Rome, 16 October 2026 – The second day of celebrations and sport is underway at the Wizz Air Rome Half Marathon by Brooks Village, the event village of the half marathon organized by RomaOstia and RCS Sports & Events on behalf of Roma Capitale, scheduled for Sunday, 18 October at 8:00 AM.
Numerous activities dedicated to runners are taking place within the Village area located in Piazzale XII Ottobre 1492, opposite Eataly Ostiense. The Village serves as the meeting point for runners and visitors alike and will remain open until Saturday evening.
Tomorrow, participants will take part in the non-competitive Gemelli-Longevity Run presented by Altograno, a 5 km event starting at 8:30 AM from Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, followed by the Arcaplanet Dog Run at 10:00 AM from Via di San Gregorio, with participants gathering from 9:30 AM.
The Running Village in Largo Cavalieri di Colombo, set up today for the final registration procedures for the Longevity Run, will also remain open on Sunday. After the race, participants will be able to enjoy a dedicated recovery area featuring stretching mats, sports massages, health check-ups provided by the Policlinico Gemelli team, food and beverage services, and a DJ set running throughout the afternoon.
As in previous editions, the 2026 Wizz Air Rome Half Marathon by Brooks will feature a highly competitive field of elite athletes on the starting line. The men’s race favorite is Kenyan Edward Koonyo, who boasts an outstanding personal best of 1:00:00, achieved in Ghent in 2024. Challenging him for the top step of the podium will be fellow Kenyans Timothy Kosgei (1:00:22, Paris 2025) and Kelvin Kipruto, who is in excellent form after setting a new personal best of 1:00:25 in Mainz earlier this year. The chasing pack is also strong and should not be underestimated, led by fellow Kenyans Robert Keter (1:00:40) and Felix Kibet (1:00:51), along with experienced Turkish runner Atac Sezgin (1:01:49) and Ethiopian Zeleke Yayewsew (1:01:56). Special attention should also be paid to two promising athletes making their half marathon debut: Kenyan Maxon Kipnegetich, who owns an impressive 27:40 on the road 10K, and the very young Ethiopian Ataklti Kidanu, who has recorded 27:41 over the same distance. The leading Italian contender will be Ahmed Ouhda, who represented Italy at the European Championships in Birmingham last summer. He holds the fastest personal best among the Italian athletes entered, thanks to his 1:02:14 recorded in Cremona in 2025, along with a marathon best of 2:08:37. Behind him is a remarkably strong Italian contingent featuring Nicolò Bedini (1:02:56), Ademe Cuneo (1:03:09), Thomas D’Este (1:03:16), Francesco Carrera (1:03:26) and Francesco Da Vià (1:03:26).
The women’s race also promises a fast pace and a closely contested battle for victory. The athlete to beat is Ethiopian Yalemget Yaregal, who boasts a personal best of 1:06:27, set in Berlin. Challenging her will be fellow Ethiopian Betelihem Afenigus (1:06:46 in Paris) and Kenyan Regina Wambui Ndungu, who clocked 1:07:10 in Lisbon in 2026.
Among the Italian women, the spotlight will be on multiple-time national champion Giovanna Epis. The Carabinieri athlete owns a half marathon personal best of 1:10:15 (Crema 2022) and will be joined by promising young talent Isabella Caposieno (1:15:10).
Thanks to the partnership with Brooks, the race will also welcome Switzerland’s Oria Liaci (1:10:31, Barcelona 2026), one of the world’s leading athletes in trail and mountain running, Germany’s Nina Reuter (1:11:09, Barcelona 2026) and Denmark’s Carolien Millenaar (1:11:48, Barcelona 2026).
OFFICIAL BROADCASTER
Once again this year, Sky Sport will serve as the official broadcaster of the event and will air the race live from 8:15 AM on Sky Sport Uno, with commentary by Nicola Roggero and expert analysis from Stefano Baldini.
CHARITY PROGRAM
The Rome Half Marathon 2026 Charity Program has been a tremendous success. To date, more than €80,000 has been raised through Rete del Dono, the official fundraising platform partner of the Rome Half Marathon. The Charity Program has enabled participants to combine their sporting challenge with a meaningful act of solidarity by securing one of the race bibs made available through the event’s Official Charity Partners and contributing to fundraising efforts supporting their respective charitable projects.
The official charities involved in this edition are: Fondazione Bambino Gesù ETS Sport Senza Frontiere, Comitato Italiano per l’UNICEF, Fondazione ETS Fondazione Italiana Diabete, Comunità di Sant’Egidio, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, PlayMore! with RunChallenge and Liberi Nantes ADS. Fondazione Bambino Gesù reached full capacity in record time, raising more than €20,000, followed by Sport Senza Frontiere with €18,000 and UNICEF with nearly €15,000 raised.
THE RACE COURSE – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18: Start Time: 8:00 AM
Over the classic distance of 21.0975 km, the course winds its way through the historic heart of Rome, in line with the vision strongly supported by the Department for Major Events, Sport, Tourism and Fashion of Roma Capitale, led by Alessandro Onorato. The start of the third edition will take place beneath the arches of Viale di Porta Ardeatina at 8:00 AM, between Viale delle Terme di Caracalla and Via Cristoforo Colombo. This brand-new start location will see Rome’s ancient city walls provide the backdrop to a sporting event for the very first time. The finish line from the first two editions has been confirmed: runners will cross the line near the Colosseum, in Via degli Annibaldi, enjoying a breathtaking view of one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World and creating an unforgettable experience for the 40,000 participants of Italy’s most popular half marathon. From Porta Ardeatina, runners will pass through Circonvallazione Ostiense and Via Ostiense towards the Pyramid of Cestius, before heading to the Circus Maximus and then the Tiber Island. Following the route along the Tiber River, athletes will run beneath Castel Sant’Angelo before turning onto Via della Conciliazione, the iconic avenue leading to St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, another exciting new feature of this third edition. After passing through one of the world’s most famous squares, participants will head north towards the Foro Italico, reaching it at kilometre 13. From there, the course begins its return journey towards the finish line. Runners will pass by the Ara Pacis, Piazza del Popolo and Piazza di Spagna, before continuing along Via del Tritone and Via del Corso towards Piazza Venezia. The final kilometres take athletes along Via dei Fori Imperiali and Via Cavour, before culminating in a spectacular finish facing the Colosseum on Via degli Annibaldi.
ROAD CLOSURES AND TRAFFIC INFORMATION
Road closures affecting the event area will be in place from 7:00 AM on both Saturday and Sunday. In particular, on Sunday the race route will involve not only the start area at the Mura Antonelliane and the finish line in Via degli Annibaldi, but also sections of the Lungotevere, San Pietro, Prati, and the Foro Italico district.
Traffic and mobility updates are available at: https://romamobilita.it/infomobilita/domenica-in-programma-la-mezzamaratona-il-percorso-e-la-viabilita/
