The Race
| Next Race Date | Sunday 29 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Loop (start and finish by the Duomo) |
| Registration | Open entry |
| Ballot opens | Not applicable |
| Start | Piazza del Duomo, 08:30 |
| Finish | Piazza San Giovanni, beside the Duomo |
| Total finishers | 10,195 |
| Avg race-day temp | 5 to 13°C (late November) |
| Cutoff time | 6 hours, with 3 hours at the half and 4h15 at km 30 |
| Free race-day transport | Not confirmed |
| Course certification | FIDAL national Gold, Type A. No World Athletics Label |
History
The Estra Firenze Marathon is organised by Maratona di Firenze SSDRL, and the 2026 race is the 42nd edition by the organiser's count. The 2025 race, held on 30 November, set a record: 10,195 runners finished the marathon, beating the previous best of 9,220 in 2013, and 1,801 finished the 10K. Runners came from 104 nations.
The 2025 men's winner was Badr Jaafari of Atletica Casone Noceto in 2:09:58, which the organiser describes as the second-best Italian marathon time of 2025. The 10,000th finisher took 5:24:36 for his first marathon.
The 2025 edition reportedly sold out before race week. The 2026 rules cap the field at 13,000 and reserve the right to close entry early.
FIDAL, the Italian athletics federation, classes the race as a national Gold event. That is a domestic label and not a World Athletics Gold Label, and the two are easy to confuse. The course has been revised from year to year, although the Duomo start and finish and the crossings of the Arno recur.
The course
The Estra Firenze Marathon starts at 08:30 in Piazza del Duomo and finishes at Piazza San Giovanni, a few steps away. The 42.195 km course is homologated by FIDAL as Type A.
The route runs east and north through the centre for the first 5 km, then west to the Parco delle Cascine on the right bank of the Arno, where it spends km 5 to 16 and reaches its western end at km 9. It crosses to the south bank around km 17, passes Piazza dei Pitti at km 19 and Ponte Vecchio at about km 19, and reaches the halfway point at Ponte San Niccolò at km 21. East of the centre it passes Santa Croce at km 22, turns at Via Aretina around km 26 and runs through the Campo di Marte stadium area between km 30 and 35. The Duomo comes round again at km 37 to 38, and the course finishes after the Uffizi side and the Lungarno.
The SRTM profile stays between 43 and 65 m above sea level. The longest sustained change is a gentle 19 m rise over 12 km between km 7 and km 19.
Kilometre by kilometre
Kilometre positions below are approximate, and follow the organiser's own stated markers where they exist. The 2026 traffic map has not been published.
Km 0 to 5: the centre. The gun goes at 08:30 in Piazza del Duomo. The field is capped at 13,000 and corrals are set by a marathon personal best from the last two years, so a runner with none starts near the back. The route runs east along Via della Colonna at 1 km to Piazzale Donatello at 2 km, turns north to Viale Lavagnini at 3 km and swings west to Piazza Beslan at 4 km, next to the Fortezza da Basso. It is a narrow urban start, and the first 5 km are the most crowded of the race.
Km 5 to 16: the Cascine. The route reaches Via delle Cascine at 7 km and Viale dell'Aeronautica at 8 and 9 km, where the route reaches its western end, 4.9 km in a straight line from the start. It turns back on Viale George Washington at 10 and 11 km and Viale Abramo Lincoln at 12 km, then makes a second westward pass by Viale dell'Indiano and Viale del Pegaso at 13 and 14 km before heading east on Viale degli Olmi and Viale del Visarno at 15 and 16 km. The park takes a third of the race. It is wide, flat and open, with little cover from wind. The profile falls from 59 m at the start to a low of 43 m at 7 km.
Km 16 to 21: across the river. The course crosses the Arno to the south bank at Ponte alla Vittoria between 16 and 17 km, then runs along Lungarno Soderini at 18 km and Piazza dei Pitti at 19 km. Ponte Vecchio comes at about 19 km on the route, which fits the organiser's placing before km 20. The halfway point is at Ponte San Niccolò at 21 km. The bridges carry the heaviest crowds on the course and the paving around Ponte Vecchio is rough.
