The Race
| Next Race Date | Sunday 13 December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Loop (out to Montecavolo and back to the centre) |
| Registration | Open, online (2,000 cap) |
| Ballot opens | Not applicable |
| Start | Corso Garibaldi, 09:00 |
| Finish | Corso Garibaldi |
| Total finishers | To be Confirmed |
| Avg race-day temp | To be Confirmed |
| Cutoff time | 6 hours, with a 3-hour halfway gate |
| Free race-day transport | No |
| Course certification | FIDAL national Silver, Type A homologated |
History
The Maratona di Reggio Emilia Città del Tricolore has been a December fixture since 1996 and reaches its 30th edition in 2026. The edition count is more reliable than counting calendar years, because not every year may have taken place. The race has hosted Italian national championships in the past, and the regional organiser recalls a peak of about 3,300 arrivals in a year it does not name. That figure should not be read as current capacity.
FIDAL reported about 1,600 marathon runners, 1,200 half marathon runners and more than 700 in the Run4Charity at the 2025 event, which is a combined crowd and not 3,500 marathon starters. The half marathon is a newer addition. It starts in Montecavolo and runs the second part of the marathon course.
The race celebrates the Italian tricolour, which was first adopted in Reggio Emilia in 1797, and Parmigiano Reggiano branding runs through the event. FIDAL lists it as a national Silver race on a Type A homologated route. No World Athletics label has been verified. Course records for the 2026 route are not published.
The course
The marathon starts on Corso Garibaldi in the historic centre at 09:00 and follows the organiser's 2026 street list: Via Emilia and the central squares, then west and south along the Lungo Crostolo through Villa Levi and Ghiarda to Montecavolo, and back through San Rigo, Martiri della Bettola and Viale Umberto I to Corso Garibaldi. It is a city-centre portion, an outer leg and a return, not a repeated central loop.
The plain is flat and the route climbs gently towards the foothills. The profile rises from about 60 m in the city to about 149 m at Montecavolo near 22 km, at under 1 per cent on average, and falls back to about 63 m at the finish. FIDAL certifies the course as Type A.
Kilometre by kilometre
Kilometre positions come from the route and are approximate to about half a kilometre. Recheck them against the 2026 map.
Km 0 to 6: the historic centre. The gun fires at 09:00 on Corso Garibaldi. The route loops through the centre and the ring: Viale Isonzo at 1 km, Piazza della Vittoria at 2 km, the Via Emilia at San Pietro at 3 km, Viale Monte Grappa at 4 km and Piazza Gioberti at 5 km, on flat ground at 56 to 64 m. Take the centre conservatively, because the field is packed.
Km 6 to 19: out along the Via Fratelli Rosselli and the Via Ghiarda. The course leaves the city south-west by Via Zanichelli and Via Unione Sovietica at 6 and 7 km, then follows Via Fratelli Rosselli at 9 and 10 km and Via Oliviero Ruozzi at 12 and 13 km, past Codemondo and Coviolo. It climbs 43 m over 7.3 km from 7 km, to about 99 m on Via Ghiarda at 14 km, then continues on Via Orlando Strozzi through Rivalta at 16 to 18 km. Aid stations stand every 5 km.
Halfway gate. The organiser sets a gate at halfway, around Via Montegrappa in Montecavolo at about 21 km, with a time of 3 hours. The half marathon starts at Montecavolo, so the field around the turn may be thin. A runner aiming for a finish near the 6-hour limit has little slack at the gate.
Km 21 to 33: Montecavolo and the return. The route reaches its high point, about 149 m, on Via Vespucci in Montecavolo at 22 km, turns on Via Circonvallazione and Via Piave at 23 to 25 km, and comes back by San Bartolomeo (Via Dante Freddi at 26 km and Via della Polita at 28 km). It rejoins Via Orlando Strozzi at 29 km and Via Ghiarda at 32 km, and falls from about 134 m to about 89 m at Via San Rigo at 33 km, which helps a tired runner, though wind on the open plain may not.
