The Race
| Next Race Date | Sunday 11 April 2027 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Loop (start and finish in Piazza Farini) |
| Registration | Open entry via ENDU, from €30 |
| Ballot opens | Not applicable |
| Start | Piazza Farini, Russi, 09:00 |
| Finish | Piazza Farini, Russi |
| Total finishers | 672 (2026) |
| Avg race-day temp | Not confirmed |
| Cutoff time | 6 hours 30 minutes |
| Free race-day transport | Not needed: start and finish share Piazza Farini |
| Course certification | FIDAL national road marathon, homologated Type A for the 2026 course. No World Athletics Label |
History
The Maratona del Lamone began in November 1977, organised by Evaristo Guerra and a group of runners from Russi. The first edition drew about 650 participants, a large field for an Italian marathon of the time. Three local athletes, Elvio Fabbri, Sergio Fabbri and Roberto Zanini, took the early podiums and dominated the race for more than 15 years, according to the club's own history.
Late-autumn weather on the Romagna plain was poor, so the club moved the race to the first Sunday of April. The finish moved as well: the old Russi stadium gave way in the 1980s to the new municipal stadium, with the finish on the athletics track, and by the 1990s the race had settled on Piazza Farini in the town centre. By 1991 it ranked seventh in Italy by participation, with one of the highest proportions of women among Italian marathons.
The race joined the Tris Marathon delle Regioni from 2002 to 2005 and, from 2009, the Trittico di Romagna, a linked series with other regional events. The 34th edition in 2010 received FIDAL and CONI anti-doping controls. More recently the field has held steady at 600 to 780 entrants. Finisher counts were 595 in 2023, 679 in 2024, 714 in 2025 and 672 in 2026.
Winners on the organiser's archive include Rodgers Maiyo (2:18:23, 2023), Jean Baptiste Simukeka (2:28:43, 2024) and Elia Generali (2:36:44, 2025), described as the first Italian winner since 2003. In 2026 Khalid Jbari won in 2:25:56 and Laura Gotti won the women's race in 2:40:39, reported as a new race record for women.
The 2026 race was the 48th, two short of what an unbroken annual run since 2010 would give, so the race did not run every year in that period. The sources checked do not say which years were missed.
The course
The Maratona del Lamone starts and finishes in Piazza Farini, Russi, a town of the Ravenna province in Emilia-Romagna. The organiser certifies the distance with FIDAL at 42.195 km and describes the course as entirely flat and paved, apart from two short unpaved sections at about km 24 and km 39.
From Russi the route crosses the plain through the hamlets of Godo, Piangipane and Santerno, turns south through Traversara and enters Bagnacavallo, runs across the historic centre and Piazza Nuova, continues through Boncellino and returns to Russi along Via Madrara for the finish. It is a single large circuit, not a set of repeated laps, and stays on farm roads and town streets for almost all of its length.
The SRTM profile stays between 0 and 15 m above sea level, which agrees with the organiser's flat description. The practical variables are wind and exposure on the plain, not climbing.
Kilometre by kilometre
Kilometre positions come from the organiser's 2022 route. The 2027 route has not been published, so treat every position as approximate.
Km 0 to 5: Russi to Godo. The gun is at 09:00 in Piazza Farini, after a 07:00 assembly. The first kilometres leave the town centre by Via Donizetti at 1 km and Via Faentina Nord at 3 km, on streets that narrow into farm-edge roads. The field is 600 to 750 runners, so there is no corral system to fight; start near the pace group for your target time. Godo comes at about 5 km.
Km 5 to 12: Godo and Piangipane. The route runs north-east on Via Vecchia Godo at 5 and 6 km and then Via Faentina Nord through Piangipane at 7 to 10 km, reaching its eastern end at about 10 km, 7 km out. The ground falls from 12 m at the start to 1 to 3 m. Long straight roads run between hamlets with little shelter. Support is thin between villages and busier in each village centre.
Km 12 to 21: Santerno. The course turns north-west along Via Braccesca and Via delle Acque at 11 to 15 km into Santerno, and reaches its northernmost point at about 17 km, 7 km from the start in a straight line. It comes back on Via degli Angeli at 18 to 20 km. The half-marathon point falls on open ground, not in a built-up area. A wind from the north-east or the coast, possible in a Romagna April, is felt most on these long straights.
Km 21 to 30: Traversara and Bagnacavallo. Via Traversara at 21 to 23 km leads to Carraia Biondina at 24 km, where the organiser places the first short unpaved section. After rain it can be soft, so a shoe with some grip helps. The route enters Bagnacavallo around 26 km and crosses the historic centre near Piazza Nuova at about 27 km, the most built-up and best-supported part of the route. It leaves on Via Vecchia Darsena and Via Galavotti at 28 and 29 km.
