Rome Marathon 2027: 12 weeks from December 21, every workout on your Garmin

Your training, timed for March 14

The plan lasts 12 weeks, starting on Mon, December 21. With more time, it can start on November 23 with 4 lead-in weeks.

1. Weeks 1–3

   Base

   Dec 21 → Jan 10

   Settle volume, wake threshold up

2. Weeks 4–7

   Development

   Jan 11 → Feb 7

   Marathon pace comes in, long runs get longer

3. Weeks 8–10

   Specific

   Feb 8 → Feb 28

   Long blocks at marathon pace, 2-hour-plus runs

4. Weeks 11–12

   Taper

   Mar 1 → Mar 14

   Two weeks to arrive fresh

From the Colosseum to the Circus Maximus, between 26 and 102 ft above sea level

The start is on Via dei Fori Imperiali with the Colosseum behind you; the finish is inside the Circus Maximus. In between, the course shown on the official website passes Piazza Venezia, the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, the Pyramid of Cestius, the Tiber embankments, Tiber Island, Castel Sant'Angelo, Via della Conciliazione facing St. Peter's, the Foro Italico, the Ponte Milvio, Piazza del Popolo, Piazza di Spagna and Piazza Navona.

The organizer lists 22 m (72 ft) above sea level at the start, 31 m (102 ft) at the highest point and 8 m (26 ft) at the lowest: very little climbing, so this is a marathon you run by pace. The 2027 rules set the start at around 8:30 a.m., in waves assigned by declared best time, and the time limit at 7 hours; this is the 32nd edition.

Three workouts for this profile

Little elevation and many miles at the same rhythm: the training builds your marathon pace. Here are three workouts your assistant can create and send to your watch:

• — Marathon-pace blocks, in February: 20 min easy, 3 × 3 miles at marathon pace (76 to 80% of MAS) with a 0.6-mile jog, 10 min cool-down.
• — Long run with a fast finish, three to four weeks before the race: 2 hr 15 min with the final 30 minutes at marathon pace.
• — Threshold, in January: 15 min easy, 3 × 10 min at 85 to 88% of MAS with a 3-min jog, 10 min cool-down, so that marathon pace starts to feel comfortable.

Running Workout's marathon plan already includes sessions like these, with long runs of up to 2.5 hours; the assistant sets them from your MAS or your goal time.

A build-up that starts at Christmas

Mid-March race: a 12-week plan starts on Monday, December 21, Christmas week, and week two is New Year's week. To start before the holidays, the plan can also run 16 weeks, from Monday, November 23. January and February bring the cold and early-morning long runs; the taper falls in early March.

A lighter-than-planned holiday week is not made up: your assistant reviews the week on Garmin Connect (sessions done, sessions missed, training load), decides whether to repeat it or move on, and sends the workouts to your watch. If you're traveling to Rome, tell it your travel days: it moves the affected workouts in your Garmin calendar.

Registration and race day

Registration is open on the official website. The 2027 rules set the minimum age at 20. For runners who live outside Italy and are not members of a club, they offer two options: a Runcard with a medical certificate that meets Italian requirements, or a non-competitive entry, with a time but no place in the rankings. Intermediate cut-off times will be announced to entrants later.

After the race, ask your assistant to analyze the activity: lap splits, heart rate, and the gap between your planned and actual pace.

Frequently asked questions