The Race
| Next Race Date | Sunday 13 December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Multi-lap loop (four laps of about 10.5 km) |
| Registration | Open entry |
| Ballot opens | Not applicable |
| Start | Viale Kennedy at Lido Verde, La Plaia, 09:00 |
| Finish | Viale Kennedy at Lido Verde, La Plaia |
| Total finishers | Not published |
| Avg race-day temp | 11 to 17°C (December) |
| Cutoff time | 6 hours, with a gate at 31.65 km in 4h30 |
| Free race-day transport | Not confirmed |
| Course certification | FIDAL homologated, Type A. No World Athletics Label |
History
The Catania Marathon is organised by ASD Atletica Sicilia and carries the Naturosa name as title sponsor. It is a FIDAL national road race, held in December on the seafront at La Plaia, the long sandy beach south of the city centre. It runs alongside a half marathon over two laps and a 10.5 km race over one lap, so the whole weekend uses the same circuit at different multiples.
The event has run under several sponsor names and formats. An earlier edition, described in local press, sent all three races through the historic centre on the first lap, past the Piazza Duomo, the Via Etnea and the Castello Ursino, before returning to the seafront. The current course stays on the coast and repeats a circuit of roughly 10.5 km four times, so older race reports may describe a different course.
The organiser and FIDAL disagree on the edition number, so none is printed here. No verified course record was found.
The course
The Catania Marathon starts at 09:00 on Viale Kennedy at Lido Verde, on the La Plaia seafront south of central Catania, and finishes in the same area. The 42.195 km course is four laps of about 10.5 km, homologated by FIDAL as a Type A course. The organiser describes it as flat, with Etna as a backdrop.
Each lap runs south along Viale Presidente Kennedy for about 3.5 km, turns west for a spur of about 1.5 km, and returns east and north to the start area. The SRTM profile reads 5 to 9 m above sea level throughout. The half marathon covers two laps and the 10.5 km covers one, so runners in the shorter races share the road with the marathon field.
Some roads are not fully closed but are marshalled. There is a 4h30 gate at 31.65 km in addition to the six-hour limit.
Kilometre by kilometre
The circuit. Every lap is about 10.5 km and the route shows four laps of near-identical shape. That makes the race easy to break down and easy to grind. The route passes the start area at about 9.6, 20.1 and 30.7 km, so you see the clock and the crowd on every lap.
Km 0 to 3.5 of each lap: south along the seafront. The lap leaves the start and heads south on Viale Presidente Kennedy in an almost straight line. The road is flat and open, and any wind off the sea is felt here because nothing shelters it. The route reads 6 to 7 m and never rises more than a few metres.
Km 3.5 to 6.5: the western spur. At the southern end the course turns west for about 1.4 km, reaching its far end at about 4.8 km of the first lap, 3.8 km in a straight line from the start, then swings back east and returns to the seafront road. It is the only change of direction on the lap and gives a short stretch where you see runners coming the other way.
Km 6.5 to 10.5: north to the line. The course turns back north along Viale Kennedy and runs straight to the start area, passing it and continuing a few hundred metres before the turn back south. On the first lap the field is thick here. By the third lap it has thinned, and this is the stretch where the four-lap format is most demanding on morale.
The 4h30 gate. The rules place a checkpoint at 31.65 km. A runner who reaches it after 4h30 is stopped even if the six-hour limit has not passed. The gate needs a pace of about 8:31 per kilometre, so it is a real constraint for a runner planning a five-hour finish and a non-issue for anyone running under four and a half hours. The route passes the start area at 30.7 km, so the gate is close to it, but its exact position is not published.
Half and 10.5 km runners. The shorter races share the circuit, so the road is busier in the first hour than the marathon numbers alone suggest. After the half marathon field finishes, the course opens up.
The organiser has not published a kilometre-by-kilometre map, so the positions of aid stations and the exact turn are not confirmed.
Half and 10.5 km runners share the road. Hold back and let the field sort itself out.
The half marathon field peels off at the finish. Count the spur and the turn.
Be through 31.65 km inside 4h30, about 8:31 per kilometre.
The same road for the last time, mostly empty of company. Count down the spur.
Course Map
The four laps overlay each other, so the line is drawn once. Tap a marker for the start, bib collection, the railway station and the airport, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
December in Catania is mild by northern European standards but not warm. Expect roughly 11 to 17°C at the 09:00 start, with sun possible and the sea wind noticeable on the open seafront. Rain is possible in December, and the road is exposed.
Arm sleeves over a vest, or a light long sleeve, suit most runners. Gloves are worth having in the start pen. A cap keeps sun and light rain off the face. A throwaway top for the wait at the start is sensible, but the organiser does not say what happens to discarded clothing.
The four-lap format helps: you pass the start area every 10.5 km, so a runner who is unsure about the weather can leave a spare layer or bottle with a supporter and pick it up on a later lap. Check the rules about this with the organiser before relying on it.
Entry
Entry is online only, through ENDU, and there is no ballot. The marathon fee is €30 until 31 August, €40 from 1 September to 13 November and €50 from 14 November to 4 December 2026, or until the field is full. At €1 to £0.858 that is about £26, £34 and £43, before any platform fees. There is no race-day entry.
A change to another race costs €10 and the difference is not refunded. There is no ballot, no guaranteed-entry standard and no charity allocation described.
Entering from outside Italy. FIDAL members can enter directly. Runners with an Italian RunCard or another approved body need a valid competitive medical certificate that specifically covers athletics. A foreign runner without Italian membership can enter with a club affiliated to a World Athletics-recognised federation, self-certifying membership and signing the original at bib collection. The other route is a RunCard plus an athletics medical certificate, including a foreign certificate that contains the examinations named in the rules.