Km 33 to 42: back to the centre. The route returns by Via Oliviero Ruozzi at 34 km and Via Fratelli Rosselli at 35 km, then Via Guittone d'Arezzo and Via Martiri della Bettola at 36 and 37 km, and follows the Crostolo cycle path at 38 to 40 km. It reaches Via Bonifazio Asioli at 41 km and finishes on Corso Garibaldi. The last 5 km are flat.
A packed start on Corso Garibaldi, the Via Emilia and the ring road. Take it conservatively.
A gradual rise of about 85 m from the city to the foothills, on Via Rosselli, Via Ghiarda and Via Strozzi. The only sustained climb, at under 1 per cent.
The high point of about 149 m at 22 km, then downhill and into the wind on open ground. The 3-hour gate is behind you.
Flat roads and the Crostolo cycle path into the centre and the finish.
Course Map
The map shows the route of a recent edition. Tap a marker for the start, finish, Centro Maratona and the gate, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
Pacers
The 2026 rules guarantee a pacer service in which the pacers also act as race controllers, but the 2026 target-time list is not in the rules. The 2025 bands are shown; confirm them before relying on them. Paces per kilometre are computed from 42.195 km.
| Target time | Pace per km |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 5:30 | 7:49 |
| 6:00 | 8:32 |
The organiser sets a gate at halfway with a time of 3 hours. A runner aiming for a finish near the 6-hour limit has little slack, and a missed gate takes you out of the race.
Reggio Emilia has a central station on the edge of the old town and a separate high-speed station, the AV Mediopadana, outside the city. Check which one your train uses.
Reggio Emilia counts towards the HypER 5 circuit with Bologna, Parma, Ravenna and Rimini. Register for the circuit separately.
Mid-December on the Emilia plain is cold, often foggy or damp, and the gun fires at 09:00 after a wait in the centre. Bring a throwaway layer for the start.
The plain is open on the return leg, so a windproof layer under your race top can help. Gloves and a hat can come off by mid-race. A dry change for the finish is worth carrying in the bag. Check the forecast in race week.
Entry
Entry is online and open, with a cap of 2,000 registrations and no ballot. The 2026 fee tiers are in the table below. Earlier tiers of €42 to June and €45 from July to August have passed. At about €1 to £0.858, the current tiers are roughly £43, £51, £60 and £69. A Coop Alleanza promotion offered €10 off the October rate to members who emailed their card in October.
Competitive entry needs one of three things: a 2026 FIDAL club card, a RunCard with a valid athletics-specific competitive medical certificate, or membership of a foreign athletics federation recognised by World Athletics. Runners must be 20 or over by birth year. A foreign non-resident athlete without a federation card can enter as a tourist with a signed health declaration, with no official ranking and no prize. The rules give no firm deadline for sending documents, so send them well before travel.
A deferral to the next edition or a transfer to another runner by Sunday 15 November costs €9. The rules' wording is awkward, so confirm the transaction you want by email. Reggio Emilia is part of the HypER 5 circuit with Bologna, Parma, Ravenna and Rimini. Register for the circuit separately.
| Registration window (2026) | Marathon fee |
|---|---|
| 1 September to 31 October | €50 (about £43) |
| 1 to 24 November | €60 (about £51) |
| 25 November to 4 December | €70 (about £60) |
| Saturday 12 December, if places remain | €80 (about £69) |
Fast runner standards
There are no guaranteed-entry or qualifying standards.
Maratona di Reggio Emilia: official site →Race Weekend
Centro Maratona
The Centro Maratona is in the Palazzetto dello Sport Giulio Bigi on Via Guasco, about 0.2 km from Corso Garibaldi. It is open on Saturday from 10:00 to 19:30 and on Sunday from 07:00 to 08:30. The organiser's short how-to page gives a Sunday cut-off of 08:15, so plan to collect before then.
Bring photo ID and your confirmation email, which can be shown on a phone, along with the membership, certificate or tourist declaration you arranged with the organiser. Someone else can collect your bib with the organiser's form or a signed note. The hall is in a pedestrian zone. Parking is advertised within about 1 km, but no 2026 car park was checked.
