When is the 2027 Rome Marathon?

On Sunday 14 March 2027, for the 32nd edition, with a start at around 8:30 am from the Imperial Forums.

Do you need a medical certificate to run the Rome Marathon?

Members of a federation affiliated to World Athletics, such as the FFA, show their licence. Unaffiliated runners from abroad have two options: a Runcard with a medical certificate to Italian standards (including an exercise ECG), or non-competitive entry with a disclaimer, without a ranking position.

What is the time limit?

Seven hours under the 2027 rules, with intermediate cut-offs to be announced later. In 2026 the FAQ gave 6h30.

Until when can you enter?

Until 11:59 pm on 7 March 2027, unless the race sells out before then. No entries on race day.

Marathon de Rome: how many weeks of preparation?

For an athlete at intermediate level, Endu builds a 17-week preparation. If your race is closer, the plan compresses phases while keeping the taper; if it's further away, it lengthens the preparation, and when the gap is large the preparation starts right away, gently and at your current volume, before building up.

How many sessions per week?

This example has 4 sessions per week. You choose 3 to 7 training days and the exact days (e.g. Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun): the plan sticks to them.

I'm a beginner, is this plan for me?

The plan adapts to your declared level (beginner to semi-pro): starting volume, progression and intensity change. Endu also offers a "Discovery" mode without a race to build a base first.

Can I follow sessions on my watch?

Yes, on Garmin and COROS. On Garmin, the Endu app (Connect IQ Store) shows today’s session and starts it as a guided workout. On COROS, link your account from your profile: your running, trail and cycling sessions land in the watch calendar. Other brands are not supported yet.

How much does it cost?

14-day free trial, then €7.99/month with no commitment or €59.88/year (€4.99/month). Unlimited objectives and sports.

Marathon de Rome 2027: date, course and training plan

42.2 kmRome2027 edition: 14 March 2027

Run Rome The Marathon starts from the Imperial Forums, with the Colosseum behind you, and passes the Circus Maximus, St Paul Outside the Walls, Castel Sant'Angelo, St Peter's, Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona. The 32nd edition is on Sunday 14 March 2027. The course is flat, with about twenty metres between its lowest and highest points, but includes stretches on Rome's cobbles.

Your plan for Marathon de Rome

19 weeks to go: your plan starts this week, set to your level and free days, then adapts to your feedback after each session.

Your goal time?

14-day trial, cancel anytime.

Marathon de Rome at a glance

Date: 2027 edition: 14 March 2027
Formats: MarathonPlan below — 42.195 km, FIDAL Gold Label, partner race of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. Start at around 8:30 am from the Imperial Forums, finish in the Circus Maximus. Time limit: 7 hours under the 2027 rules. Open to runners born in 2007 or earlier. The 2027 rules listed €99 until 30 May 2026, plus online booking fees.
Staffetta Acea Run4Rome — Charity relay run on the same day (9:15 am start from the Imperial Forums in 2026).
Registration: Registration is open online from the official website until 11:59 pm on 7 March 2027, or earlier if it sells out, in which case a waiting list opens. Requirements depend on your situation. Members of a federation affiliated to World Athletics, such as the French FFA, provide a copy of their licence. Unaffiliated runners from abroad can either take out a Runcard with a medical certificate of fitness for competitive athletics meeting the Italian tests (examination, urine test, resting and exercise ECG, spirometry), uploaded at least ten days before the race, or run as non-competitive by accepting a disclaimer: they are then listed with their time, without a position or category. Fees are non-refundable; transfer to another person or deferral to 2028 is possible until 14 January 2027, for €30 plus fees. Bibs must be collected in person at the Expo Village and are never posted.
Official website: runromethemarathon.com

The 2027 course

Start at the Imperial Forums, with the Colosseum behind you, then Piazza Venezia and the Vittoriano, the Palatine and the Circus Maximus. The course then heads for the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls and the Pyramid of Cestius, runs along the Tiber opposite Tiber Island, reaches Castel Sant'Angelo and Via della Conciliazione, facing St Peter's. It climbs north to the Foro Italico, crosses the Ponte Milvio, passes the Auditorium Parco della Musica, then comes back along the Tiber to Piazza del Popolo, the Spanish Steps square and Piazza Navona. The last two kilometres pass the Vittoriano again and the Bocca della Verità, before the finish inside the Circus Maximus.

What the race asks of your training

A build-up through the winter

To race on 14 March, a 16-week build-up starts in late November: the long runs fall between Christmas and February. For late March, the organisers gave an average temperature of around 13 degrees, 9 at the start: a winter build-up suits those conditions well.

Flat, but on cobbles

According to the organisers, the 2026 course varied by only about twenty metres in altitude but included around 6 km of sampietrini, Rome's cobbles. They tire the legs more than smooth tarmac: easy runs on uneven ground, ankle and calf strengthening, and a cautious pace over the first cobbled kilometres help you last to the end.

Starting in the right wave

The start is in waves, assigned from your marathon personal best over the last four years (or, failing that, your half), to be declared by 17 February 2027 at the latest. For a first marathon, a benchmark half run during the build-up puts you in the right wave and gives you a realistic target pace.

The plan below prepares the Marathon format, for an athlete at intermediate level with 4 days available per week, with race day on 14 March 2027. Aiming for another format? Enter its distance when you create your plan, which will be calibrated on your level, your available days and your feedback after every session.

weeks: 17
sessions: 67
sessions / week: 4
peak week: 5.7 h

Plan structure

Periodised in phases: build the base, move to race-specific work, then taper before the race.

