The Race
| Next Race Date | Sunday 14 February 2027 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Loop (start and finish at the castle moat) |
| Registration | Open entry |
| Ballot opens | Not applicable |
| Start | Fossato del Castello, Via Ferdinando Cafiero, 09:00 |
| Finish | Fossato del Castello, Via Ferdinando Cafiero |
| Total finishers | Not published |
| Avg race-day temp | 8 to 14°C (February) |
| Cutoff time | 7 hours |
| Free race-day transport | Not confirmed |
| Course certification | FIDAL homologated (Type A) for 2026; 2027 status to be confirmed. No World Athletics Label |
History
Barletta ran full marathons in the 1990s, then went without one for almost three decades. Local press covering the return called it the first 42.195 km race in the city for 29 years, though a second regional headline gives a different gap. In between, the city kept a half marathon going for the 14 years before the full distance came back.
The current race dates from February 2025, when ASD Barletta Sportiva and ASD Club Super Marathon Italia added a full marathon to the half. Enzo Cascella of Barletta Sportiva is named by the organisers as the driving force, and the city administration backed the event. The first editions carried Volkswagen's name. For the 2027 race the title sponsor changes to CORIME, which is why the organiser's homepage and the newer event listing disagree.
The 2026 race took place on 8 February, starting at the Fossato del Castello, the dry moat around the Castello Svevo. The organiser reported more than 1,300 participants across the marathon, the half marathon and a non-competitive walk. Pardo La Serra won the marathon in 2:35:07 and Pamela Greco was first woman in 3:24:57. Those are the winning times of one edition, not course records.
The event is separate from the older Maratona delle Cattedrali and from Barletta's long-running half marathon. FIDAL listed the 2026 marathon as a national road race on a homologated Type A course. That certification covered the 2026 course, so the page calls the race FIDAL-listed until the 2027 course is confirmed.
The course
The Barletta Marathon starts and finishes at the Fossato del Castello, on Via Ferdinando Cafiero, in front of the Castello Svevo on the edge of the old town. The marathon and half marathon leave together at 09:00. A separate non-competitive 9.9 km event follows five minutes later.
The organiser has not published a route or map for 2027. The line on this page is the route of an earlier edition. It runs out along the seafront promenade to the village of Fiumara, back through the old town at about half distance, east along the Litoranea di Levante into the industrial zone, and west again towards Fiumara before the finish at the castle.
The ground is at or close to sea level throughout. On the chart the old town reads about 20 m above the coast, and the seafront and Fiumara roads sit within a few metres of sea level. The organiser gives no total ascent. The finish returns to the moat, where the medal, refreshments and the sports facility with changing rooms and showers are located.
Kilometre by kilometre
Km 0 to 4: through the old town. The route leaves the start area on Viale Ferdinando Cafiero, turns into Via Cavour at 1 km and follows Corso Vittorio Emanuele Secondo at about 2 km, the main street of the old town and the highest ground of the day at 22 to 24 m. By 3 km the course is on Via Mura San Cataldo and dropping to the seafront. It is the only part of the race with buildings on both sides.
Km 4 to 12: the western seafront. From about 4 km the course follows the Lungomare Pietro Paolo Mennea and then Via Salinelle towards the village of Fiumara, turning at about 12 km, about 6.7 km in a straight line from the start. It is flat, open and exposed to the Adriatic, and this is the longest straight run in one direction. Wind off the sea is a headwind for half of it, so do not treat a flat profile as permission to run the opening kilometres fast.
Km 12 to 21: back to the castle. The return retraces the same roads: Via Salinelle to about 17 km, the Lungomare from 18 km, and Via Mura San Cataldo at 20 km. At 21 km the course is on Viale Regina Elena, about 400 m from the castle, and half marathon runners finish there. The marathon field thins sharply at this point.
Km 21 to 30: the eastern leg. The marathon continues east along Viale Regina Elena and the Litoranea di Levante, then into the industrial and commercial zone on Via dell'Economia, Via dell'Euro and Via dell'Unione Europea at 23 to 25 km. The turn comes at about 26.5 km on Via Altiero Spinelli. The return uses Strada Vicinale Misericordia at 27 and 28 km and rejoins the Litoranea at 29 km. This is the least scenic stretch.
Km 30 to 42.2: west again, then the moat. From 30 km the course follows Viale Regina Elena and the seafront westwards for a second visit to Via Salinelle at 34 to 36 km, turning at about 36 km well short of Fiumara, then heads back along the Lungomare from 39 km. The last kilometres re-enter the old town to the finish at the castle. You pass runners going the other way on each of the three out-and-back legs, and you know where every turn is.
Follow the shortest legal line through bends, because 42.195 km is only what a course measures when it is run as measured. Chip timing points and intermediate splits are not documented.