Km 21 to 30: east along the Arno. After Ponte San Niccolò the route doubles back past Santa Croce, on Corso dei Tintori at 22 km and Via Ghibellina at 23 km, then heads east along Lungarno del Tempio and Lungarno Aldo Moro at 24 and 25 km to the turn on Via Aretina at 26 km, its easternmost point. It returns west on Via Vincenzo Chiarugi at 27 km and runs north through Via Mannelli and Via del Pratellino at 28 and 29 km. This is the quietest stretch of the race and it arrives as fatigue builds. The 4h15 gate is at 30 km.
Km 30 to 37: the stadium and the Affrico. Around the Campo di Marte, the route follows Viale Malta at 30 km, Viale Pierluigi Nervi at 31 km and Viale Manfredo Fanti at 32 and 33 km. The organiser says runners enter the Ridolfi stadium and run on its track; the route passes the stadium at about 32 km. The organiser puts the Affrico overpass near 35 km, and the route is on Via Edmondo De Amicis and Via Piagentina at 34 and 35 km. The overpass is short, but it comes after 34 km. The course then runs back through Via Santa Verdiana at 36 km towards the centre.
Km 37 to 42.2: the Duomo and the Uffizi. The Duomo is passed at 37 and 38 km, with the finish still to come. The course runs south to Via Lambertesca at 39 km beside the Uffizi, west along Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci at 40 km, then back through Via della Vigna Nuova at 41 km and Via dei Calzaiuoli at 42 km to the finish at Piazza San Giovanni. Expect bends, bridge approaches and uneven old paving. The last 5 km are not a straight, smooth road.
Splits are recorded at 5, 10, 15, half, 25, 30, 35 and 40 km, with surprise checks. Runners slower than 8:30 per kilometre must obey the road code. The organiser gives no total ascent.
Central streets east and north of the Duomo, then Viale Lavagnini and the Fortezza da Basso. Hold back in the crowd.
A flat, open park with two westward passes and little shelter from wind. Western end at km 9.
Pitti, Ponte Vecchio, halfway at San Niccolò, Santa Croce and the east turn at km 26. The 4h15 gate is at km 30.
The stadium and the Affrico overpass, then the Duomo at 38 km, the Uffizi and the finish.
Course Map
The line is not the official traffic map. Tap a marker for the start, finish, expo, bag deposit and landmarks, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
Pacers
The organiser lists pace groups from 2:55 to 5:30. Balloon colours and start positions follow the corrals and have not been published in detail. Paces below are computed from 42.195 km.
| Target time | Pace per km |
|---|---|
| 2:55 | 4:09 |
| 3:00 | 4:16 |
| 3:15 | 4:37 |
| 3:30 | 4:59 |
| 3:45 | 5:20 |
| 4:00 | 5:41 |
| 4:15 | 6:03 |
| 4:30 | 6:24 |
| 4:45 | 6:45 |
| 5:00 | 7:07 |
| 5:15 | 7:28 |
| 5:30 | 7:49 |
Late November in Florence is cold and often damp. Expect roughly 5 to 13°C on race day, colder at the 08:30 start, with a fair chance of rain or wind. The Cascine section is open and exposed.
Arm sleeves and gloves over a vest or light long-sleeve top suit most runners, and a hat helps. Pack wet-weather kit. The organiser provides a plastic rain and wind cape, which is a throwaway layer and not a substitute for kit.
Corral access runs from 07:00 to 08:00, so you may wait up to 90 minutes in the cold. A throwaway top or a bin bag is sensible. The bag deposit is at Piazza Santa Maria Novella from 07:00 and accepts only the organiser's labelled bag, so do not plan to leave a coat anywhere else. Wear shoes with grip for old paving and the wet stone of the bridges.
