The Race
| Next Race Date | Sunday 28 February 2027 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Loop (start and finish at the castle), new for 2027 |
| Registration | Open entry |
| Ballot opens | Not applicable |
| Start | Corso Martiri della Libertà, in front of the Castello Estense, 09:00 |
| Finish | Corso Martiri della Libertà, in front of the Castello Estense |
| Total finishers | Not published |
| Avg race-day temp | 1 to 9°C (late February) |
| Cutoff time | 6 hours 30 minutes |
| Free race-day transport | Not confirmed |
| Course certification | Pending FIDAL homologation. No World Athletics Label |
History
The Ferrara Marathon returns in 2027 after a period without the race. The municipality counts the return as the 41st edition and dates the marathon's tradition to 1979. The city has delegated the organisation to Ravenna InSport, with technical management by Ravenna Runners Club and the collaboration of the municipality.
The revival is tied to Ferrara's year as European City of Sport, according to press reports of the announcement, and it comes with a new course. Earlier editions used a route that included a long out-and-back to the Po. The 2027 plan is built around the city centre.
The race has three parts: the marathon, a half marathon and a 10 km city run. The start and finish are in Corso Martiri della Libertà, in front of the Castello Estense, the moated castle of the Este family. Because the race is being relaunched, this page carries no record times, no past winners and no crowd or aid reports.
The course
The Ferrara Marathon starts at 09:00 in Corso Martiri della Libertà, in front of the Castello Estense, and finishes at the same place. The 42.195 km course is new for 2027 and is awaiting FIDAL homologation, so the route may change after measurement.
According to the municipality's route statement, the course leaves the castle to the north by Via Borgo dei Leoni and turns onto Corso Porta Mare, passing the Palazzo dei Diamanti before the first kilometre. It continues by Corso Rossetti and Corso Porta Po to Porta degli Angeli and the Renaissance walls, passes the Parco Giorgio Bassani at about 7.5 km, Piazzale delle Medaglie d'Oro at 15.9 km and the Porta d'Amore underpass at 17 km, runs through the districts of Malborghetto and Porotto, and returns by Piazza Ariostea at about 40 km to the castle.
The organiser's provisional route matches those landmarks to within a few hundred metres. The time limit is 6h30.
Kilometre by kilometre
The route is provisional. The kilometre positions below come from the organiser's provisional route checked against the municipality's landmark kilometres, and they may change after FIDAL measures the course.
The start. The gun goes at 09:00 in Corso Martiri della Libertà, in front of the Castello Estense. The start is a few steps from the city centre, so there is no long walk to the line. The half marathon and 10 km share the same start and finish hub, and wave and timing arrangements have not been published.
Km 0 to 5: north through the centre. The course goes north by Piazza Savonarola and Corso Biagio Rossetti, passing the Palazzo dei Diamanti at 0.7 km, and follows Viale Belvedere at 2 km to Viale Orlando Furioso and the Renaissance walls at Porta degli Angeli at about 3 km. It runs along the Rampari di Belfiore at 4 km. These are city streets with paved and cobbled surfaces, likely to be busy with the shared start.
Km 5 to 17: the walls and the north. From Via Gramicia at 5 km the course loops through Malborghetto and the Parco Giorgio Bassani area at 6 to 9 km, including a stretch of cycle path, then out to Via della Conchetta at 10 to 12 km and back south on Via dei Calzolai and Via Janus Pannonius at 13 and 14 km to Corso Porta Mare at 15 km. Piazzale delle Medaglie d'Oro comes at 15.9 km, on the ramparts at San Rocco, and the Porta d'Amore underpass at 17 km, in Quacchio. The organiser has not said what the surface is on the wall sections.
Km 17 to 30: west to Porotto. The course turns west through the south of the centre at 18 to 20 km and follows Via Stefano Trenti and Via Arginone through Cassana at 21 to 24 km to a turn near Porotto at about 25 km, 5.6 km in a straight line from the start. It returns on the same Via Arginone at 26 to 28 km and crosses the Ponte Rita Levi Montalcini at 29 km.
Km 30 to 40: Doro and Pontelagoscuro. From Via del Lavoro at 30 km the course runs north through Doro at 31 and 32 km and through Pontelagoscuro, the district beside the Po, at 33 to 35 km, then turns back south through Doro on Via della Canapa at 36 km and on the cycle path through Malborghetto at 37 to 39 km. Crowd density on this section cannot be judged because the route has not been run.
Km 40 to 42.2: Piazza Ariostea and the castle. The course passes Via Gramicia at 40 km and Piazza Ariostea at about 41 km, then returns along Corso della Giovecca to the castle for the finish.
Treat any fast description as a design aim until FIDAL approves the measurement and finishers report back.
Castello Estense, the Palazzo dei Diamanti and the shared start, then the Renaissance walls at Porta degli Angeli.
Malborghetto, the Parco Bassani area, Piazzale delle Medaglie d'Oro at 15.9 km and the Porta d'Amore underpass at 17 km.
West to Porotto, then north through Doro and Pontelagoscuro. Unproven ground.
The finish where you started.
Course Map
The line is the organiser's provisional 2027 route, awaiting FIDAL homologation. Tap a marker for the start and finish and the landmarks named by the municipality, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
Late February in Ferrara is cold. Expect roughly 1 to 9°C, with fog and damp common in the Po plain and a possible frost at the 09:00 start. Rain and wind are both possible.
Tights or shorts with a long-sleeve top, gloves and a hat suit most runners. A throwaway layer is sensible for the wait outside the castle. Wear shoes with grip, since some of the route runs on old paving and the walls. The organiser includes a bag deposit. The location and closing time have not been published, so check the runner information before race day.
