The Rome Marathon is an annual marathon competition hosted by the city of Rome, Italy on a Sunday of March. The competition has also doubled as the Italian Marathon championships on two occasions; in 1983 and 1986. The 2010 race was held in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Abebe Bikila's win at the 1960 Rome Olympic marathon race, a watershed moment in the development of East African competitive running. The 2010 men's winner, Siraj Gena, earned a 5000€ bonus for crossing the finish line barefoot in honour of Abebe Bikila's style.
If you’re looking for the ideal combination of athletic challenges and a nice weekend of sight-seeing, Rome Marathon is the place to go. Held annually in March, when nice days exceed hot days and the herds of tourists haven’t arrived yet, Rome Marathon attracts more and more runners each year. On March 21 2010, when the last version of Rome Marathon – or to be exact, Maratona di Roma – took place, more than 15,000 runners showed up. Ethiopian winner Siraj Gena finished the race barefoot to honour his countryman Abebe Bikila who won the Olympic marathon in Rome exactly 50 years earlier. Your next chance for a long run through this romantic and historic city is March 20, 2011.
As a participant in the Rome Marathon, you get to drink in the city’s historic atmosphere right from the beginning. The start line is placed in front of the 2,000 year old Coliseum, and from here the course is a veritable festival of magnificent sights. Among other things, you will run past Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps and through a lot of picturesque, narrow streets in the old part of the city.
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