregorio is the ultimate punishment, but the Arch of Constantine is the goal. On the curve upward along the Colosseum, the public is crowded, greeting and thank you for your encouragement, where the descent suddenly fell silent, the barriers prevent the presence of supporters. There before me the banner of the goal on either side the desert, this is my sad arrival. There is not even to throw the challenge to the stopwatch, delaying arrival at 2:55 '21''; the medal around his neck is a very well deserved award today. Don Quixote did for Dulcinea's 153th time under 3 hours.

The wait is now for the other "friends of fortune". Stephen concludes in 3:03 still deferring his appointment with the demolition of the wall, Renato at 3:23, 3:45 Michele. After the finish line alive one of the less positive of this event: the return of bags and a torment for many, change needs to find a corner on the asphalt and lucky that it is sunny. From this point of view of Rome is very far from New York, and light years from Berlin, Dublin, Barcelona. It would be impossible to name all the friends among over 11000 that crossed the line: the Mercurys of Vittorio Veneto, Anna marathon runner (PB in 3:05) Andrea Marchiol too PB, Pagavino spouses, those in the Niù Team, and then certainly a thought to the people of the disappointed, those who expected so much and have collected less or those who for one reason or another were unable to cross the finish line.
Next year I will not come because the Sanpietrini deserve a longer digestion time. However on Sunday next week I will be at the Treviso Marathon Treviso for a new challenge: guess what will be my goal?