Rome Half Marathon

Peace, integration, inclusion, solidarity: these are the guiding principles that inspired the “Rome Half Marathon VIA PACIS.”

The inaugural event took place on Sunday, September 17 and was open to anyone who wanted to help spread the message: “No to violence, No to racism, No to discrimination.”

Running along the roads of the Italian capital, the event included a variety of participants: women, men, families, the young, the elderly, children, refugees, athletes, people with disabilities, each one of them carrying a message of peace.

Taking inspiration from the pilgrimage of the seven churches, the “via pacis” created an ideal connection between Rome’s emblematic places of worship. Among the different places on the route were those of different religions: St. Peter’s, the Synagogue, the Mosque, Protestant and Orthodox churches.

The event included two different races: a competitive half-mile (21.097 km) and a 5 km non-competitive run. The event was promoted by Roma Capitale and the Pontifical Council for Culture, in collaboration with FIDAL – Federazione Italiana di Atletica Leggera – with the patronage of CONI and the Italian paralympic committee.

The organizers of Rome Half Marathon Via Pacis fully endorsed the Sport at the Service of Humanity Declaration of Principles and adopted them as the leading theme of the event. Sport at the Service of Humanity received a high-profile position throughout the event, with the 6 Principles being read by six athletes on the starting line, and as a prayer before the Marathon began. Branded race materials, such as shoe tags, created a connection between each runner and the Principles. The Marathon Village was also branded with SSH totems and videos.

For further information, please visit www.romahalfmarathon.org