The Race
| Next Race Date | Sunday 31 January 2027 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Point-to-point (Rapallo to Santa Margherita Ligure) |
| Registration | Open, online |
| Ballot opens | Not applicable |
| Start | Chiosco della Musica, Rapallo seafront, 09:15 |
| Finish | Piazza Martiri della Libertà, Santa Margherita Ligure |
| Total finishers | To be Confirmed |
| Avg race-day temp | To be Confirmed |
| Cutoff time | 6 hours, with a gate at about 16 km |
| Free race-day transport | No |
| Course certification | FIDAL Type A (national) |
History
The Portofino Marathon is a young race built on an old one. The Mezza Maratona Internazionale delle Due Perle, run between Santa Margherita Ligure and Rapallo, had held 18 editions by the time the full marathon arrived. The first marathon ran on 2 February 2025 under ASD Atletica Due Perle. Julien Gueydon of France won in 2:30:18 and Ilaria Bergaglio won the women's race in 2:58:31, in about 15°C with occasional sun. Race reports counted 290 individual finishers and 69 four-person relay teams.
That first course started in Santa Margherita, reached Portofino by an inland climb, crossed the piazzetta, and ran north towards Rapallo before returning through Santa Margherita for two further round trips to Portofino. The 6-hour limit was enforced by a gate at the 16 km mark in Rapallo.
The second marathon ran on 18 January 2026. Mustapha Boussifi and Ilaria Bergaglio were reported as the winners; the winning times were not available. The next edition is the third, and the start for the full has moved to the Rapallo seafront.
FIDAL's register lists a Portofino Marathon, Type A, valid to December 2030, under Santa Margherita. No World Athletics label is listed. Course records are not published, and with the start line and the layout changing between the first and later editions, a record from 2025 may not describe the same route.
The course
The marathon starts at the Chiosco della Musica on the Rapallo seafront at 09:15 and finishes in Piazza Martiri della Libertà, Santa Margherita Ligure. Between them it follows the coast road along the western side of the Tigullio Gulf. The organiser's description names the Abbazia della Cervara, the Baia di Paraggi and a turn in the Portofino piazzetta, with the sea on one side and the pines of the Monte di Portofino on the other.
The course is not a single straight run. It runs west to Santa Margherita and back to Rapallo, loops through the Rapallo hills, passes the start area near km 16 where a gate is set, and then returns to Santa Margherita for two round trips to Portofino, turning at about km 26 and km 37. The finish square is passed at about km 5, 21 and 32 before the last arrival.
The organiser calls the profile mostly level with slight undulations, and the coast has bends and short climbs: the SRTM profile reads up to about 38 m, with a 35 m climb in the first 4 km. No ascent figure is published. Confirm the final map, because the organiser's page still shows a 2026 image and says the route may change.
Kilometre by kilometre
Kilometre positions are approximate to a kilometre or two and must be rechecked against the final map.
Km 0 to 5: Rapallo to Santa Margherita. The gun fires at 09:15 on the Lungomare Vittorio Veneto in Rapallo. The first leg runs west on Via San Michele di Pagana, climbing about 35 m over 2.6 km (1.3%) from 1.5 km to a high point of about 32 m at 4 km, and then drops 27 m to Piazza Vittorio Veneto in Santa Margherita Ligure at about 5 km. The field is packed here with relay starters and a family run using parts of the same road, so look for the marathon bibs and signs before settling into pace.
Km 5 to 21: back through Rapallo. The route returns up Via San Michele di Pagana to about 30 m at 6 km, drops to Rapallo and loops into the hills above the town by Via Amendola at 8 km, Viale Torino at 9 km and Via del Costaguta Ronco at 10 km, to its high point of 38 m on Via San Massimo at about 11 km. It comes back down through Rapallo at 13 to 15 km and passes Via Langano near the start at about 16 km, where the organiser sets its gate. It then runs out again on Via San Michele di Pagana at 17 to 19 km and reaches Santa Margherita at 20 km. Piazza Caprera, the halfway point, is at 21 km.
Km 21 to 32: the first Portofino turn. From Santa Margherita the coast road climbs gently along the Lungomare Rossetti at 23 and 24 km, past the Abbazia della Cervara and the Baia di Paraggi, to Via Duca degli Abruzzi at 25 km, about 30 m. The Portofino turn is at about 26 km, on the Paraggi to Portofino road, close to the piazzetta, and the route returns along the Lungomare Rossetti at 29 and 30 km to Santa Margherita at about 31 km. The finish square is passed again at about 32 km.
Km 32 to 42.2: the second Portofino turn. The course repeats the coast road: the Lungomare Rossetti at 33 and 34 km, Via Paraggi a monte at 35 km and Via Duca degli Abruzzi at 36 km, with the second turn on Via Roma in Portofino at about 37 km. It returns through Paraggi at 39 km and the Lungomare Rossetti at 40 and 41 km, and finishes in Piazza Martiri della Libertà after Corso Marconi.
Bends and short rises make the coast road slower than its profile suggests, and the repeated Paraggi section means the last 15 km are the same road you have already run. Save something for it.