Getting to the start
The Centro Maratona on Via Guasco opens at 07:00, bag drop runs from 07:30 to 08:30 with a bib-stickered bag, and the gun fires at 09:00 on Corso Garibaldi. Strollers start at about 08:55, with at most 15 entries. The start, the bags and the finish are all in the centre within a short walk, so the best plan is to sleep near Corso Garibaldi and walk. Personal supplies can be left at a table at the main Centro Maratona entrance between 07:30 and 08:20.
Reggio Emilia has two railway stations, and they are not the same. The central station is on the edge of the old town. The AV Mediopadana is a separate high-speed station outside the city. Check which one your train uses and how you will reach the centre. The organiser announced a paid coach from Padua, Ferrara and Bologna at €25 (from Padua or Ferrara) or €20 (from Bologna), with a booking deadline of 20 November. Departure times were pending.
Sunday first trains, strike notices for race day and street closures are not published. Leave extra time to walk from the station or your hotel.
Nutrition on course
Aid stations stand at the start, at the finish and every 5 km. They serve water, tea, sports supplements and solid food such as biscuits and fruit. Brands, gel compatibility and the placement of personal supplies along the route are not published.
Drink to thirst, because the day is cool, and use fuel you have trained with.
Spectating
Corso Garibaldi is the start and the finish, and the easiest place for repeated viewing. The course loops through the centre for the first 6 km and returns along the Crostolo for the last 4 km, so a supporter in the old town can see the field early and late without transport.
A second option is Montecavolo, but it needs road access and transport that are not confirmed, and the half starts there, which may confuse sighting times. Final 2026 route closures and a live tracker were not found.
- Watch the 09:00 start on Corso Garibaldi
- Stay in the centre for the return and the finish
Post-race food
The organiser promises a finish refreshment and nothing more, so plan your first meal yourself. This is Parmigiano Reggiano country, and the local dishes are cappelletti in broth, tortelli filled with greens and ricotta, and erbazzone, a savoury pie of greens and cheese.
Sunday lunch service in a mid-size city can be short, so book a table before race day and ask whether the kitchen is open when you expect to finish.
Where to Stay
Stay in the historic centre. The start, the finish, the bag drop and the expo are all within a short walk of Corso Garibaldi and Via Guasco.
Historic centre
The best base. The streets are flat and pedestrianised, which makes car drop-off awkward, but a runner on foot has no race-morning transfer.
Near the central station
A workable option. Plan a short walk or taxi before the gun. The central station is on the edge of the old town.
Near the AV Mediopadana station
Convenient for a high-speed arrival, but the station is outside the city and a transfer is needed. Do not treat it as the central station.
Montecavolo and the suburbs
Less convenient for a start in the centre.
The cap is 2,000 and December lodging is limited, so book a cancellable room in the centre once your entry is confirmed.
Recommended hotels
A historic hotel in the old town. Confirm December opening, rates and the early breakfast.
A hotel near the central station. Confirm the walk to Corso Garibaldi and the Sunday breakfast.
Booking timeline
Enter within the €50 tier by 31 October, or before the cap fills. The deferral and transfer deadline is 15 November, and the coach booking deadline is 20 November. The €70 tier ends on 4 December. Reserve a cancellable room in the centre as soon as your entry is confirmed.
Fly into Bologna, which is the plausible rail hub, and check the onward schedule. Check the route, the weather, rail disruption and the bib timing in race week.
See & Do
Distances are straight-line from Corso Garibaldi. Check December opening hours and Monday closures.
Basilica della Ghiara
A seventeenth-century church with a painted dome, beside Corso Garibaldi. Check opening hours.
Sala del Tricolore
The town hall room where the green, white and red flag was adopted, and the reason for the race's name.
Palazzo dei Musei
The city's civic collections. Check the winter schedule and Monday closures.
After the Race
The race is on a Sunday in December, so recovery days start on the Monday. Parma, Modena and Bologna are an easy train ride along the Via Emilia.
A flat loop of squares, the room where the Italian flag was adopted and a basilica with a painted dome, all within a short walk of the finish.
A compact, flat city of a cathedral and baptistery, a theatre and a food culture built on ham and cheese.
One night in Modena for vinegar, cathedral and market, then one in Bologna for porticoes and pasta.
A slow rail route with one night in each city and one or two seated experiences planned per day.