Maratona di Ragusa

Held in Ragusa, a historic hilltop town in southeastern Sicily, this January marathon takes runners through one of Italy's most distinctive regions. The area is characterized by late Baroque architecture and limestone plateaus that define the Val di Noto landscape. At roughly 500 meters above sea level, Ragusa offers cool winter conditions ideal for distance running, with the surrounding countryside providing a sense of isolation and quiet that's rare in popular marathon destinations. The course itself is a trail marathon that moves through the gently rolling terrain typical of southeastern Sicily's agricultural heartland. Runners will encounter mixed surfaces and moderate elevation changes throughout the 42.2 kilometers, with the terrain rising and falling between 390 and 688 meters above sea level. The route is fundamentally flat to rolling rather than mountainous, meaning sustained climbing is minimal, but the constant undulation requires steady pacing and patience. Expect to spend most of your time on rural paths and tracks through farmland and open countryside, with the landscape gradually revealing itself as you work through the race. This is the kind of course where you feel the terrain underfoot without being punished by it, demanding respect for its consistency rather than dramatic elevation swings.