A crowded first leg on Via San Michele di Pagana, with a 35 m rise and fall and relay and family runners nearby. Find your own signs and hold back.
Back through Rapallo, a loop into the hills to about 38 m, and the gate near km 16. Then on to the halfway point in Santa Margherita.
The Cervara abbey, Paraggi bay and the Portofino turn at about 26 km, then the same road back. Ease the pace on the short rises.
The same coast road again, with the finish square in Santa Margherita at the end. The last third is the part of the course you already know.
Course Map
The official 2027 map has not been published. Tap a marker for the start, finish and railway stations 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
No official marathon pacer service or target times have been published. The half marathon's pacers do not apply.
The full starts in Rapallo and finishes in Santa Margherita Ligure. A short train links them, but the half marathon starts in Santa Margherita, so check which start line your bib belongs to.
The organiser's rules set a gate in Rapallo at about 16 km at 10:50. That is about 95 minutes after the 09:15 gun, or roughly 5:56 a kilometre, which is much quicker than the 6-hour overall limit suggests. Confirm it in writing before you choose a pace plan.
The course goes from Santa Margherita to Portofino and back twice. The last third repeats the road you ran between km 21 and km 32.
Late January on the Ligurian coast is cool, damp and changeable, and the gun fires at 09:15, which leaves a wait at the start. The first edition was reported at about 15°C with occasional sun. Bring a throwaway layer for the Rapallo seafront, where wind off the water can chill a field standing still.
The road is exposed along the coast, with shade from the Monte di Portofino pines in places. Light gloves and a hat can come off by mid-race. A cap helps in rain, which is possible, and a dry kit change in the bag is worth carrying for the finish. Check the forecast in race week, because winter weather on this coast can turn within a day.
Entry
Entry is online and open, first come, first served, with no ballot. The organiser can close entry at 2,000, which may cover all races on the weekend. The fee bands rise through the season (table below), each with a €2 service charge. At about €1 to £0.858, the first band is about £34 before card and foreign-exchange costs. Fees are not refundable.
Competitive entry needs one of three things: a current FIDAL card, a card from a foreign athletics federation affiliated to World Athletics with a declaration, or a RunCard or RunCard-EPS with an athletics-specific competitive medical certificate. The medical certificate or card data must be uploaded through the ENDU portal by the tenth day before the race, which is about 21 January. A foreign resident without an athletics card can sign the tourist waiver, which gives a time but no ranking, category or prize. A foreign RunCard certificate may be issued abroad but must record the examinations the organiser lists: a medical examination, a urinalysis, a resting and exercise ECG and spirometry.
A deferral to the following year costs €10 and must be made by 15 January. A transfer to another runner by the same date costs €30 plus fees, and the new runner must meet the eligibility rules. These are separate choices. The organiser's regulation has stale details, including the edition number, the membership year and the birth-year examples for the age rule, so confirm the age limit with the organiser before an under-21 runner books.
| Registration window | Marathon fee (plus €2) |
|---|---|
| To 12 October 2026 | €40 (about £34) |
| 13 October to 30 November | €50 (about £43) |
| December | €70 (about £60) |
| 1 to 11 January | €90 (about £77) |
| On site on the Saturday, if bibs remain | €99 (about £85) |
Fast runner standards
There are no guaranteed-entry or qualifying standards.
Portofino Marathon: official site →Race Weekend
Bib collection
Bibs are collected at two places. On the Saturday before the race the desk is open from 10:00 to 20:00 at the middle school in Piazza Roccatagliata, Santa Margherita Ligure. On the Sunday it is open from 07:00 to 08:45 at the Chiosco della Musica in Rapallo, which is the start. Collect on the Saturday if you can, because the Sunday window closes 30 minutes before the gun and the desk is at the start line.
Bring photo ID and the confirmation email, which can be shown on a phone, along with the card or certificate that proves your eligibility. The Sunday on-site entry rule is unclear: the entry page says new entries on the Saturday only, at €99 while bibs last, and the rules suggest otherwise, so do not rely on entering on the day. The school gym in Piazza Roccatagliata also has showers after the finish.
Getting to the start
The full starts at 09:15 on the Rapallo seafront, and the finish is in Santa Margherita Ligure, so the logistics run one way. A runner who sleeps in Santa Margherita has to get to Rapallo for the start and back from it afterwards. The two towns are next to each other on the coast road and on the Genoa to La Spezia railway, with their stations about 2 km apart in a straight line. A runner sleeping in Rapallo walks to the start and has to return by train or taxi after the finish.
The organiser offers free parking at the sports field in Santa Margherita from 07:00 to 18:00, with a shuttle to the start. The leaflet that sets out the shuttle times has not been published in the sources, so confirm the schedule before relying on it. A noon return bus is mentioned for the family run and may not apply to marathoners. Confirm whether any transport carries finishers back to Rapallo.
Chemical toilets are reported at the Vittorio Veneto seafront parking, and showers are at the middle-school gym in Piazza Roccatagliata. The organiser promises a clothing bag deposit but does not give the 2027 window or the drop point, so check the final guide. The relay and family runners use parts of the road, so keep your bib colour and the course signs in view. Allow extra time on race morning for rail strikes, road closures and the winter timetable. Do not plan to drive into Rapallo, because the seafront is closed.
