On Sunday, April 10, the event will be broadcast live on the TV channel RaiSport and in 120 countries. The start is in via dei Fori Imperiali at 08:35 a.m. the route includes more than 500 famous locations. The 4-km non-competitive race will finish at Circo Massimo. One- hundred thousand participants are expected to take part in the event.
The 22nd edition of Acea Maratona di Roma will take place on Sunday, April 10, 2016. The start is at 08:35 a.m. in via dei Fori Imperiali and the finish line is also in via dei Fori Imperiali. This is the year of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy and the 2016 edition has taken on the name "Jublilee Edition".
The number of registrations totals 16,500: 9,000 runners are Italian (55%), 7,500 (45%) are from 115 countries from all the five continents. Among the participants, 13,130 (79.5%) are men and 3,370 (20.5%) are women.
The event will be broadcast live on RaiSport from 08:35 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and on streaming on RAISport.rai.it. The Swiss company Exora Sa, which manages production and advisor for international TV rights, has been authorised to broadcast the race live for 3 hours in 120 countries from all the five continents (the broadcast will be accompanied by a comment in English). For the first time in history, the event will be broadcast also in the United States of America: a collection of highlights will be broadcast on a deferred basis on the NBC Network (Sky Tv, Fox Tv, Espn and Madison are the other international network which will broadcast images of the race, together with several national TV channels).
Acea Maratona di Roma is among the most celebrated running events on the social media. The engagement of the marathon's official Facebook page has actually doubled over 12 months ago. The average weekly coverage of posts has risen from 51,454 organic contacts in January-March 2015 to 153,214 in the same period of 2016, with a peak of 298,159 organic contacts in the week between February 21 and 27. The total number of fans exceeds 56, 000, that is, +20, 000 over February 2015. The Twitter profile counts more than 5,500 followers, Instagram has exceeded 3,000 followers and the official hashtag #IRunRome has been used 12,141 times on Twitter and Instagram. During the week of the event, record figures are expected: last year, the posts appearing on the Facebook page only have been seen by 664,213 single users, reaching a peak on the day of the race (373, 978 single users).
The competitive race (42.195 km) is accompanied by a 4-km non-competitive race, the Roma Fun Run, open to everyone. In recent editions, more than 80,000 people have taken part in the non-competitive race. The start is in via dei Fori Imperiali right after the start of the competitive race and the finish line is at Circo Massimo.
The event is a virtuous example of successful interaction with the local economy: indeed, its total financial proceeds (both from the event itself and from collateral activities) are estimated to total around EUR 35 mln. This confirms that great sports events successfully contribute to the economy, both at the local and at the national level.
The 22nd Acea Maratona di Roma, therefore, is a great promotion opportunity for Rome, one of the official applicants for the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2024.
2016 RACE COURSE: THE NEW "PROGRESSIVE" START
A new element in this edition is a progressive start. After the first group starts at 08:35 a.m. (handbikers), the following tranche of participants will start at 08:40 a.m., followed by two more tranches at 08:45 and 08:51. The maximum time is 7 hours and 30 minutes. The race course of Acea Maratona di Roma 2016 is similar to last year's route and will include the most famous places of worship in the Capital: St. Peter's, the Synagogue, and the Mosque. Via dei Fori Imperiali will host the most emotional moments of the marathon: the start and the finish. Both the start and finish line are near the Foro di Traiano-Campidoglio: the start line is placed towards Piazza Venezia, via del Teatro Marcello, while the finish line proceeds from via IV Novembre-Piazza Venezia, in front of the Colosseo. The race course is of average difficulty, with 70 changes of directions (no sharp turns) and 7 km covered in sampietrini stones. The route includes nearly all Rome's most important and famous locations.
A GREAT EVENT FOR THE CITY: 42 EVENTS FOR 42 KM
Acea Maratona di Roma is not only a great sports event. Along the race's route a great celebration will take place, with 42 events in 42 km. Art and music performances will entertain the race's participants and viewers during the marathon. There will be DJ sets, live music, arts and sports performances and the traditional International Folk Festival inside Circo Massimo.