Km 30 to 42.2: Boncellino and the return. The course runs through Boncellino on Via Boncellino and Via Sottofiume Boncellino at 30 to 34 km, then Via Lamone at 35 km and Via Toletta at 36 km, on the boundary with Cotignola. From 37 km it follows Via Madrara back towards Russi; the organiser places the second short dirt section near 39 km. Both come when legs are heavy. The finish is in Piazza Farini, the same square as the start, reached by Corso Luigi Carlo Farini. The bag drop is behind the municipal building and the pasta party is a short walk away.
The regulations page does not describe a painted tangent line, so run the shortest legal path on each bend. Timing is by chip, and the finish mat is at the finish line in Piazza Farini.
Town streets give way to straight farm roads through Godo and Piangipane. Hold goal pace; the flat profile makes early surges expensive.
North-west to Santerno and back on Via degli Angeli with little shelter. Wind is the variable.
A short unpaved section near 24 km, then the historic centre of Bagnacavallo near 27 km.
Boncellino and a second short dirt section near 39 km, then Via Madrara back to Piazza Farini.
Course Map
The line is the organiser's 2022 route, since the 2027 route has not been published. Tap a marker for the start and finish and the places on the loop, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
Pacers
Pacers are supplied by Pacers Gli Originali on a single 09:00 start, with no corrals published. The 2026 list runs to the six-hour mark against a 6h30 time limit. Paces below are computed from 42.195 km.
| Target time | Pace per km |
|---|---|
| 3:00 | 4:16 |
| 3:15 | 4:37 |
| 3:30 | 4:59 |
| 3:45 | 5:20 |
| 4:00 | 5:41 |
| 4:30 | 6:24 |
| 5:00 | 7:07 |
| 5:30 | 7:49 |
| 6:00 | 8:32 |
The organiser states that the course is paved apart from two brief unpaved stretches at about km 24 and km 39. Runners targeting a personal best should know about them: keep the stride short on soft ground, especially after rain.
The race starts at 09:00 on a Sunday in April on the Romagna plain, and conditions have ranged widely. The organiser's edition archive records excellent weather in 2023 and extreme heat in 2024, so dress for the forecast in the week before, not for a typical April.
The plain has almost no shelter and wind is felt across the long straights. Shorts and a singlet or short-sleeved top suit most runners once moving. Wear a light throwaway layer to the 07:00 assembly, because the square is cold before the sun is up, and leave it in the bag drop behind the municipal building or discard it at the line. No charity clothing bin has been confirmed.
Sun protection counts in a warm year, since almost none of the course is shaded. A cap and sunscreen cost nothing to pack. Two short unpaved sections mean road shoes with moderate tread are a better choice than a slick carbon racer if rain has fallen in the days before.
Entry
Entry is open, with no ballot, and runs through ENDU. Prices rise in steps, starting with a Black Friday rate of €30 (about £26) and moving through €35, €40, €45 and €50 by the week of the race. A cash price of €60 was offered at the race village on the Saturday and Sunday. The Supermarathon Club gave members a €5 discount from mid-January. Sterling figures use the ECB reference rate of €1 to £0.858 (28 September 2026).
The entry includes a technical T-shirt, a ceramic medal, a pasta-party voucher, local products and a downloadable diploma. Chip timing is included.
Competitive entry is for runners aged 20 or over who hold FIDAL membership, a RunCard or RunCard EPS together with an athletics-specific competitive medical certificate, or membership of a foreign athletics club affiliated to a federation recognised by World Athletics. Foreign athletes enter with a self-declaration if the club or federation has not entered them. A foreign RunCard holder's home-country certificate has to document the Italian-equivalent tests: examination, full urine test, resting and exercise ECG and spirometry. Copies go to the organiser, including at bib collection.
Non-competitive entry for overseas runners. Overseas foreign citizens who are not members of an athletics club can sign a waiver and run non-competitively. They are listed alphabetically, receive no prizes and need no medical certificate. Italians living abroad do not qualify for this route. Choose the route at registration and confirm it with the organiser in writing.
No refunds are given. A runner who cannot start can transfer the entry to another runner for a €10 administrative fee, valid for the following year, or carry the entry over one year after emailing the organiser. No fast-runner guarantee, charity places or tour-operator entries were found.
| Entry stage | Fee |
|---|---|
| Black Friday rate | €30 (about £26) |
| Next steps | €35 (about £30), €40 (about £34) and €45 (about £39) |
| Week of the race | €50 (about £43) |
| Cash at the race village, Saturday and Sunday | €60 (about £51) |
Fast runner standards
There is no guaranteed-entry or qualifying standard.