General preparation
Weeks 1–2 · 2 wk
Base
Weeks 3–7 · 5 wk
Build
Weeks 8–11 · 4 wk
Specific
Weeks 12–14 · 3 wk
Taper
Weeks 15–16 · 2 wk
Race week
Weeks 17–17 · 1 wk

Volume progression

Week by week: lighter recovery weeks are built in to absorb the load.

Wk	Phase	Hours	km
1	General preparation	3.3 h	33
2	General preparation	3.5 h	35
3	Baserecovery	2.7 h	27
4	Base	3.7 h	37
5	Base	3.9 h	39
6	Base	4.1 h	41
7	Baserecovery	3.2 h	32
8	Build	4.4 h	44
9	Build	4.6 h	47
10	Build	4.9 h	50
11	Buildrecovery	3.8 h	39
12	Specific	5.1 h	51
13	Specific	5.4 h	54
14	Specific	5.7 h	57
15	Taper	4.1 h	41
16	Taper	3.2 h	31
17	Race week	2.2 h	22

Sample week — week 9 (Build)

Real sessions from the plan with their targets. Each session is detailed step by step, and can be sent to a Garmin or COROS watch.

MondayEasy
30 min easy
30 min · 4.8 km
TuesdayHard
3 × 10 min at threshold
2 min jog recovery
1 h 01 · 11.4 km
FridayVery hard
6 × 600 m at MAS
2 min jog recovery
52 min · 9.6 km
SundayEasy
Long run 2 h 13
2 h 13 · 21.5 km

Example generated for a intermediate-level profile (MAS 15 km/h, 4 days available per week). Your plan will depend on your level, availability and feedback.

This plan’s check-up

Pass

A 17-week build (recommended minimum: 12); a longest run never more than 8% above the previous month’s; volume rising at most 7% from one week to the next; 89% of the time at easy effort; the longest session 3 weeks before the race; a taper cutting volume by 61% in race week.

2 worth knowing · 16 checks passed

Remarks

Strength training — No strength session.
Fueling — Long sessions (up to 160 min in this plan) are where race fueling is rehearsed.

The 16 checks passed, in detail

Length of the build — 17 weeks: enough for this race (recommended minimum: 12).
Sessions per week — 4 sessions a week: the minimum for this race is met.
Volume progression — Running volume rises at most 7% from one week to the next (a signal appears beyond 20%).
Long run increase — Each week, the longest run is at most 8% longer than the longest of the previous month (benchmark: 10%).
Lighter weeks — A lighter week comes back regularly (weeks 3, 7, 11, 15).
Weight of the long run — The long run keeps a reasonable share of the week.
Intensity distribution — About 89% of the time at easy effort: the most common distribution among trained endurance athletes.
Demanding sessions — No more than 2 demanding session(s) a week: suited to the level.
Hard days back to back — Demanding sessions are separated by easy days.
Rest days — At least one rest day a week.
Easy run pace — Easy runs are truly easy (slower than 5:43/km).
Race-specific work — 8 race-specific sessions in the last block.
Timing of the longest session — The longest session falls 3 weeks before the race: the right time.
Taper — Volume drops 61% in race week.
Intensity during the taper — Short race-pace efforts remain in the last two weeks.
Frequency during the taper — The number of sessions stays close to usual (100%).

Endu runs its own plans through the plan check open to everyone: same public rules, same thresholds, same sources. The rules and their sources, and a check of your own plan.

Why this plan works

Science-based periodisation

Base → build → specific → taper, with a recovery week every 3 to 4 weeks. Load goes up, but never two hard weeks in a row without a breather.

Paces, not vague feelings

Every session has target zones (pace, HR) computed from your MAS or a reference performance. A MAS test is built into the plan if you don't know yours.

A plan that listens

After each session you rate how it felt (RPE). Too hard? The plan eases what follows. Skipped a session? It reschedules or absorbs it.

On your watch

On Garmin with the Endu app, on COROS by direct sync: the guided workout shows up on your wrist, step by step.

Reviews

What our users say.

4.8/5

“I used to spend more time looking for a plan than following one. Now I have my sessions, I know what to do and I stick to it. Really glad I tried it.”
Thomas · Running
“Training for my first half marathon and honestly, I’m getting into it! I even look at my next sessions ahead of time, when before I was mostly looking for an excuse not to go out 😂”
Camille · Running
“Simple to follow and really handy with the watch. I start my session and off I go.”
Julien · Running
“I took Endu to prepare a trail race with friends. I really like having my week already organised: it motivates me and I enjoy my runs more.”
Émilie · Trail
“What I like is no longer asking myself a thousand questions before going for a run. I follow the plan and I enjoy training.”
Nicolas · Trail
“With work and the kids, I thought I’d struggle to follow a plan. In the end, having a structure helps me a lot. Running has found a real place in my week again, and it feels good!”
Julie · Trail
“A good find to prepare my swimrun! It’s nice to find a plan for this sport. I’ve recommended it to my teammate.”
Antoine · Swimrun
“I run more regularly and, above all, with more desire. For that alone, I’m delighted.”
Laura · Swimrun
“For triathlon, having all three sports in the same schedule really makes my life easier. I spend less time organising my training and I still enjoy following it just as much.”
Maxime · Triathlon
“At first I just wanted to try it. Now checking the next day’s session has become my little evening ritual 😊”
Sarah · Triathlon

Your plan, not a template athlete's

This plan is generated for an athlete at intermediate level with 4 days available per week. Yours will be calibrated on your MAS, your available days and your feedback after every session. 3 minutes. 14-day trial, cancel anytime.

Create my plan for Marathon de Rome