Roma Appia Run 2026

On 19 April, the 27th edition of the Roma Appia Run will get underway, one of the most beloved and evocative road races on the national running calendar. The event celebrates the “Regina Viarum”, the Appian Way, recently honoured with UNESCO World Heritage status, which forms the beating heart of the race.

A route unlike any other in the world that, over the years, has captivated thousands of runners. In the last edition alone, more than 8,000 participants took part across the various race distances.

From 2026, however, the Roma Appia Run is set to take another significant step forward. The organisers have requested that Roma Capitale extend the competitive race course to almost 20 kilometres (19.95 km) with the opening section heading towards the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus, while the non-competitive race will follow a 9 km route.

This expansion is designed to increase the event’s international appeal and improve the overall flow of the course, also allowing for a smoother passage beneath Porta San Sebastiano – an iconic and visually striking landmark that has become too narrow for the original route.

Several of the most fascinating and popular sections of the race have also been confirmed for 2026, including the passage through the Parco della Caffarella and the stretch inside the Catacombs of San Callisto.

The Roma Appia Run owes much of its popularity not only to its stunning course, which winds through some of Rome’s most captivating landmarks, but also to the fact that it is the only race in the world run across five different surfaces: asphalt, sampietrini cobblestones, ancient basalt paving stones, the dirt paths of the Parco della Caffarella, and finally the track inside the Stadium of the Baths of Caracalla.

The Roma Appia Run is organised by ACSI, in collaboration with ACSI Futura Atletica and ASD Roma Appia Run, with the patronage of the Italian Ministry for Sport, the Regione Lazio, Roma Capitale, the Parco Regionale dell’Appia Antica, the Parco Archeologico dell’Appia Antica, CONI, and Sport e Salute, and is held under the aegis of FIDAL.