The Race
| Next Race Date | Sunday 20 December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Out and back (start at Largo Cocco Griffi, finish in Piazza del Duomo) |
| Registration | Open, online through ENDU |
| Ballot opens | Not applicable |
| Start | Largo Cocco Griffi, 09:00 |
| Finish | Piazza del Duomo, beside the Leaning Tower |
| Total finishers | 1,412 (2025) |
| Avg race-day temp | To be Confirmed |
| Cutoff time | 6 hours 30 minutes, with gates at the half and 30 km |
| Free race-day transport | No |
| Course certification | To be Confirmed |
History
The 2026 race is the 27th Maratona di Pisa. It runs in the week before Christmas, and in 2025 it was held on 21 December. About 4,000 runners from 20 countries took part across all distances in 2025, and 1,412 finished the marathon, 1,145 men and 267 women. A third of the finishers were foreign runners.
Dmitriy Nedelin won the 2025 men's race in 2:12:28, according to two press reports, and the reports say it broke a course record that had stood for ten years. Mohamed Chaaboud was second in 2:19:23 and Adam Głogowski third in 2:21:18. Dominika Stelmach of Poland won the women's race on her marathon debut in 2:38:26, ahead of Karima Harris (2:48:30) and Katarzyna Pobłocka-Głogowska (2:49:30). The organiser's rules still describe a record bonus for beating 2:15:00 for men and 2:35:43 for women, so the men's figure in the rules is out of date.
FIDAL lists the race as a national Bronze event, a federation grade and not a World Athletics Label. The organiser says the course is measured by AIMS and FIDAL, while FIDAL's own listing says the course is not homologated, so certification is unconfirmed. The October Pisa Half Marathon is a separate event.
The course
The 2026 marathon starts at Largo Cocco Griffi, runs along the Arno by the Lungarni and out through Porta a Mare to La Vettola and San Piero a Grado. It continues by Via Bigattiera to Tirrenia, turns to the sea at Marina di Pisa, and returns along the long Viale D'Annunzio, Porta a Mare, the Ponte della Cittadella, Via Roma and Via Santa Maria to finish in Piazza del Duomo beside the Leaning Tower. The organiser says the surface is entirely asphalt, with aid every 5 km.
The course goes to the coast and back and is not a loop around the Tower. The Pisanina half marathon follows its own shorter route. The organiser publishes no gain figure. Runners in 2024 and the 2025 results describe a flat, fast course, and the SRTM profile sits at 11 m or less. Cold, wet or foggy weather is possible in December.
Kilometre by kilometre
Kilometre positions come from the 2025 route and the 2023 press, and are approximate to a kilometre or two. The 2026 street map has not been published.
Km 0 to 11: the Arno and the fields. The gun fires at 09:00 at Largo Cocco Griffi, with the grids closing at 08:45. The route loops the city first, through Porta a Mare at 1 km and along the Lungarni (Pacinotti at 2 km, Galilei at 3 km, Gambacorti at 4 km), then leaves by Porta a Mare again at 5 km. It follows Via Livornese at 6 to 8 km through La Vettola and reaches San Piero a Grado at 8 to 13 km, with the basilica at about 11 km. The half marathon turns back around here. The ground is open and flat, at 5 m falling to sea level.
Km 11 to 21: through the park to Tirrenia. The marathon continues on Via Vecchia di Marina at 12 and 13 km and Via di Torretta at 14 to 16 km, then Via della Bigattiera at 17 and 18 km, and the 2023 press described a section through the San Rossore park. It reaches Viale del Tirreno in Tirrenia at 19 km and runs on to the southern turn at about 22 km, 14.6 km from the start in a straight line. The crowds are thin here, and the runners pass in groups.
Km 21 to 31: Marina di Pisa and the river mouth. The course returns north up Viale del Tirreno at 23 to 25 km and reaches Marina di Pisa by the Via Litoranea at 26 km, with a short glimpse of the sea. It follows the cycle path and Via Ciurini at 28 and 29 km and reaches the river mouth at the Lungarno D'Annunzio at about 30 km. The organiser's half-way gate is at 21.1 km at 3h15 and the 30 km gate is at 4h35, so pace for the gates and not only for the 6h30 finish. A runner slower than 8:30 a kilometre must obey the traffic rules, and officials stop runners who miss a gate.
Km 31 to 42.2: Viale D'Annunzio and the Tower. The final 10 km follow the long avenue back to the city: Viale D'Annunzio at 31 to 38 km through San Piero a Grado and CEP, Via Conte Fazio at 40 km at Porta a Mare, the Lungarno Simonelli at 41 km and Via Roma at 42 km. The course crosses the Ponte della Cittadella, runs along Via Santa Maria and finishes in Piazza del Duomo. The crowds return in the last kilometres, and the Tower is in view at the end.
