The Race
The marathon starts in the upper town and finishes in Ragusa Ibla, which sits lower in the old town. The organiser's shuttle exists because the two halves are a steep climb apart. The last stretch includes about 300 m of steep climbing on Via XI Febbraio, on old stone paving, after 42 km of running. The organiser gives no gradient.
| Next Race Date | Sunday 17 January 2027 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Point-to-point (Ragusa upper town to Ragusa Ibla) |
| Registration | Open entry via the organiser and ENDU, from €25 |
| Ballot opens | Not applicable |
| Start | Via Feliciano Rossitto, Ragusa upper town, 08:00 |
| Finish | Giardini Iblei, Ragusa Ibla |
| Avg race-day temp | Not confirmed |
| Cutoff time | 6 hours |
| Free race-day transport | Free shuttle from Ragusa Ibla towards the start at 07:00, per the organiser |
| Course certification | FIDAL measurement, Type B, expiry 2029 per the FIDAL register. No World Athletics Label located |
History
The 2027 race is the 22nd Mangia's Maratona Città di Ragusa, and the 2026 race on 18 January was the 21st. It is organised by ASD Atletica No al Doping under FIDAL rules. A sponsor now prefixes the race name. The half marathon, StraRagusa, a 10.1 km Fast Run and walking and family events share the weekend with their own distances and start times.
The 2026 marathon was won by Ismail El Haissoufi in 2:34:59, with Daniele Sammatrice second in 2:40:38. Lara La Pera won the women's race in 3:18:32. The morning was wintry, with light rain that did not stop the race, according to a local press report, which counted over 1,000 competitors across all events, with runners from 20 nations.
The founding year, course records, marathon-only finisher count and any year-by-year route change have not been published, so no uninterrupted annual history should be inferred from the edition number.
The course
The marathon starts at 08:00 on Via Feliciano Rossitto, by the Liceo Scientifico E. Fermi in Ragusa's upper town, and finishes in Ragusa Ibla at the Giardini Iblei and Piazza G.B. Hodierna. The organiser's own route page also names Piazza Duomo before the last stretch, so the exact finish approach needs a race-week map.
The first five kilometres cross the western part of the upper town. The road then runs out onto the plateau past Cilone and Tre Casuzze, with dry-stone walls on either side and several dirt sections of 50 to 300 m in the first 21 km. Near km 24 the half marathon route joins. Monachella, Cisternazzi and Fortugno lead to an industrial and mining stretch with petroleum wells and two tunnels. From km 32 the organiser describes a mostly descending run. Near km 38 the course reaches Ponte Vecchio and the San Giovanni cathedral, then Corso Mazzini and the old streets of Ibla.
The SRTM profile along the 2023 route reads 391 to 688 m. The course never strays more than 5 km from the start in a straight line, and it falls about 195 m over the last 10 km, from 595 m at 32 km to 401 m at the finish.
Kilometre by kilometre
Kilometre points come from the organiser's route page, checked against the December 2023 route, which broadly matches the described shape. The route may have changed since, so treat every position as approximate.
Km 0 to 9: the upper town and the plateau. The gun is at 08:00 in January, and the marathon field runs alone ahead of the later half marathon. The first five kilometres are urban streets in western Ragusa: Via Feliciano Rossitto, Via Madrid and Via Aldo Moro at 0 to 3 km, Via Grazia Deledda at 4 km, all at about 630 m. The road then opens onto the plateau by the Annunziata-Maltempo provincial road at 6 km, and the dry-stone walls of Cilone arrive around 9 km, near the church of Sant'Elia. Short dirt sections start before halfway, so shoes with grip suit the day.
Km 9 to 24: rolling country roads. The road rolls repeatedly: up 44 m to 682 m at 11 km, down 42 m by 14 km, then 46 m up again to the high point of 688 m at Tre Casuzze at 16.7 km. Aid stations are at about 14, 16 and 19.5 km. The ground then falls through Castiglione at 21 km and Annunziata to Cento Pozzi at 24 km, near Monachella, where the half marathon course joins and the density of runners on the road changes.
Km 24 to 34.6: rural and industrial roads. The route falls steadily south through Puntarazzi at 26 to 28 km to Cimillà at 29 to 32 km, losing about 70 m over 6.5 km, with a small rise of 15 m at 31 km. The organiser places Cisternazzi at 28.8 km and a mining and industrial zone with petroleum infrastructure and two tunnels beyond it, with an aid point at the Colacem tunnels at 34.6 km. This is the least scenic stretch, so the contrast with Ibla is large. Confirm lighting and road controls close to race day.