Entry
Entry is through ENDU and there is no ballot. The 2026 fee rises through the year (table below) and the current band is €99, rising to €109 on 16 October. The field is capped at 13,000 and the organiser may close entry early. Sterling figures use the ECB reference rate of €1 to £0.858 on 28 September 2026.
Fees are not refunded if you cannot run. Until 31 October, one transfer to the 2027 race or to a replacement runner costs €30, subject to conditions and to a sell-out suspension. A transfer cannot go to the 10K. There is no ballot, guaranteed-entry standard or charity allocation described.
Entering from outside Italy. Competitive entry requires FIDAL, RunCard or promotion-body membership, or membership of a World Athletics-affiliated foreign federation. A non-resident member of a foreign federation submits a membership self-declaration. RunCard entrants need an athletics-specific competitive medical certificate valid on race day. For a non-resident foreigner it can be issued at home but must cover the examination, a complete urine test, an ECG at rest and under exertion, and spirometry. Upload the documents on ENDU before the event and bring the originals to bib collection.
A foreign runner with no membership can choose the non-competitive tourist-sporting entry. It needs a liability waiver, produces a time and carries no ranking or prize eligibility. It is not a competitive official finish. Italian non-members cannot use it. The English FAQ supports this route but its dates are stale, so confirm against the 2026 Italian rules. Check your documents on ENDU before you travel, since fees are not refunded.
| Registration window | Fee |
|---|---|
| 7 January to 31 March | €69 (about £59) |
| April to June | €79 (about £68) |
| July and August | €89 (about £76) |
| 1 September to 15 October | €99 (about £85) |
| 16 October to 20 November, if places remain | €109 (about £94) |
Fast runner standards
There is no guaranteed-entry or qualifying standard. Corrals are set by a marathon result in the last two years, and changes are accepted until 10 November with proof.
Firenze Marathon: official site →Race Weekend
Expo and bib collection
The expo and bib collection are at the Stazione Leopolda, Viale Fratelli Rosselli 5, near Porta al Prato. Collection is on Friday 27 November from 10:00 to 19:30 and on Saturday 28 November from 09:00 to 19:30. The 2026 rules give no Sunday collection.
Bring your ENDU confirmation (a phone is accepted), personal ID and any outstanding membership or medical documents. ENDU shows a green, yellow or red status that says whether documents still need resolving, so check it before you travel. Tram T1 serves Porta al Prato and the Leopolda; verify the 2026 service.
The English FAQ lists dates from the previous year. Use the Italian rules for the schedule.
Getting to the start
If you are staying in the centre, walk to Piazza del Duomo. Corral access is from 07:00 to 08:00 and the gun is at 08:30. The corral colours are yellow up to 2:30, red for 2:31 to 3:00, blue for 3:01 to 3:30, grey for 3:31 to 4:00, green for 4:01 to 4:30 and fuchsia beyond 4:30. A runner may start in a slower corral but not a faster one, and late arrivals go to the last corral.
Where to leave your bag. The bag deposit is at Piazza Santa Maria Novella from 07:00, not at the Duomo start. Only the organiser's labelled bag is accepted, with no valuables. Leave a buffer for the walk before corral access closes at 08:00. You collect the bag at the same square after the finish, and a bus takes runners who withdraw to the same point.
The finish is at Piazza San Giovanni, beside the Duomo, with a medal and refreshments. Late November weather is unpredictable, so check the final letter for changes to gates, services and road closures.
Nutrition on course
Refreshment stations are every 5 km with water, tea and salts, and from 15 km there is food, including fruit and bars. Toilets and medical stations are near the 5 km points, and doctors on motorcycles follow the race.
Gel brands, the electrolyte formula and the cup policy are not published. Carry the fuel you have trained with. A five-kilometre spacing gives eight stops, and the first solid food arrives after a third of the race.
Spectating
The start and finish are both by the Duomo, so a supporter in the centre sees both without leaving the area. The centre is compact and mostly walkable. Calculate pass times from the runner's expected pace and use the official tracking. The 2026 road closures and barriers have not been published, and bridges may be controlled, so do not count on a particular crossing.