Along the Lungarni and out through Porta a Mare to San Piero a Grado. Open and flat.
Via Bigattiera and the San Rossore area to the southern turn. Thin crowds.
Back north to the coast and the river mouth. The 30 km gate is at 4h35.
A long avenue, the city streets and the finish in Piazza del Duomo.
Course Map
The line is the 2025 route, which follows the organiser's 2026 street sequence. The 2026 street map has not been published. Tap a marker for the start, finish 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
The organiser's 2026 grid lists pacers by colour, and the colour follows the bib colour and grid. Fit-walking guides are listed at 5:30, 5:45 and 6:00. There are no pacers on the red elite grid. The organiser describes the green grid as for runners over 4:30, which leaves a gap for 4:15 to 4:30, so rely on your assigned bib colour. Paces are computed from 42.195 km.
| Target time | Colour | Pace per km |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | Orange | 4:16 |
| 3:15 | Orange | 4:37 |
| 3:30 | Orange | 4:59 |
| 3:45 | Blue | 5:20 |
| 4:00 | Blue | 5:41 |
| 4:15 | Blue | 6:03 |
| 4:30 | Green | 6:24 |
| 4:45 | Green | 6:45 |
| 5:00 | Green | 7:07 |
| 5:15 | Green | 7:28 |
| 5:30 | Green | 7:49 |
| 5:45 | Green | 8:10 |
| 6:00 | Green | 8:32 |
The 6h30 limit has two intermediate gates: 3 hours 15 minutes at the half way point and 4 hours 35 minutes at 30 km. Pace for the gates. Officials stop runners who miss them.
The organiser provides no showers or changing rooms. Bring a dry layer for the finish and book a hotel close to the Tower.
Pisa in the week before Christmas is cold and can be wet or foggy. Runners in 2024 described a cold, wet start. The 09:00 gun means a wait in the grids, so bring a throwaway layer or a bin bag.
The coast has little shelter, and a wind off the sea can feel colder than the number on the forecast, so choose gloves and a light hat that you can take off. Dress for the second half, when you will be running through open ground, and not for the start. The bag drop is in Piazza del Duomo, and the organiser provides no showers or changing rooms, so pack a dry layer for the finish. Check the forecast in race week.
Entry
Entry is open and online through ENDU, with no ballot, and a cap of 2,200 for the marathon and 2,300 for the half marathon. The 2026 marathon fee rises in steps (table below), and the thresholds can bring a rise earlier than the date. At about €1 to £0.858, €69 is about £59 and €79 about £68, before charges. Online entry closes on 14 December. In 2025 the last-minute fee at the expo was €80.
To run competitively, you need a 2026 FIDAL membership, a RunCard with an athletics competitive medical certificate, a RunCard EPS with a matching certificate, or a card from a federation affiliated to World Athletics with a signed self-declaration. Foreign runners without a licence can enter as unranked tourist participants, with services but no ranking or prize. You must be born in 2006 or earlier. The organiser's page gives the RunCard certificate as valid until 21/12, although the race is on 20 December, so check the portal before you travel.
Fees are not refundable. You can ask for a transfer to the next edition or to another person by 9 December 2026, for a €10 administrative fee, and the new runner needs new paperwork.
No Sunday bib collection. Collect your bib in Viale Duomo on Friday 18 December from 12:00 to 20:00 or Saturday 19 December from 10:00 to 22:00. The expo is in a new place for 2026.
| Registration window (2026) | Marathon fee |
|---|---|
| Until 24 February or 300 entrants | €49 (about £42) |
| Until 3 June or 1,000 entrants | €59 (about £51) |
| Until 30 November or 1,700 entrants | €69 (about £59) |
| 1 to 14 December or 2,200 entrants | €79 (about £68) |
Fast runner standards
There are no guaranteed-entry or qualifying standards.
Pisa Marathon: official site →Race Weekend
Expo Village and bib collection
The Expo Village moves to Viale Duomo, beside the Leaning Tower, for the first time in 2026. It is open on Friday 18 December from 12:00 to 20:00 and on Saturday 19 December from 10:00 to 22:00. There is no bib collection on Sunday. The organiser sends a confirmation letter about a week before the race.
Bring photo ID, the letter, and any federation card or medical certificate. Someone else may collect your bib with a signed authorisation, their own ID and a copy of yours, and one person may collect only one bib on behalf of others.
Getting to the start
Runners gather at Largo Cocco Griffi from 08:00, and the start grids close at 08:45. The marathon and the Pisanina half marathon start at 09:00, the Paralympic start is at 08:45 and the Christmas Run starts at 09:15. The organiser's page speaks of two waves, but the 09:15 listing seems to be the Christmas Run and not a second marathon wave, so check the final instructions.