Out through the old town and along the Lungomare to a turn near Fiumara. Flat and exposed, so keep the effort easy.
The same roads in reverse to Viale Regina Elena, where the half marathon finishes and the field thins.
Along the Litoranea di Levante into the industrial zone and back. Settle into pace and use the aid stations.
A second run towards Fiumara, a turn at about 36 km and the return to a finish at the Castello Svevo.
Course Map
The line is the route of an earlier edition, until the organiser publishes the 2027 map. Tap a marker for the start, the race pack collection point and the railway station, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
Mid-February on the Puglia coast is cool and often breezy, and the sea wind can make it feel colder than the thermometer says. A typical range is 8 to 14°C by day, and the 09:00 start is the coolest part of the race. Long sleeves or arm sleeves over a vest suit most runners, and shorts are common.
The start is on an open moat at the castle, where you stand for some time before the gun. A throwaway layer or a bin bag is sensible. The organiser has not said how discarded clothing is handled, so treat anything you drop as lost.
Much of the course runs along the coast, so wind is the variable that matters most. Gloves and a light hat cost little and can be removed. Rain in February is possible and the roads by the sea can be slick. A sunny finish window after midday can be warmer than the start. Bring your own gels, since the organiser lists only water, salt supplements and solid food at the stations.
Entry
Entry is open and runs through ICRON, the timing company, with no ballot. The marathon costs €40 until 31 October, €50 until 20 January and €60 until 10 February, when entries close at 23:59. At €1 to £0.858 those are about £34, £43 and £51 before card fees. Members of Club Super Marathon Italia receive €10 off the marathon fee. The half marathon and the 9.9 km event have their own lower fees.
The time limit is seven hours. There is no guaranteed-time qualification route, and no charity or tour-operator allocation has been confirmed.
Entering from outside Italy. Italian road races require a membership card and a medical certificate for competitive entry. The rules say that runners with FIDAL, EPS or RunCard membership may compete, that Italian citizens registered abroad need authorisation from their club or federation, and that foreign residents who are not registered may run in a separate non-competitive category. Those runners sign a waiver at race pack collection, start at the back, appear in a separate alphabetical results list and are not eligible for prizes.
The rules for 2027 do not clearly set out the foreign athletics-club route or the medical certificate deadline, and they contain wording carried over from earlier years, including birth-year examples that do not fit a February race. Write to the organiser before paying to confirm which category applies to your membership and which certificate it will accept. Payment evidence must be submitted for bank or card transactions, so confirm the process with ICRON. Refund and transfer terms are not clear in the current text.
Fast runner standards
There is no guaranteed-entry or qualifying standard.
Corrèreinpuglia: Barletta Marathon event listing →Race Weekend
Race pack collection
There is no large expo. Race packs are collected from the offices of ASD Barletta Sportiva at Via Milano 67, on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 February, from 10:00 to 12:00 and 16:00 to 20:00. On race morning a collection desk also opens at the castle start and finish, from 07:00 to 08:45. This is a club-office collection, so expect a short queue and little else.
Bring photo identification and your confirmation. Proxy collection, kit contents and bag restrictions are not documented and should be confirmed with the organiser. Foreign runners entering the non-competitive category sign the waiver at collection, so check that race-morning collection is allowed before skipping the Friday or Saturday desk. The organiser does not describe merchandise or a pasta party.
Getting to the start
Be at the Fossato del Castello, on Via Ferdinando Cafiero, before the 09:00 gun. The marathon and half marathon start there together and the non-competitive 9.9 km follows at 09:05. Start and finish coincide, so a hotel within walking distance of the castle removes every transport question.
At the start. The organiser provides toilets, a designated bag deposit near the start and finish areas, and changing rooms and showers at the sports facility. Bags are left at the runner's own risk, so keep valuables out of them.
Getting there. Barletta station is the arrival point by rail, about 700 m south-west of the castle. The organiser has not published a wave plan, a transport ticket, or first-train times for race morning. Check Sunday timetables and any strike notices with Trenitalia before booking a hotel outside the city. Road closures around the castle on race morning are not yet documented.
Finish. The medal and a printable ICRON diploma are specified, and the finish carries a substantial refreshment. There is no published rule on headphones. Medical support is described in general terms, and a race doctor may require a runner to withdraw.
Nutrition on course
The rules promise one refreshment point at the start and finish plus eight along the route. Stations carry water, electrolyte drinks and solid food. Tables 1 and 2 at aid points are reserved for personal refreshments, so a runner who leaves a bottle or gel there can collect it.