Km 32 to 42.2: the descent and Ibla. From 33 km the organiser describes a broadly downhill run, and the chart agrees: it drops 81 m over 2.3 km (3.5%) from 33 km through Selvaggio, then 33 m more to Via Giovanni Grasso at 38 km. The Ponte Vecchio and the San Giovanni cathedral come at about 38 km, with an aid point at Piazza San Giovanni at 38.8 km. Via Giacomo Matteotti at 39 km drops 58 m in a kilometre, and Corso Mazzini at 40 and 41 km another 45 m, past Santa Maria delle Scale, Palazzo Cosentini, the Chiesa del Purgatorio and Palazzo Sortino-Trono. The final 300 m or so climb Via XI Febbraio on old stone paving and narrow streets, which is hard on tired legs. The finish is at the Giardini Iblei.
No intermediate timing mats or blue line were published. The steep downhill from 39 km also strains tired quads.
Five urban kilometres at about 630 m, then dry-stone walls at Cilone. Short dirt sections start before halfway.
Repeated rises and falls of 40 m to 46 m to a high point of 688 m at Tre Casuzze, with the half marathon joining near 24 km.
A 70 m fall to Cimillà, then petroleum infrastructure and two tunnels. The least scenic stretch.
A mostly downhill run to San Giovanni, then steep streets and a stone-paved climb before the Giardini Iblei finish.
Course Map
The line is the December 2023 route, and the 2027 route may differ. Tap a marker for the start, finish and bib collection and the places on the route, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
Pacers
Official pacers have not been confirmed. The 2027 rules and programme do not mention a pacer programme. Confirm the 2027 pace groups with the organiser.
The gun is at 08:00 in mid-January on a plateau, and the 2026 morning was wintry with light rain. No sourced average temperature is available, so check the forecast in the week before the race.
Wear a throwaway layer to the start, because the field waits outside in winter. The organiser's bag service carries a personal bag from the start to the finish, so pack a dry top and warm layer for Ibla. A light waterproof suits a wet year, and gloves suit the early kilometres.
The road has dirt sections and old stone paving in Ibla. Road shoes with reasonable grip are the usual choice, and a wet day makes the stone slippery. The plateau is open and exposed to wind.
Entry
Entry is open, with no ballot, through the organiser's site and ENDU. The marathon fee rises through the year (table below). There is no on-site registration. Sterling figures use the ECB reference rate of €1 to £0.858 (28 September 2026), before fees.
Competitive entrants must be 20 or over and hold one of the following: a FIDAL membership for the coming year; a RunCard with a valid athletics-specific competitive medical certificate; or an EPS RunCard with a certificate. Foreign members of a federation recognised by World Athletics submit a membership self-certification and sign the original at collection. A foreign RunCard holder may use a home-country medical form only with the Italian equivalent exams: resting and exertion ECG, spirometry and urinalysis. The original certificate is checked at bib collection.
A non-competitive entry exists for foreign runners. The rules allow non-resident, unaffiliated foreign runners aged 20 or over to enter non-competitively for tourism, with a waiver signed at collection. They are recorded alphabetically with a finish time and are excluded from the competitive ranking and prizes. Clarify the route with the organiser when submitting forms.
No refunds are offered. The rules give a race change, a deferral to 2028 or a transfer for the tariff difference and a €5 fee, but the deadline sentence wrongly says 11 January 2026. Obtain the corrected deadline in writing. The rules also say a bib is personal and non-transferable, so reconcile the two statements with the organiser.
| Registration window | Marathon fee |
|---|---|
| May to August 2026 | €25 (about £21) |
| September and October | €30 (about £26) |
| November to 6 January | €35 (about £30) |
| 7 to 10 January | €40 (about £34) |
Fast runner standards
There is no guaranteed-entry or qualifying standard.
Maratona di Ragusa: official site →Race Weekend
Saturday bib collection
Bibs are collected only on Saturday 16 January 2027, from 14:00 to 20:00, at the San Vincenzo Ferreri auditorium in Piazza G.B. Hodierna, at the Giardini Iblei entrance. The 2027 rules do not offer Sunday collection.
Bring the entry confirmation, identification, affiliation and any original medical document or overseas federation declaration. The race pack is handed over with the bib.
The collection point is in Ibla, at the finish, so a runner staying in the upper town needs a Saturday transfer. A late flight that risks the 20:00 close is unsuitable.
Getting to the start
The start is on Via Feliciano Rossitto, by the Liceo E. Fermi in the upper town, at 08:00. The finish is in Ibla. The half marathon starts at 09:45 from the same start, the cutoff is 6 hours and the programme concludes at 14:30.