Maratona del Lamone: official site →Race Weekend
Bib collection in Piazza Farini
Bibs are collected in Piazza Farini, the same square as the start and finish. In the most recent published schedule collection ran on the Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00 and on race morning from 07:00 to 08:45. Race-morning pickup helps late arrivals, but 08:45 leaves a 15-minute margin before the gun.
A name is enough to collect a bib, or a proxy can collect with an authorisation form and a copy of the runner's ID. Foreign runners who need to hand over medical documents or a federation declaration should bring the originals, because copies are taken at collection. The organiser states that ENDU does not send a separate confirmation letter, so bring an entry confirmation if possible.
No expo of the usual size was described. The organiser lists a race village, local-product tasting and free blood-glucose screening by AVIS and Lions Club volunteers, and massage before and after the race. Bag storage is behind the municipal building. Saturday is the calmer day, and arriving then also allows a check of the route to the start.
Getting to the start
Bib collection on race morning. Bibs can be collected until 08:45, 15 minutes before the 09:00 gun, which helps runners who arrive late from elsewhere. Saturday collection is calmer.
Start and finish are both Piazza Farini, so there is no start transfer to arrange. Runners assemble from 07:00 and the gun is at 09:00, a single start with no waves or corrals published. A hotel in Russi centre makes the morning a walk; the organiser lists Hotel Ristorante Morelli as 100 m from the start. The bag drop is behind the municipal building, with portable toilets there, public toilets are in Piazza Gramsci and changing rooms and showers were at the Campo Sportivo Oratorio on Via Roma.
Nine car parks are mapped on the organiser's site, plus extra spaces at the stadium. The municipality imposed road and parking closures for the most recent race, so arrive early and use the published map.
Russi is on the Bologna to Ravenna railway line, according to the organiser. A Sunday early train has not been confirmed, so anyone staying in Ravenna or Bologna should check the timetable for the actual date or arrange a taxi, or stay in Russi or Bagnacavallo. StartRomagna and ATC Bologna buses also serve the town. The organiser gives Forlì airport at about 25 km, Bologna at about 72 km and Rimini at about 74 km.
Finish provisions are a pasta-party voucher (the party was at Oratorio Don Bosco, Via Trieste 33), local products, a medal and a downloadable diploma. Stroller athletes were allowed in small numbers under specific conditions in 2026, up to five.
Nutrition on course
The organiser provides refreshment stations under FIDAL regulations and publishes an aid map on the route page, but no text list of kilometre positions, drinks, gels or food. Treat this as a race with water and basic solids, and carry any product you rely on.
Personal refreshments could be left in a box at the stage in the most recent edition. Medical assistance is available on the course. The two short dirt sections near 24 and 39 km are not aid-station areas, so do not plan to drink while crossing them. In a warm year such as 2024, take water at every station and use sponges if offered. In cooler conditions drink to thirst.
Spectating
The surest sighting is Piazza Farini, which is both start and finish. A supporter can watch the 09:00 gun and then wait for the finish without travelling anywhere, and the pasta party and bag drop are a short walk away. A second sighting is possible in Bagnacavallo, where the route crosses the historic centre at roughly 27 km, but the road closures that protect the course also limit car access, so check the closure map before driving there.
No timed public-transport itinerary can be confirmed from the published material, and no live tracking app was found. Each option below is described by place, not by timetable, and needs checking against the closure order and the Sunday timetable.
- Start at Piazza Farini for the 09:00 gun
- Stay in the square; the route returns to it for the finish
- Finish times for most of the field fall between roughly 3:00 and 6:30 after the start
- Start at Piazza Farini for the gun
- Travel by car or taxi to Bagnacavallo, about 6 km in a straight line, before roads close, for the historic centre at roughly 27 km
- Return to Piazza Farini for the finish by a route the closure map allows
- Start at Piazza Farini
- Drive to Godo, the first hamlet at roughly 5 km, or to Boncellino at roughly 30 to 34 km for a second sighting
- Return to the finish
Post-race food
The included pasta party is the first meal. In the most recent edition it was held at Oratorio Don Bosco, Via Trieste 33, a short walk from Piazza Farini, and the voucher comes in the race pack. Bring any ID or voucher required.
