Marathon guide · Rome, Italy
Rome Marathon 2027 training plan and pace guide
Sunday 14 March 2027, past the Colosseum, St Peter's and the Tiber. The profile is gentle; the sampietrini cobbles and the paperwork are what catch runners out.
OpenAthlete is not affiliated with the organisers. This is an independent preparation guide.
Key facts
2027
- Date
- Sunday, 14 March 202732nd edition, held in any weather. 5 km fun run on Saturday 13 March.
- Start
- About 08:30 (regulation); in 2026 the waves left from 08:10 to 09:00
- Distance
- 42.195 km
- Elevation
- ≈ +156 mApproximate, from GPS data (marathon-index.com). The organisers do not publish a figure.
- Time limit
- 7 hours
- Course
- Start on Via dei Fori Imperiali by the Colosseum, then the Tiber, Castel Sant'Angelo and Via della Conciliazione. Altitude between 8 and 31 m (organisers). Asphalt with cobbled sections.
- Usual weather
- March: 6 to 16 °C on average (NOAA normals, Rome Ciampino). Cool start, mild by midday.
Facts checked on 4 November 2026. Organisers change things: confirm on the official site before you book anything.
The course, seen by a coach
Rome Marathon: what it asks of you, and how to train for it
Sampietrini under your feet
Part of the course runs on Rome's cobbles (a press estimate puts it near a fifth). Test your race shoes on uneven ground before March: very soft, high plated shoes can feel unstable on cobbles and tight corners. Add calf raises and single-leg balance work twice a week, and run part of your easy runs on rough paths.
Corners cost rhythm
The historic centre means turns, narrow streets and short ramps up from the river. You will rarely hold one pace for long. In the last eight weeks, run your goal-pace blocks on a twisting city loop rather than a straight towpath, and get used to settling back to pace after every corner without sprinting out of it.
Paperwork before training
Runners living outside Italy need a RUNCARD and a medical certificate for competitive athletics, to Italian standards, uploaded when they register. Minimum age is 20. Book the medical early: it often needs an exercise ECG, and you do not want to chase it in week 14.
Pace and plan by goal
Rome Marathon: pick your goal time
Each goal links to its pace chart: splits every 5 km, every kilometre and a printable pace band. Eight goals also have a free 16-week plan with paces worked out from your VMA. Pick the goal your recent half marathon supports, not the one you hope for.
When to start a 16-week plan
Start your 16-week plan on Monday, 23 November 2026
Race day is Sunday, 14 March 2027, in week 16. Started later, the plan loses build weeks, not the taper: cut from the start, never the end.
Import a plan into OpenAthleteFree. Sessions go to your Garmin, COROS or Suunto watch.
| Goal | Pace | Halfway | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2:45 | 3:55/km | 1:22:30 | – |
| 3:00 | 4:16/km | 1:30:00 | 16 weeks |
| 3:15 | 4:37/km | 1:37:30 | – |
| 3:30 | 4:59/km | 1:45:00 | 16 weeks |
| 3:45 | 5:20/km | 1:52:30 | 16 weeks |
| 4:00 | 5:41/km | 2:00:00 | 16 weeks |
| 4:15 | 6:03/km | 2:07:30 | 16 weeks |
| 4:30 | 6:24/km | 2:15:00 | 16 weeks |
| 4:45 | 6:45/km | 2:22:30 | – |
| 5:00 | 7:07/km | 2:30:00 | 16 weeks |
| 5:30 | 7:49/km | 2:45:00 | 16 weeks |
| 6:00 | 8:32/km | 3:00:00 | – |
Even pace on a flat course. Hills, heat, wind and crowded first kilometres all cost time: the course notes above say where.
Rome Marathon: questions runners ask
Sunday 14 March 2027, the 32nd edition, with a start around 08:30 and a 7-hour limit. Registration is open on the official site. A 16-week plan starts on Monday 23 November 2026.
Yes. The 2027 regulation asks non-Italian residents for a RUNCARD plus a medical certificate for competitive athletics, to Italian standards, uploaded at registration. Check the exact wording in the regulation linked above.
Our marathon plans last 16 weeks, so start on Monday, 23 November 2026. You need a base first: running three or four times a week for a few months, with a long run of about 1h15 already comfortable.
No. OpenAthlete is not affiliated with the organisers of Rome Marathon. This is an independent preparation guide written from the official information available on 4 November 2026. Registration, rules and the final course are on the official site.
Prepare the Rome Marathon with the plan on your watch
Import a free plan into OpenAthlete, move sessions around your week, and send them to your Garmin, COROS or Suunto watch. Everything is free on Cloud.
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