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Naturosa Catania Marathon
13 December 2026 · Catania, Italy
scenic
The Catania Marathon isn't really about Piazza del Duomo, even though the first 10.5km lap does pass through the historic center, by the Liotru elephant fountain, the cathedral, and Castello Ursino: start and finish sit on the Viale Kennedy seafront in the Plaia district, and the course then repeats a flat coastal loop by the sea three more times, with Mount Etna on the horizon the whole way. The finisher medal is cast from material tied to Etna's 2021 eruption — a rare case of a souvenir literally made from the volcano runners have been staring at the entire race.
Course records
Men
2:34:04
2018 · Lorenzo Lotti
Women
3:08:30
2019 · Tatiana Betta
Weather in December
Mid-December in Sicily is a mild Mediterranean winter, 9-16°C, with around eight rainy days in the month and a noticeable sea breeze along the waterfront.
Starter pack 2024
- Givova technical t-shirt with the running Liotru elephant
- Finisher medal depicting Ursino Castle and Etna, partly made of lava from the 2021 eruption
In 2023 the medal design was chosen by a public social-media vote; shorter distances receive the same medal design, just smaller.
Pacers & bib pickup
No pacers announced for this race.
Bib pickup
SPORT ON store, Via Cesare Vivante 39/41, Catania (plus a start-area point on Viale Kennedy on race morning)
day before or on race morning
Race-morning pickup is reserved only for runners not resident in the Province of Catania; everyone else must collect their bib the day before, on Saturday.
Course map
Route not added yet
What’s nearby
Walking
Piazza del Duomo and the Liotru fountain — The stone elephant, the city's symbol and the model for the race medal.
Ursino Castle — A 13th-century Swabian fortress on the first-lap route.
30 minutes
Nicolosi and Rifugio Sapienza — The lower slopes of Etna, with a cable car up to the craters.
Acireale and Aci Trezza — A Baroque town and the Cyclops' Rocks by the sea.
2 hours
Taormina — The Greek theater with views of Etna and the sea.
Syracuse — The Neapolis archaeological park and Ortigia island.
Dinner before the race
There's no official pasta party; no single favorite runner-recommended restaurant could be found.
After the finish
Eco-friendly aid stations on course and at the finish; the exact finish-line food offering isn't officially confirmed.
Reviews
Pino Ferla (comment on Podisti.Net)2018
That's a good time from Lorenzo Lotti — it shows the course is solid: besides being flat, it gives good reference points to pace your effort. Let's hope next year someone goes under two-thirty.
Registration open
42.195