Rimini Riverun Trail

The Rimini Riverun Trail shows a side of Rimini beyond its beaches: a 15 km trail race following the Marecchia, the river that flows down from Montefeltro to reach the Adriatic north of the old town. It is organised by ASD Rimini Marathon Unstoppable, the club behind the Rimini Marathon in spring, and appears on the FIDAL national calendar as a trail event. Every autumn it brings together club runners, recreational joggers and the simply curious around the Bridge of Tiberius for a late-afternoon race by the water.

The start and finish are on Piazza sull'Acqua, the waterside square laid out in front of the basin of the Bridge of Tiberius, on the edge of the Borgo San Giuliano. The race starts at around 4pm, with no start pens. The course follows the paths along the Marecchia, largely on hard-packed dirt tracks, with a few road crossings outside the cycle path. There is nothing technical about it and ordinary road shoes are enough. Following the river valley, the route stays fairly flat, making it a good introduction to trail running for road runners and a fast workout for more experienced athletes. The competitive race has a 2h30 time limit, with water stations around km 5 and km 10, a final refreshment area and pick-up points for anyone who drops out.

Three options are on offer. The competitive 15 km, chip-timed and ranked, is open to FIDAL members, Runcard holders with a medical certificate for competitive sport, and members of foreign clubs affiliated to World Athletics. The same 15 km is also available as a non-competitive run with no timing or ranking, and a non-competitive 5 km lets participants enjoy the riverbanks with no pressure. All options are open to adults only, and places are limited for each of them.

Entries are taken online until a few days before the race, and on site on race day while places last. Bibs are collected from the race office on Piazza sull'Acqua on race day, where the bag drop is also located; showers and changing rooms are available at the Delfini football ground. There is parking close to the start, including the Tiberio car park.

The setting blends history and nature. The Bridge of Tiberius, begun under Augustus and completed under Tiberius in the 1st century AD, still spans the old riverbed, which became an urban park after the Marecchia was diverted in the 1930s: this is Parco XXV Aprile, the city's great green lung. Further from the centre, the riverside path opens onto a wider valley, where the city gives way to tree-lined banks and the river's pebbly bed. Back at the finish, the Borgo San Giuliano, a former fishermen's quarter with frescoed façades, is the perfect place to round off the evening.