The organiser promises a free shuttle from Ibla towards the start at 07:00; the stop and capacity are unconfirmed. The programme's detailed shuttle PDF sits under a 2021 path and should not be treated as a validated 2027 stop map, so confirm the stop, capacity and departure with the organiser. Staying in the upper town simplifies the dawn, and staying in Ibla helps bib collection and recovery but depends on the shuttle. Old-town closures may make taxis slow.
A personal bag is carried from the start to the finish; leave valuables out of it. Finish services include free physiotherapy massage, a medal and a downloadable certificate and results.
Nutrition on course
The organiser lists aid points at about the kilometres below, and medical assistance covers the whole course. Products, water packaging, gels and toilet positions were not published. Carry your own gels: the list does not say what is handed out at each point.
| Approx. km | Location |
|---|---|
| 5 and 14 | SP10 / SP9 exit |
| 9 | Cilone, before the church of Sant'Elia |
| 16 and 19.5 | SP9 and Via Monte Racelli |
| 24 | Monachella, Via B. Ciaceri |
| 28.8 | Cisternazzi, Via Massabielle |
| 34.6 | Colacem tunnels |
| 38.8 | Piazza San Giovanni |
| 42.195 | Piazza G.B. Hodierna finish |
Spectating
The easiest guaranteed sighting is the finish at the Giardini Iblei, near the Saturday bib area. A second sighting is possible at Piazza San Giovanni at about 38.8 km, but stairs, winding streets and closures decide whether a spectator can reach both points. Cilone at 9 km needs a vehicle and confirmation of road controls. No live tracking app or validated Sunday bus itinerary was found.
- Stay in Ibla for the finish at the Giardini Iblei
- The organiser's cutoff is 6 hours, so the programme concludes at 14:30
- Start near the Liceo Fermi at 08:00
- Travel to Ibla before the finish using a road outside the race closure
- Journey time was not published
- See runners at Piazza San Giovanni at about 38.8 km
- Walk to the finish in Ibla
- Allow for steep streets and the closures
Post-race food
The finish at the Giardini Iblei puts runners among the restaurants of Ibla, with a free physiotherapy massage first. No named restaurants with verified Sunday hours were found. Book a late lunch in Ibla after checking the January opening days, because small restaurants in historic Sicilian towns often close one day a week.
Where to Stay
The start is in the upper town and the finish and bib collection are in Ibla, so the two halves of the town each answer a different question. Ibla is the finish-first choice, and the upper town is the start-first choice.
Ragusa Ibla and the Giardini Iblei
The finish, the Saturday bib collection and the old town are all here. The catch is race morning, because the shuttle to the start is needed. Streets are steep and cobbled, and some are closed to traffic.
Ragusa upper town, near Via Feliciano Rossitto
Convenient for the 08:00 gun but needs a transfer back to Ibla after the race and for Saturday bib collection.
Piazza San Giovanni
A middle option, close to the late course at 38.8 km, with slopes between the districts.
Corso Mazzini and the edge of Ibla
Gives access to the last kilometres, but the old-street gradients are hard after 42 km.
Marina di Ragusa
A seaside extension for after the race, not a base for a dawn start in January.
Confirm parking and limited-traffic zone access with the property.
Booking timeline
The date is confirmed and the €30 entry tier closes on 31 October 2026, so the saving is real for anyone booking now. Arrive by Saturday afternoon for the 20:00 bib close.
Book refundable lodging, and check the shuttle before committing to non-refundable transport. No verified sell-out or race-week hotel premium was found. Check road closures and any transport strike notices close to the date.
See & Do
Every stop below is within about 2 km of the finish.
Ragusa Ibla Baroque streets
The Baroque centre rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake is a walk of cobbled streets and stairs. Wait until legs have recovered, and check opening hours for churches.
Giardini Iblei
A public garden at the edge of Ibla, flat and quiet, which suits a slow walk after the finish.
San Giovanni cathedral and Ponte Vecchio
The upper-town landmarks that the course passes at about 38 km. Check January opening hours.
After the Race
The race is on a Sunday in January, so recovery days start on the Monday. Many churches and museums close on Mondays. Stay in Ibla on foot, or take a bus or hire car to Modica and Scicli, Syracuse or Catania.
A slow walk through the Baroque streets and gardens of Ibla, with a realistic plan for the stairs and the Monday opening hours.
Two more towns of the Val di Noto, a short ride from Ragusa, with chocolate and a Baroque street in each.
A night in Ortigia, the small island old town of Syracuse, flat and walkable for sore legs.
Two nights in Catania with a day for Etna, before a flight from Catania airport.