For a sit-down lunch the organiser's list names Hotel Ristorante Morelli (Via Don Minzoni 30, Russi), La Mucca Viola Locanda Gourmet (Via Modigliani 9, Russi) and Lo Spiedo Imperiale (Via Madrara 11, Cotignola), a short drive from Russi. Sunday opening hours, menus and prices could not be confirmed, so book and ask before relying on a table.
Where to Stay
Stay close to the finish. At the Maratona del Lamone the start and finish are the same square, so there is one rule: sleep as near to Piazza Farini, Russi, as the inventory allows.
Russi centre
The only place where the walk to the start takes minutes. Hotel Ristorante Morelli, on Via Don Minzoni, is listed by the organiser as 100 m from the start, and La Mucca Viola is also in town. Inventory is small, so book early.
Bagnacavallo
Bagnacavallo lies on the course at roughly 27 km and about 7 km from Russi in a straight line. The organiser's list includes Hotel Al Flor, Antico Convento di San Francesco and several B&Bs. A town with a historic centre suits runners who want an evening walk, but the morning needs a car or a taxi to Russi, and road closures start early.
Ravenna
About 16 km from Russi by road, per the organiser, with the widest choice of rooms plus the mosaics. Early Sunday trains to Russi have not been verified, so Ravenna works best with a car or a pre-booked taxi. It is the better base for a two- or three-night visit.
Lugo and Cotignola
Lugo (Tati' Hotel) and Cotignola (Lo Spiedo Imperiale) are listed by the organiser. Both are in the Romagna plain west of the course and need a car.
Faenza and Forlì
The A14 exit for Faenza is 16 km from Russi, and Forlì is about 23 km away by road and has the nearest airport. Both are Plan B towns with more rooms and a morning drive.
Bologna
About 65 km by road, so it does not work as a race-eve base without a car. It works well as a post-race stay.
Book a refundable room as soon as the date is set, then reconfirm once the 2027 rules and closure order are out.
Recommended hotels
The organiser lists it as 100 m from the start, which makes it the closest option to Piazza Farini. It has a restaurant. Confirm breakfast time for a 09:00 start and Sunday lunch service directly.
A small locanda with rooms in Russi, billed as a gourmet restaurant. Ask about Saturday dinner and a race-morning breakfast.
A Bagnacavallo hotel on Via Chiusa. Allow a car or taxi for the morning and expect local road closures.
A former convent in Bagnacavallo's historic centre, listed by the organiser. Suits runners who want a historic centre on the night before.
Booking timeline
There is no ballot, so the date to watch is the moment the 2027 rules are published and entry opens. For the last edition that was Black Friday the previous November. Register on the lowest-price tier if the date is firm, since prices rose by €5 at each step up to €50.
Russi has few rooms. Book a refundable room in Russi or Bagnacavallo several months out, and choose Ravenna as the fallback. No sell-out history or marathon-weekend price premium was found. Book a flight only after checking a ground-transport plan to the chosen town.
Check the Sunday-morning train or taxi plan two weeks before travel, and check for rail strikes. Bring any medical or federation documents for the Saturday bib collection.
See & Do
Two stops are in Russi itself. The third is on the course.
Villa Romana di Russi
A Roman villa and farm complex dating from the late second century BC to the second century AD, with geometric mosaics, run by the regional museum authority. It is free on the first Sunday of each month. In the most recent published schedule the summer Sunday opening ran from 13:30 to 18:30 and the site was closed on Monday, so the afternoon of race day works and the day after does not.
Palazzo San Giacomo
An eighteenth-century palace in Russi that opens for exhibitions and guided visits, with full admission at €7 in the most recent season. Opening is limited to certain afternoons and appointments, so check the schedule before relying on it.
Bagnacavallo, Piazza Nuova
The route passes through Bagnacavallo's historic centre and Piazza Nuova at about 27 km. The town is a reasonable place for a slow walk the next morning, and Ravenna's mosaics are a short regional train ride away.
After the Race
The race is on a Sunday in April, so recovery days start on the Monday. Many of the sights open Tuesday to Sunday, so plan around Monday closures.
Early Christian and Byzantine mosaics in a flat, walkable centre 16 km from Russi. Most monuments need a timed ticket and several are closed or restricted on Mondays.
The International Ceramics Museum holds the world's largest ceramics collection by the museum's own account. It is closed on Mondays, so the trip suits a Tuesday.
An arcaded, flat centre, with the Portico di San Luca to keep for a later visit. One night allows a slow walk and a proper dinner.
A Roman bridge and arch with a flat sea-front promenade that is quiet in April. Two nights allows the Ravenna mosaics on the way.