Nutrition on course
The organiser's information page says aid stations stand every 5 km, with refreshments at the finish. The exact food, drinks, sponge points and brands have not been published.
The Portofino turns and the repeated Paraggi stretch mean you will pass the same stations more than once, so note on the first pass where the water is. The coast road has little shade for long stretches in the day, but in January sun is a smaller risk than cold and wind. Drink to thirst, take fuel you have tested in training, and avoid trying new gels on race day.
Spectating
The easiest place to see a runner is Piazza Martiri della Libertà in Santa Margherita, where the finish is. The course passes through Santa Margherita at about km 5, km 21 and km 32, and then finishes there, so a spectator who stays in or near the square sees the field several times without a transfer. The seafront in Rapallo is the second option, for the start and the gate at about km 16.
Portofino itself is a harder place to watch. The coast road is single and closes for the race, and the piazzetta is a small space. The Paraggi bay lies between Santa Margherita and Portofino and has a short approach on foot from the Santa Margherita side, but check the final map and the closure orders before planning this.
- Start at the Rapallo seafront for the 09:15 gun
- Take a train to Santa Margherita Ligure
- Watch at Piazza Martiri della Libertà at about km 5 and km 21
- Stay for the finish
Post-race food
The finish refreshments are the only food the organiser promises, so plan the first meal yourself. Liguria's dishes are well suited to a hungry runner: trofie pasta with pesto, a salty focaccia, and the cheese-filled focaccia of nearby Recco.
Winter seaside restaurants can close for the season or keep short hours, and kitchens often shut in the afternoon, so book a table before race day and ask whether the restaurant is open on Sunday. A runner finishing near the 6-hour limit arrives after 15:00, when many kitchens are on a break.
Where to Stay
Stay near the finish. Santa Margherita Ligure holds the finish square, the Saturday bib desk, the showers and the free parking, and a train takes you to the Rapallo start in a few minutes. That one-way logistic is the reason to base yourself here and not in Rapallo, where the start is but the finish is not.
Santa Margherita Ligure
The best base for a runner. The seafront and the centre are flat, and the finish square is a short walk from most central hotels. The Saturday bib desk is at the middle school in Piazza Roccatagliata, and showers are there after the race. Allow time on race morning for the one-stop train to Rapallo.
Rapallo
Convenient for the start and the Sunday bib desk. A runner here walks to the gun, but must return by train or taxi from Santa Margherita after the finish. The race passes through Rapallo twice, near km 8 and km 16.
Portofino and Paraggi
The scenic choice, with the highest prices and the most difficult access, because the single coast road closes for the race. Choose it only with a proven way to reach the Rapallo start.
Genoa
A larger and cheaper base by train, but the journey to Rapallo on a winter Sunday morning needs a checked timetable. This is a choice for a runner who values the city more than the walk to the start.
The start is on the Sunday morning and the finish is in a different town, so book a cancellable room in Santa Margherita once the entry is confirmed, and check the train timetable for race morning.
Recommended hotels
A central hotel for a runner who wants the finish square and the Saturday bib desk close by. Confirm January opening, rates and an early breakfast.
A seafront hotel on the Paraggi road, on the course between 22 and 23 km. Check winter opening and the walk to the station.
Booking timeline
Book entry first. The cheapest fee band (€40 plus €2) runs to 12 October and the price climbs through the winter to €90 in January. A runner who wants a room in Santa Margherita should book it when the entry is confirmed, because late January is outside the main season and the number of open hotels on the coast is smaller than in summer. Choose a cancellable rate.
Genoa airport is the nearest, a short rail ride from the coast, and Pisa and Milan are alternatives with longer transfers. Before travelling, confirm the final map, the shuttle times and the Sunday train timetable in race week. The deferral and transfer deadline is 15 January.
See & Do
Distances are from Piazza Martiri della Libertà in Santa Margherita. Check opening hours for January.
Santa Margherita seafront and harbour
A flat promenade beside the harbour, level enough for tired legs, and the easiest first walk after the race.
Villa Durazzo park
A public park and villa near the centre of Santa Margherita with gentle paths. Check January opening and any entry fee.
Portofino piazzetta
The harbour square where the course turns. Visit it on a non-race day, by bus or boat if running, and check the winter service.
After the Race
The race is on a Sunday in January, so recovery days start on the Monday. Take a train to Camogli, Sestri Levante, Genoa or the Cinque Terre.
A fishing town of tall painted houses on a pebble beach, a short flat promenade and a castle on the rock. Easy on tired legs, and close enough for an afternoon.
A town between two bays, with a flat seafront promenade and the sheltered Baia del Silenzio. A quiet recovery day.
A port city of narrow alleys, palaces on Via Garibaldi, the aquarium and the old harbour. A flat core with steep steps on the hill streets.
The five coastal villages and the harbour at Portovenere, by train in winter when trails and boats are limited. Check which paths are open.