The kilometre positions of the eight stations, the brand of the electrolyte drink, whether gels are offered, the cup type and the deadline for handing in personal refreshments are not published. Runners who depend on a specific gel or drink should carry it. The three out-and-back legs mean some stations are probably passed twice, though that cannot be confirmed without the official map.
Spectating
The castle moat is the only spectator location confirmed for 2027. It is the start and the finish, and it is walkable from the old town. A supporter can watch the 09:00 start, have a coffee and return for a finish that, for a runner aiming at four hours, comes around 13:00.
On the earlier-edition route the course passes within about 400 m of the castle at about 21 km and runs through the old town in the first 3 km, so a supporter near the castle could see the runner more than once. Those are not confirmed viewing spots until the 2027 map is out. Barletta is compact, and a supporter without a car is best served staying near the castle and treating the start and finish as the only planned sightings. Live tracking beyond ICRON timing is not documented. Do not direct spectators onto closed roads.
- Watch the 09:00 start at the moat
- Coffee in the old town, about 300 m away
- Return to the moat for the finish
Post-race food
The organiser's finish refreshment is described as substantial, and it is the first food after the line. For a sit-down meal, the old town streets around the castle and the Duomo are the sensible search area. Osteria al Duomo, on Via del Duomo about 300 m from the castle, appears in local restaurant listings.
A finisher who has run for four or more hours should plan for early afternoon, since Sunday lunch service in Italy often ends by mid-afternoon and many kitchens close between services. Sunday hours for mid-February are not confirmed for any venue and should be checked directly. Barletta sits on a stretch of coast known for seafood, so ask what came off the boats that morning.
Where to Stay
Stay near the finish. The start and finish are the same point, the castle moat, so the choice is easy: the closer you are to the Castello Svevo on race morning, the fewer decisions you make.
Old town and castle area
Barletta's historic centre sits around the castle, the Duomo and the Cantina della Sfida. It is a few minutes' walk from the start and finish and puts restaurants on the doorstep. Hotels are small, so book early. Saturday night noise is possible.
Station area
Barletta station is the arrival point by rail, about 700 m from the castle. It suits runners who want easier road access, but the walk to the castle should be checked against the specific hotel address.
Seafront
A room near the waterfront may be pleasant, but road restrictions on race morning can make taxis unreliable, and February is not beach season, so some places keep limited hours.
Trani and Bari
Trani is about eight minutes from Barletta by regional train and Bari is a larger hotel market. Both add a dependence on a Sunday morning train and suit runners who have confirmed the timetable. Bari offers more restaurant choice for a longer stay.
Distances and hotel prices should be checked from actual addresses, and Sunday train times, strike days and road closures confirmed close to the date.
Booking timeline
Entry is open and the lowest fee band runs until the end of October, so enter early if your paperwork is clear. There is no ballot, so hotel booking does not depend on a results date. Barletta has a modest hotel stock and the race is a February event, well outside the summer season, so a refundable room booked now costs little and can be dropped if plans change.
Book a room within walking distance of the castle if possible, and check refund terms before paying. If you plan to fly, Bari is the practical airport, about 50 to 70 minutes by regional train from Barletta. The organiser's homepage lags behind the new sponsor, so rely on the 2027 event listing and rules for current dates. Race-weekend price premiums and sell-out history are not documented.
See & Do
Everything below is within a short walk of the castle.
Castello Svevo
The castle is the race start and finish. Built around 1225 and remodelled in the 16th century under Charles V, it has a quadrangular plan with four pentagonal bastions. The first floor holds the civic museum and picture gallery. Check winter hours before planning a visit.
Duomo di Santa Maria Maggiore
A Romanesque cathedral of the 12th century with a Gothic rear section of the 14th, on a Crusader pilgrimage route. A short, flat walk from the castle.
Cantina della Sfida
A small museum in the former Antica Taverna del Sole, tied to the 1503 Challenge of Barletta, when thirteen Italian knights fought thirteen French knights.
Basilica del Santo Sepolcro and the Colosso
A Romanesque-Apulian church begun around 1100, holding reliquaries associated with Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre. Beside it on Corso Vittorio Emanuele stands the Colosso, a bronze of about 4.5 m thought to be a late Roman emperor, free to see.
After the Race
February is cool and quiet on the Puglia coast. A Monday train takes you to Trani, Castel del Monte, Bari or Matera.
A harbour town with a cathedral standing on the sea's edge, a Swabian castle and a flat promenade that suits tired legs.
Frederick II's octagonal hilltop castle, a UNESCO site, open through winter. Plan the bus or taxi before leaving, and expect steps inside.
Puglia's capital has a walkable old town, a basilica and a flat seafront. It is also the practical airport for flying home.
A city of cave dwellings and stone steps in Basilicata. Choose it only if your legs are recovering well, since the Sassi are steep.