Rome, October 18, 2025 – The Wizz Air Rome Half Marathon, scheduled for tomorrow, October 19, at 8:30 a.m., is entering its final countdown!
Today at the Race Village, the spotlight will be on the Top Runners. Also eagerly awaited is the appearance of Sir Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah, known as Mo Farah.
The four-time Olympic gold medallist in the 5,000m and 10,000m at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games — an icon of middle- and long-distance running — is Huawei’s ambassador for the new Watch GT 6. He will be present with his own interactive booth, a must-visit stop for running enthusiasts and beyond.
The second edition of the Wizz Air Rome Half Marathon promises a high technical level, having secured the debut over the distance of Telahun Haile Bekele, one of the world’s top track talents.
The Ethiopian, a two-time Diamond League winner, boasts outstanding personal bests such as 7:25.48 over 3000m, 27:13 over 10km on the road, and an incredible 12:42.70 over 5000m — a time that ranks him ninth all-time in the world at that distance. Italian fans already saw him dominate last January at the historic Campaccio Cross Country. His main rival could be Kenyan Kalipus Lomwai, who recently made headlines by winning the Trento Half Marathon in 1:00:15. Lomwai comes to Rome with the task of setting the pace for the Ethiopian in the early stages, before trying to finish as strongly as possible himself. Another Kenyan, Simon Maywa, runner-up last spring at the Napoli Half Marathon with 1:00:26, appears as a potential dark horse in a race that promises to be very fast through the streets of the Eternal City. Also lining up are fellow Kenyans Vincent Kimaiyo and Vincent Kiptoo, both reported to be in excellent shape.
Among the women, the favourite is Kenya’s Gladys Cherop Longari, who has a personal best of 1:07:28 and an impressive résumé including victories at the Stramilano and the Mezza Maratona d’Italia.
The last-minute headline speaks Italian — and bears the name of Sofiia Yaremchuk, the Italian marathon record holder.
The Azzurra boasts personal bests of 2:23:14 in the marathon and 1:08:27 in the half marathon, the latter equalling the national record.
Among her main rivals will be Kenya’s Rency Kogo (PB 1:09:04), who leads a strong field that also includes compatriots Joan Chepleting (PB 1:10:12) and Milicent Jelimo (PB 1:10:15).
The headquarters of the official half marathon of the Capital, organized by RomaOstia and RCS Sports & Events, will remain open all day at Eataly Roma Ostiense, in Piazzale 12 Ottobre 1492, right in front of Eataly’s Rome location. A wide range of activities will take place throughout the day, entertaining not only the runners but also their companions and all Romans — young and old alike.
