I am training for IMFL in 2007 and going to use the Rome Marathon as one of my marathons to get ready for it. I am also going to use it as a family vacation. I’ll probably stay over there for a week or so. Give me some input about this thing. Let me know about the race, course, etc and also about the surrounding area and places to visit on my vacaction. Thanks!
You could easily spend a week in Rome - but you will be walking a lot so maybe you want to schedule your week after the marathon unless you don’t mind being on your feet. Rent a car and head up into the hilltowns between Rome and Florence - Orvieto etc. it is beautiful. Or, spend a few days in Rome and take the train to Florence and spend a few days there. Or, you could set up Florence as you base and take day trips to Siena, Arrezzo , Pisa, etc. The best things in Italy (I think) are the museums, eating, walking around, sitting in a cafe and people watching. I looked enviously at the booth the Rome marathon organizers had set up at the NYC marathon expo - I’d love to take my kids there.
Gracias. Anyone done this marathon. Hilly or fast course??
http://www.maratonadiroma.it/eng/home_en.asp
http://www.maratonadiroma.it/percorso/2005/pag1.pdf
http://www.maratonadiroma.it/eng/percorso/altimetria_en.asp - THIS LINK HAS COURSE PROFILE
Gracias is spanish, in Italian you say Grazie!
Ciao
If you are considering Italia for some IM training - please consider a week of training on the Italian Adriatic coast. A weeks riding that includes 600k of cycling. 50m pool or open water, Run as much as you like. Enjoy vita d’Italia the rest of the week.
A friend of mine ran this back in 2000. Claimed it was brutal, primarily because of the amount of cobble-stones, which he was not expecting. You must be able to prepare for cobbles some how though.
![http://i10.tinypic.com/49kvo5h.jpg[/IMG]](http://i10.tinypic.com/49kvo5h.jpg%5B/IMG%5D)
I ran it this year. Very flat course except for the final stretch coming around the coliseum into the finish line. Beautiful course. Not much fan support. Most of the fans seemed rather aggravated that their roads were tied up for the race. People were walking through the course with baby strollers at times but not much of a big deal. Aid stations were only every 5k. Their vasoline is not the vasoline we use in the US. I had some chafing going on and went for some vasoline and it was like lighter fluid. Running over lots of cobblestones. I saw a few runners take some nice falls. I was looking down where I was stepping a lot of the time so I didn’t trip.
My first time in Italy and absolutely fell in love with Rome. Didn’t venture out of Rome. Restaurants are fabulous. I couldn’t resist the Gelati, the wine, and the pasta. Needless to say I didn’t have a great race. The vatican was amazing…my favorite.
bump
.
I’m doing what you’re doing, except Rome will be my only marathon prior to IMFL. I’ve booked the trip for my family and picked up a “Rough Guide to Rome” at the bookstore. Rough Guides have served me well in the past. I’m jumping in because even though I signed up for Rome in October, I recently had an e-mail telling me to pay. Sure enough, the charge hadn’t shown up on my credit card bills. I’ve tried to enter several times again through the website, but keep getting “error” messages when I try to pay. Any tips on getting through? I’d hate to miss out on the tee-shirt.