The historic race of the Capital was presented, by Eurospin and now in its 51st edition which will take place on March 1st. The mayor of Rome, Gualtieri: “An extraordinary event on a unique route that tells of the profound relationship between Rome and Ostia, between the city and its sea”
Over half a century of sport, running and joy. It is the finish line of the most beloved half marathon in Italy, the RomaOstia Half Marathon, founded on 31 March 1974, of which the next edition, number 51, by Eurospin for the third year in a row, is scheduled for Sunday 1 March 2026. An event that has become increasingly attractive over the years, created by Luciano Duchi and grown by his large sporting family, the GSBRun-RomaOstia, supported in the organization for eight years by Rcs Sports & Events. The numbers are constantly growing: one month before the race there are already 11,600 registered. This year’s edition was presented today in the Campidoglio, in the Giulio Cesare Hall, in the presence of the mayor of the capital Roberto Gualtieri and the councilor for Sport, Tourism, Fashion and Major Events, Alessandro Onorato. In addition to the founder and president Luciano Duchi, those who spoke at the conference (moderated by Laura Duchi, the race director of RomaOstia) were the head of mass events of Rcs Sports & Events Luca Onofrio, the president of Fidal Lazio, Lieutenant Colonel Fabio Martelli, the head of marketing dept of Eurospin Luca Burgazzoli representing the president Daniele Mion and the educator of the Italian Solidarity Center Don Mario Picchi, Anna Mastrorilli. The very fast route of recent years has been confirmed, with the departure from Eur and the arrival at the Rotonda di Ostia. The start is located in the shadow of the Palazzo dello Sport and the runners (the official shirt will be designed by Adidas), after crossing the wide and flowing avenues of the neighborhood for a short stretch, will reach the Cristoforo Colombo which will take them to the finish line. A route that has always reflected the technical characteristics of the half marathon, with its 21.0975 kilometres.
numbers
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Members still record a positive delta of around 13% compared to 2025 with the forecast of exceeding 15 thousand. The share of foreigners is constantly increasing, rising in the last three years from 20% to 43% of the members registered to date. Increasingly interesting evidence also on the age front, with a younger presence of participants than in the past: the category between 23-34 years is large, around 3,469 runners. More and more women are running, representing 35% of the total this year, up 10 percentage points compared to two years earlier. Registration for the race remains open until beyond mid-February. Data and information on the website www.romaostia.it.
romaostia house 2026
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The Village will be located in Piazzale Pier Luigi Nervi, near the start of the race and will open its doors for two days: Friday 27 February and Saturday 28 (from 9am to 8pm). It represents the headquarters of the event, the point of collection of the running bib by the registered participants and with the many partners who will offer products at their stands and present the news relating to sport and the world of running. There will be a parade of elite athletes on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, the official training sessions, i.e. the free program designed for groups of runners, already started at the end of January. Accompanying athletes and amateurs at various paces, along an 8 kilometer route, are the half marathon pacers. The next training session will take place on Saturday 21 February. And the union with the Gemelli Polyclinic has also been renewed for this edition, strongly supported by Professor Landi, an increasingly passionate runner and great supporter of the value that events such as RomaOstia have in raising awareness among the population on the importance of sporting activity, a correct lifestyle and prevention.
the words
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“The RomaOstia Half Marathon has been an unmissable event for runners from all over the world for 51 years. An extraordinary event on a unique route that tells of the profound relationship between Rome and Ostia, between the city and its sea. Rome has demonstrated its ability to enhance events like this within a broader vision of urban development, in which sport, also thanks to the commitment of the organizers, strengthens tourism and the local economy by creating opportunities. It will, as always, be a celebration for sport and for the city”, observed Gualtieri, while Onorato said: “The RomaOstia confirms itself as one of the most important half marathons in Europe. We have worked to ensure that the race is increasingly appreciated abroad and the numbers have proven us right: the percentage of participants from abroad has risen from 20% 3 years ago to 43% in this edition. I am very happy that so many runners will be able to discover and get to know the seafront of Rome, a beautiful area, with many riches that we must valorise”. For Laura Duchi there is also a sentimental aspect: “Fifty-first edition: we are almost the same age, for me it represents life. We start from an excellent base, with an excellent team that has led RomaOstia to be a historic event, known by all Romans and Italians, but also projected towards modernity. The responses that are arriving to us in terms of participation, especially from foreigners, demonstrate that we are heading towards the right path”. Onofrio explains how “the relationship between RCS Sports & Events and the GSBRun is now consolidated, strengthened by the most recent organization of the half marathon in October which gave the capital another great day of sport. Events like these, increasingly attractive for foreigners, can only do good for the public and for those who love a healthy lifestyle. With work, that of the Group I represent, which increasingly aims to enhance these events, not least the Giro d’Italia which will end again in the most beautiful city in the world in May.” Finally, Mion. “For the third consecutive year RomaOstia takes the name of Eurospin. We are happy that also in 2026 Smart Shopping will be associated with this historic sporting event. Rome is a very important territory for us. Of the more than 1,300 points of sale on Italian territory, almost 90 are located in the province of Rome. For us, this is our home and we really like the ability of Eurospin Roma-Ostia to activate positive values, with particular attention to inclusion and respect. This is how we are and we want to be too. Intelligent Shopping, for us, is precisely this: making quality accessible to everyone”.
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