Entry
Entry is open on the Avaibook platform, and there is no ballot. The individual marathon fees are €40 until 30 April 2026, €52 from 1 May to 31 August, €58 from 1 September to 15 December, €68 from 16 December to 20 February and €78 at the Marathon Village on 26 and 27 February, subject to places. The current band is €58. At €1 to £0.858 that is about £34, £45, £50, £58 and £67. Group rates for ten or more runners are posted separately, at €48 to €62 depending on the registration window.
The entry includes a personalised bib, a disposable chip, a t-shirt, a finisher medal, a race packet, insurance, pacers, timing, a participation diploma, museum access, a bag deposit, refreshments, medical assistance and portable toilets. Refund and deferral terms are not published beyond the provisional participation document. The minimum age is 20. There is no ballot, guaranteed-entry standard or charity allocation.
Entering from outside Italy. A foreign runner can enter the competitive race with membership of a World Athletics-affiliated federation, or with a RunCard plus an athletics-specific medical certificate. A certificate issued abroad must include the tests listed in the rules and be uploaded to Avaibook by the tenth day before the race. A foreign resident without membership can choose the non-competitive entry with a waiver, which is timed in a separate alphabetical list and carries no prizes. The waiver route avoids the medical document but changes the result status.
Fast runner standards
There is no guaranteed-entry or qualifying standard.
Ferrara Marathon: official site →Race Weekend
Marathon Village
The organiser's fee table refers to a Marathon Village on 26 and 27 February, where late entries cost €78. The venue, hours, bib collection arrangements, ID rules and proxy policy have not been published. There is no evidence of same-day bib pickup on Sunday, so plan to collect on Friday or Saturday.
Getting to the start
The start and finish are the same place, in Corso Martiri della Libertà in front of the Castello Estense. A central hotel makes race morning a walk. The gun is at 09:00.
The organiser lists a bag deposit and portable toilets. It does not give the deposit's location or closing time, the corral system or the road closures. At the finish there is a medal and refreshments, and museum access is included with the entry. Sunday bus, rail and strike information for 28 February has not been published, so do not plan to arrive by public transport on race morning.
Nutrition on course
The organiser says refreshments are provided along the route as per federation protocol, and that the finish has refreshments and medical assistance. It does not publish station positions, drink brands or food. Carry the fuel you have trained with until the organiser publishes the aid plan.
Spectating
The castle is both the start and the finish, so a supporter in the centre sees both. The municipality's route statement lets a supporter plan a few points near the centre: the Palazzo dei Diamanti in the first kilometre, Piazza Ariostea at about 40 km, the Parco Bassani at about 7.5 km and the walls around 15.9 to 17 km.
Do not plan timed public-transport intercepts until the final closure plan is published. The city is compact and flat, and many supporters will walk or cycle, but street closures may block bicycles as well as cars.
- Watch the 09:00 start in front of the castle
- Walk to the Palazzo dei Diamanti, about 0.6 km, for the first kilometre
- Return to Piazza Ariostea and the castle for the finish
Post-race food
The finish has refreshments. For a sit-down meal, Ferrara has its own cooking: cappellacci di zucca, pasta stuffed with pumpkin, salama da sugo, a cured pork sausage cooked slowly and served with mashed potato, and coppia ferrarese, a twisted crusty bread. Book a table for early afternoon and check that the kitchen is open on a Sunday.
Where to Stay
Stay in the centre. The start and finish are both at the castle and the centre is compact.
Castle and historic centre
The easiest race-day walk. Hotels facing the castle and on Viale Cavour are within a few minutes of the line. Prices may be higher and streets can be noisy on Saturday night.
Station area
Good value and easy for rail arrivals, about 1.4 km from the castle, with a longer morning walk. Check the route to Corso Martiri della Libertà.
Darsena and the walls
A quieter compromise. Check the walking route.
Outer north and south
Hotels outside the walls need transport that may be affected by road closures.
Pontelagoscuro, beside the Po, is on the course at 33 to 35 km and is not a convenient base.
Recommended hotels
A historic palazzo facing the castle, which puts it next to the start and finish. Check the organiser's offer and availability.
A central hotel on Viale Cavour with a wellness centre.
An art-focused family hotel near the castle.
A hotel on Viale Cavour, a few minutes' walk from the line.
Booking timeline
The date and the entry are announced, so a refundable room in the centre can be booked now. The entry price rises on 16 December and again for the Marathon Village, so entering before then saves €10 or €20.
Check later for FIDAL homologation, the final expo instructions and the road closure plan. No sell-out timeline has been published.
See & Do
Ferrara is compact and flat, and every stop below is within a short walk or cycle of the castle.
Castello Estense
The moated castle of the Este family is the start and finish. Check the opening days and ticket price.
Palazzo dei Diamanti
A Renaissance palace with a façade of diamond-shaped stone blocks, passed within the first kilometre of the course. It holds exhibitions and the national picture gallery. Check current shows and days.
Piazza Ariostea
A large open square that the course passes at about 41 km. Level and paved.
Palazzo Schifanoia
A palace of the Este court, known for its frescoed hall of the months. Check the opening days.
The Renaissance walls
A ring of walls, part of the course, with a path along the top that is flat and pleasant for a slow walk.
After the Race
Late February is cold and quiet. Recovery days can stay in Ferrara, by bicycle or on foot, or take a train to Bologna or Ravenna.
A flat recovery day in a city built for bicycles, with a moated castle, a palace of diamond-cut stone and a walk on the ramparts.
A small canal town in the Po delta lagoon, with a triple bridge and a fish-eating tradition. Winter transport is thin, so check first.
A university city with arcaded streets that keep the rain off and the best food in the region.
Early Christian mosaics in a compact, flat town near the coast.