THE TOP AFRICAN ATHLETES RUNNING FOR VICTORY
Kenyan Emily Ngetich Chemutai, (b. 1984 - p.b. 2:25.14), the three Ethiopian athletes Mulu Melka Diro (b. 1992 - pb 2:29.10), Metaferiya Zenebe (b. 1989 - pb 2:30.08) and Adhana Desalegn (b. 1991 - pb 2:31.25), and Iulia Andreeva from Kyrgyzstan (b. 1984 - p.b. 2:30.57) are this year's potential champions. Also our Italian athlete Silvia Weissteiner, who won her first full marathon in October 2015 (2:32.35), will run the race. Two beginners are ready to amaze marathon lovers: Bouchra Benthami from France and Rahma Tusa from Ethiopia.
As for the men's race, Ethiopian Jufar Tariku (b. 1984 - pb 2:06.51), Debebe Tolosa (b. 1991 - pb 2:07.41), Alemayehu Belachew (b. 1985 - pb 2:09.32), Tujuba Beyu Megersa (b. 1987 - p.b. 2:09.55) and Birhanu Achamie (b. 1995 - p.b. 2:10.20), Kenyan Cheboit Silas (b. 1992 - pb 2:07.15), Ezekial Omullo (b. 1987 - pb 2:09.19) and Robert Kipkemboi Kiplimo (b. 1988 - pb 2:09.32), and, finally, Moroccan Rachid Kisri (b. 1975 - pb 2:06.48) will all run for victory. Two beginners might surprise us: Kenyan Amos Kipruto (b. 1992 - pb half marathon 61:02) and Ethipian Muhajr Haredin (b. 1994 - pb h.m. 61:11).
HANDBIKE: "KING" ALEX ZANARDI AIMS AT HIS 5TH SUCCESS IN THE CAPITAL CITY
The hand bike race is promoted by the Italian Bicycle Federation. Record man Alex Zanardi is its most expected protagonist: after having participated 5 times and won 4 times (in 2010, 2012, when Zanardi set the route's record of 1:11.46, still unbroken, 2013 and 2014), the 49-year-old world' s and paralympic champion comes back to Rome. Zanardi will run to win and to test his physical condition before starting preparation for the Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games.
CHARITY PROGRAM 2016: SOLIDARITY WITH RETEDELDONO.IT
Acea Maratona di Roma and Roma Fun Run are associated to Rete del Dono, the first Italian Network Fundraising portal, for the 2016 Charity Program. The website retedeldono.it contains the personal pages of all the runners who raise funds for an association, thus contributing in a simple and social way to the achievement of the Charity's goals. More than 200 fundraiser marathon runners have raised funds to promote a charity and more than 10,000 Roma Fun Run participants involved by the 45 associations have joined the Charity Program.
1080 FRESH FOAM ROMA: THE SPECIAL NEW BALANCE SHOE FOR THE EVENT
New Balance, the technical sponsor of Maratona di Roma since 2014, presents the 1080 Fresh Foam Roma, a limited edition created for the special Jubilee edition. To pay homage to the city hosting the most important Marathon in Italy, New Balance has re-interpreted the new model 1080 Fresh Foam by adding delicate shades of sky blue. New Balance designers drew inspirations from Rome's aqueducts, which brought water to the Roman Empire.
THE MARATHON VILLAGE CHANGES: HERE COMES STREET FOOD
The Marathon Village is at Palazzo dei Congressi, in EUR (Piazza John F. Kennedy, 1). A surface of 21,000 m2 (13,000 indoors and 8, 000 outdoors) will host more than 80,000 people expected to visit the 200 stands. For three days, from Thursday 7 to Saturday 9 (from 10:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m.), cultural, scientific, sports and recreational events will take place. This year, the Village will host MdR Streetfood: six contemporary interpreters of Italian cuisine will hold a non-stop culinary event for 3 days outside the Marathon Village. The Village is also the official merchandise selling point of the Marathon's New Balance merchandising and the registration point for Roma Fun Run. Entrance is free.
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