- Watch the 08:30 start from outside the secured grids
- Walk towards Ponte Vecchio and Pitti to see runners at about 19 km
- Return to the Duomo area for the finish
- Take the tram or walk to the edge of the Cascine, around 10 to 15 km
- Return to the Duomo for the finish
- Confirm stops and route on the day
- Reach the stadium and Affrico area for about 30 to 35 km
- Return to the finish by transit or by roads outside the closed course
Post-race food
Refreshments are included at the finish. The Duomo and Santa Maria Novella area has many restaurants. Florence's classics are bistecca alla fiorentina, ribollita, a bread and vegetable soup, and lampredotto, a tripe sandwich sold from street stalls.
For a four- to six-hour finish, book an early-afternoon table and check that the kitchen is open on a Sunday.
Where to Stay
Stay where you can walk to the Duomo, because the finish is there. Think about the bag deposit and the expo as well: the bag drop is at Santa Maria Novella, 0.5 km west of the Duomo.
Duomo and San Giovanni
The shortest walk to the start and finish. Central demand is high and prices are at a premium, and the streets can be noisy. The bag deposit is still at Santa Maria Novella, about 10 minutes away.
Santa Maria Novella
A good balance of station arrival, bag deposit and a walk to the Duomo. Check which side of the station the hotel is on and the late-night noise.
Porta al Prato and the Leopolda
The easiest for the expo and good for the tram, but a longer walk on race morning.
Santa Croce and the east centre
Pleasant and central, with the course running past at 22 km. Barriers may make movement harder.
Oltrarno and Pitti
Good dining and quieter evenings, but bridges can complicate race-morning access.
Campo di Marte and the stadium
Potential value but far from the start and finish.
Destination Florence is the organiser's accommodation partner. The exact room location matters more than any claim of proximity.
Recommended hotels
A three-star hotel in the organiser's 2026 package brochure, on Via Faenza between the station and the Duomo. Confirm race-weekend rates.
A three-star hotel in the organiser's package brochure, close to Piazza Santa Maria Novella and the bag deposit. Confirm race-weekend rates.
A three-star hotel in the organiser's package brochure, near the station and the bag deposit. Confirm race-weekend rates.
A four-star hotel in the organiser's package brochure, a short walk from the station. Confirm race-weekend rates.
Booking timeline
The entry price rises from €99 to €109 on 16 October, and registration closes on 20 November or earlier if the 13,000 places sell out. The 2025 race reportedly sold out before race week; that is no guarantee about 2026.
Book a refundable central room early, get to the Leopolda on Friday or Saturday for your bib, upload your documents and check your ENDU status. The transfer deadline is 31 October. Confirm road closures and Sunday services in race week.
See & Do
Every stop below is within about 1.5 km of the finish.
Duomo and Baptistery
The start and finish sit beside the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Check the ticket options for the cathedral complex, and note that the dome is a long climb of steps.
Uffizi Gallery and Piazza della Signoria
One of the great art museums of Europe, passed on the course at about 39 km. The museum is normally closed on Mondays, so check before planning a recovery day.
Ponte Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti
The medieval bridge of goldsmiths and the palace across the river, both course landmarks before the halfway point.
Santa Croce
The basilica and square on the eastern side of the centre, which the course passes at about 22 km.
Piazzale Michelangelo
A terrace on the south bank with a wide view of the city. It is uphill on foot, so take a bus or a taxi the day after the race.
After the Race
Late November is cold and quiet. Recovery days can stay in Florence on foot, or take a bus up to Fiesole or a train to Siena or Bologna.
The south bank of the Arno, with a palace, a garden and a quieter square for a slow recovery day.
A hill town above Florence with a Roman theatre and a wide view. The bus does the climbing.
A medieval hill city with a shell-shaped square, a striped cathedral and a lot of hills.
A food city with arcaded streets that keep the rain off, and a short train ride to Modena.