It is a beautiful Sunday morning in March in the Eternal City. My six-year old and I have laced up our sneakers, put on our race shirts and numbers, and are standing in front of the Coliseum alongside almost 100,000 other participants in the 15th Annual Roman Marathon.

To be precise, we are not a part of the race, the 15,000 runners who will be running an impressive 42 kilometers and 195 meters today. Rather, my son and I are taking part in the Fun Run, an enjoyable 4.2195 km race (an achievable one-tenth of the main event) through the heart of ancient Rome.

The Fun Run participants start immediately after the Marathon runners are underway. That doesn’t stop my son, however, from telling everyone he meets “I’m running in the Marathon – for the second time!”

Last year, when my son was five, I signed us up. Since we live close to the starting line, I figured we could give it a try and return home if it was too difficult for him. He loved it—the excitement, the crowds, running through beautiful Rome without a car in sight. Every time he started to slow down, someone from the side would cheer him on or someone running alongside us would yell out “Bravo!” and that would keep him going. For the past year, he has been asking me when we could run it again.

I can understand his enthusiasm.

I generally like to jog on a Sunday morning and while, admittedly, the workout is better when you aren’t running amongst 100,000 people, the atmosphere is fantastic. Romans, tourists, school groups and children from all over the world are out to run, walk and have a great time.

The course takes you from the Coliseum, up through the Roman Forum and on to Piazza Venezia before going past the Trajan Market and Via Nazionale. Runners then cut through the neighborhoods of Monti and Esquilino before ending in the fantastic park of Colle Oppio where a downhill stretch leads you back towards the Coliseum (what a view!) and the finish line.

We’re back in time to get good places to watch the real champions clock in. The winner this year is the Kenyan runner Benjamin Kiptoo Kolum, crossing the finish line in a remarkable 2 hours and 7 minutes. There are really people who average 21 kilometers an hour and make it look easy. My son looks at me and tells me that he would like to do the “big” race in a few years. I tell him that I will be happy for him and support him fully—by cheering him on from the sidelines.

Practical information

If your travels take you through Rome next March – why not consider an alternate way to enjoy the city with your family? The Roman Marathon is held each year in March, generally the third Sunday of the month. Information is available in English on the Rome Marathon web site. Sign-ups can take place for the Fun Run up to the day before the race. Entry fee is 7 euro and includes the race T-shirt.

May 13th, 2009 | by Kimberly Sullivan 3 comments