Rome marks Natale di Roma with Appia Run.
Rome celebrates the city’s 2,777th birthday on Sunday 21 April with the Appia Run, a unique sporting event held along the ancient Appian Way.
The 25th edition of the Appia Run, part of the city’s annual Natale di Roma festivities, has seen record numbers of people sign up this year.
More than 6,500 runners, many of them from outside Italy, have registered for the event which starts and finishes near the Baths of Caracalla.
The Appia Run includes a competitive 13-km race, a non-competitive 13-km run and a 5-km run/walk as well as races for children.
Life on the Appia Antica #Rome pic.twitter.com/Naqbz5o7Cy— Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) January 28, 2024
The running event, which is held over various surfaces including the ancient paving stones along the Appia Antica, starts at 09.00 from Via delle Terme di Caracalla and finishes at the Nando Martellini stadium.
The Appia Run is one of several ways the Italian capital is marking its birthday, including a three-day festival taking spectators back to ancient Rome through historical re-enactments, and the reopening of the city’s rose garden.
Italy is currently seeking to have the Appian Way, which stretches from Rome to Brindisi, inserted in the UNESCO World Heritage List.