The marathon regulations do not describe a waiver-only sport-tourism route, so do not assume one exists. The certificate must be an original for inspection at collection, and a copy goes to the organiser. Ask the organiser to confirm any foreign document before you travel.
Fast runner standards
There is no guaranteed-entry or qualifying standard.
Maratona di Catania: official site →Race Weekend
Bib collection
Bib collection is on Saturday 12 December from 10:00 to 19:00 at SPORT ON, Via Cesare Vivante 39/41, in Catania, about 4 km from the start. The rules mention AMTS bus lines 431N and 940 as ways to reach the collection point.
Sunday collection is available from 07:30 at Viale Kennedy, Lido Verde, but only for fully regular entrants who do not live in Catania. It is not a general option, so do not plan around it unless you qualify. Bring your ENDU confirmation and identification, plus the original medical certificate or membership document that your entry required. Proxy collection rules are not stated.
Getting to the start
The start is at 09:00 on Viale Kennedy at Lido Verde, in La Plaia, about 4 km from the historic centre. Check the AMTS timetable, any Sunday changes and road closures before relying on a bus from a central hotel. A prebooked taxi is an alternative, and a hotel on the seafront removes the problem.
Arrive before 09:00 with your chip and bib. The timing chip is required and tampering with the bib affects awards. Roads are partly closed and partly marshalled, so follow marshals' instructions on the course.
There is a finisher's medal and refreshments at the end. Bag drop, toilets, showers and free transit are not described in the rules, so plan without them: wear what you will run in and leave anything else at the hotel.
Nutrition on course
ENDU lists refreshment points, but the source does not say how many there are, where they sit or what they serve. A loop of 10.5 km passed four times may mean the same stations recur on each lap, but that is an inference from the format.
Carry the gels and electrolyte you have trained with. Because the course returns to the start area every 10.5 km, a supporter or a bag at the start could serve as a personal fuel point, but check with the organiser whether this is allowed.
Spectating
The four-lap format is the best thing about this race for a supporter. The start and finish are in the same place and runners pass it about every 10.5 km, so a spectator at Lido Verde sees the marathon field four times without moving. On the route, runners pass the start area at about 9.6, 20.1 and 30.7 km before the finish.
The organiser has not published a spectator map. Do not send supporters into partly open traffic without published crossing instructions, and stay at the start area. A Sunday bus from central Catania to La Plaia is the likely route, but its timetable is not confirmed.
- Watch the 09:00 start on Viale Kennedy
- See the field pass at about 10, 21 and 31 km
- Stay for the finish in the same place
Post-race food
The organiser confirms refreshments at the finish. Dining near Lido Verde on a December Sunday is not documented, and many beach venues in La Plaia close for the winter. The safer plan is a meal back in the centre, where Sicilian classics such as pasta alla Norma and arancini are on most menus.
Book a lunch table for mid-afternoon. Kitchens often close between services. Specific venues and hours are not confirmed.
Where to Stay
Catania has two sensible bases for this race and they pull in opposite directions. The start and finish are at Lido Verde on the seafront, about 4.5 km south of the cathedral square.
La Plaia and the seafront
Viale Kennedy runs along the coast and the start and finish are here. A hotel on the seafront removes the race-morning transfer. The catch is that the area is a beach district, some businesses close in winter, and it is a longer trip to the historic centre. Confirm that any seafront hotel is open in December.
Historic centre
The Piazza Duomo, the Via Etnea and the fish market are here, along with most restaurants. It is the better base for sightseeing but requires a taxi or bus to La Plaia on race morning. Confirm the AMTS Sunday service.
Near the airport
Useful for an early flight, but the road access to the start must be checked. Fontanarossa is about 1.4 km from the course.
Choose the seafront if the race is the point of the trip and the centre if the city is.
Booking timeline
Entry is open now. The current price band is €40, and it rises to €50 on 14 November, so entering before then saves €10. Registration closes on 4 December or earlier if the field fills.
Book a refundable hotel after you have decided where to stay relative to Lido Verde. December is off-season for the beach district and demand for the centre is modest, so there is no evidence of a sell-out, but no source states it. Sort medical paperwork before paying. Check the AMTS timetable and any strike notices in race week.
See & Do
The sights are in the historic centre, about 4 to 5 km north of the start and finish.
Piazza Duomo and the Elephant Fountain
The central square of Catania, with the cathedral and the lava-stone elephant fountain that is the city's symbol. It is free and flat.
Via Etnea
The long straight street that runs north from the cathedral square towards Etna. A level walk with cafes and shops, suited to a recovery Monday.
Pescheria (fish market)
A morning market behind the cathedral square. It will not be running on a Sunday afternoon, so plan it for the Monday.
Castello Ursino
A thirteenth-century castle on the edge of the old town, now a museum. Check the opening days and the ticket price.
Roman Theatre and Odeon
Roman remains in the centre of Catania, built with dark lava stone. Check the opening days and price.
After the Race
December is mild in eastern Sicily. Recovery days can stay in Catania or take the train to Taormina or Siracusa.
A flat recovery day around the cathedral square, the Via Etnea and the lava-stone Roman theatre. The market is at its best on a Monday morning.
A hilltop town above the sea with a Greek theatre that looks across to Etna. The train is flat, the town is not, so choose your walking carefully.
A small island city with a cathedral built inside a Greek temple and a flat waterfront walk. Two days after a marathon, Ortigia is easy on the legs.
The archaeological park at Siracusa and the baroque town of Noto, on the same rail corridor. Noto's main street has a steady slope, so leave it to the second day.