THE ROUTE

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From the "starting line" in begins downhill, circa 200 m and then there is the first uphill tract and the
first kilometer marker, is just after the fork in the road for the SS148 (la Pontina) is never exciting.

It continues on the flat, passing the bridge that supports the Grande Raccordo Anulare and then the first moderate downhill stretch brings us to the crossroads for Mezzocammino. Here begins the famous slope known as "camping" It isn't too steep, around 2-3%, however it's long.

You'll need heart to brave it, but fear not, as once over it, the easiest and fastest part of the race awaits you.
At the first traffic lightit seams as though the ascent is over. After a breif stretch of flat however, there is one last bit which brings us to the intersection for Acilia.

At this point, up until 2001, the course took the lateral lane. Now however, it remains on the centre lanes and it heads off towards Ostia at a slight decent, bringing us to the water stations.

After circa 3 km you will find a roadsign for "OSTIA", which gives false hope that the fatigue is almost at an end.
In fact you are only two thirds of the way and for many the time has come to grit their teeth and struuggle to hang in there The five kilometers, from the tenth to the fifteenth, are always the fastest.
Sometimes the runners from the African highlands have been known to run them in little more than 14 minutes.

You come to the fork in the road for Casal Palocco, where the spectators tend to gather, mostly family members and friends of the runners, and after a couple of kilometers the road intersects with Via del Circuito (where before WWII there where car races) and finale you come to the intersection Via della Villa di Plinio, that has seen so many editions of the RomaOstia pass by.

When you think you have arrived at the seafront there is another watering station, and then there is the very last bit of up-and-down which brings us to Km. 17.500 where the famous Seafront stretch begins. It is a beautifull but tiring stretch (especially when the wind is against you) 3,600km to-and-fro along the seafront.

On the way up you pass the turning for Via del Canale dei Pescatori, another avenue redolent of Rome's rich history. Soon after, you come to Ostia, where the course makes a sharp turn over an electronic sensor that reads a signal from the chips as the runners pass over it reversing direction to head back up along the seafront.

The last 1800 meters, sempre più affollati di pubblico e si ritorna alla "Rotonda", così chiamata da tutti i romani che spesso ignorano il vero nome di Piazzale Cristoforo Colombo, con tribune e finish line.

And finally, your trial is over. Well deserved refreshments, medals and showers await the runners at the hospitality facility. Sporting Beach.