The bag drop is in Piazza del Duomo, with bags accepted from 07:00 and due by 08:30, and you must use the label the organiser supplies. Portable toilets are in the Via Cammeo car park near the start. The organiser provides no showers or changing rooms and mentions no shuttle. It suggests parking in lots farther from the start to avoid the restricted traffic zone, so walking from a hotel near the Tower is the most reliable plan. The Sunday train and bus service, the restricted-zone rules and any strike notice for 20 December have not been published, so check them in race week.
Nutrition on course
The organiser promises aid every 5 km. The products and the 2026 station list have not been published. A pacer who ran in 2024 saw water, fruit, electrolyte drink and hot tea, which were the 2024 offer and not a promise for 2026. Food and drink from outside supporters away from the authorised tables is prohibited, so rely on the stations or carry your own.
The coast section has long gaps between supporters, and the wind can chill you, so plan to take a gel at intervals that suit you. Fuel you have tested in training is safer than anything handed out on the day.
Spectating
The best place to watch is Piazza del Duomo, where the marathon finishes in front of the Leaning Tower, and Largo Cocco Griffi for the start. The Lungarni and Porta a Mare give a second sighting on foot, subject to barriers. The course leaves the city for long stretches, so a supporter who wants crowds and noise should stay in the centre. A runner in 2024 found the crowd thin outside the city and louder in the last kilometres.
Marina di Pisa and Tirrenia give a single sighting on the coast, but you need your own transport, and there is no assured quick return to the Tower. Do not plan to drive along the course. A runner at the 6h30 limit finishes at about 15:30 on gun time.
- Start at Largo Cocco Griffi for the 09:00 gun
- Walk to the Lungarni or Porta a Mare and watch the field pass
- Walk to Piazza del Duomo and wait for the finish
Post-race food
No hot meal is promised. The organiser promises aid and a finisher medal. The finish is beside the Leaning Tower, which is a tourist district, so there are plenty of places to sit, but you should book a table for Sunday lunch before the race and check the hours with the restaurant.
A Tuscan lunch might include ribollita, a thick bread and vegetable soup, or cecina, a chickpea flatbread that is a speciality of Pisa. A runner finishing near the 6h30 limit arrives at about 15:30, when many kitchens are on a break.
Where to Stay
Stay within walking distance of the Tower. The expo, bag drop and finish are in the Tower area, and the start is at Largo Cocco Griffi.
Duomo and Via Santa Maria
The best base. The expo, the bag drop and the finish are a short walk, and the streets have restaurants. It is the most expensive area.
Lungarni and the centre
A central position with restaurants and a short walk to the Tower. It is on the course, so check the road closures.
Pisa Centrale
Practical for the train and airport link, but about 1.6 km from the Tower. Check the Sunday bus times.
Marina di Pisa and Tirrenia
Quiet coastal places, but the race-morning transfer is awkward and the road closures make it harder.
A 2024 pacer stayed in a hotel next to the Tower and liked it. Check the entrance and the Saturday check-in time.
Recommended hotels
On Via Santa Maria, which is on the final kilometres of the course. Confirm access on race morning and breakfast hours.
In the old centre near the Tower. Confirm the rate and the walk to Largo Cocco Griffi.
Booking timeline
The marathon fee is €69 until 30 November and €79 from 1 December, and thresholds can raise the price earlier. Enter before 30 November, and book a cancellable room near the Tower as soon as your entry is confirmed.
Prepare your federation card, RunCard and certificate, or the tourist waiver. Name and edition transfers close on 9 December. Online entry closes on 14 December. Collect your bib on Friday 18 or Saturday 19 December, since there is no Sunday collection. In race week, check the forecast, the rail and flight times and the city's road notice.
See & Do
Distances are from Piazza del Duomo, the finish.
Piazza del Duomo and the Leaning Tower
The cathedral, the Baptistery and the Leaning Tower on one flat lawn. Book the tower ticket through the official channel and check the winter hours.
The Lungarni
The riverside streets along the Arno, on the course near the start. A flat walk, good in the evening.
San Piero a Grado
A Romanesque basilica on the course at about 11 km. Needs a bus or taxi.
Marina di Pisa
The coastal village that the course reaches near 30 km. Reached by bus. Check the December service.
After the Race
The race is on a Sunday in the week before Christmas, so recovery days start on the Monday. Take a train to Livorno, Lucca or Florence, or a bus to Marina di Pisa.
A port city with canals, a market and a seafront promenade. A short ride and flat streets.
The coastal village the course reaches near 30 km, with a sea promenade and a river mouth. A quiet place in December.
A walled city with a flat, tree-lined walk along the top of its ramparts. A simple overnight by train.
The Renaissance capital in its Christmas week. Two nights, with the main museums booked ahead and a plan for Monday closures.