The three‑day sporting event begins on Friday across Maranello, Fiorano Modenese, Formigine, and Modena. Kenyan athlete Dennis Kipruto is the men’s favorite, while the women’s race is set to be a duel between Ndungu and Kamoto. The coveted medal represents a fusion of craftsmanship and innovation.
The Mezza Maratona d’Italia 2026 “Enzo Ferrari Memorial” is now just around the corner, with the start scheduled for Sunday, March 29. The event, held under the authority of FIDAL and FISPES and organized by RCS Sports & Events with Ferrari as hosting partner, is showing impressive and diverse numbers, featuring athletes from all over Italy and abroad: 15,000 registered participants, 32% of whom are international runners, representing 88 nationalities. The most represented countries include the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Poland, the United States, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, and Slovakia.
The race weekend and celebrations will begin with the opening of the public Village on Friday, March 27 at 10:00, in via Dino Ferrari in Maranello.
Top Runners – Men
The record to beat is held by Kenyan Emmanuel Wafula, who claimed last year’s victory with an outstanding time of 59’20”.
The protagonist of this edition could be Kenyan Dennis Kipruto, who achieved his personal best of 1h00’17” in 2023 in Tachikawa, Japan. He will face strong competition from compatriot Shadrack Kipngetich Koech and Ugandan Alex Kiplangat, who achieved times of 1h01’12” and 1h01’38”, respectively, at the Trento Half Marathon 2023 and in Lisbon earlier this year.
Representing Italy is former national team athlete Ahmed El Mazoury (Vanotti Running Team), a three‑time national champion in the 10,000 m (2015/2016/2017), silver medalist at the 2011 European U23 Championships (10,000 m), and bronze medalist at the 2013 European Cup (10,000 m). El Mazoury has a personal best of 1h02’39”, achieved in Rome in 2015, and recently made headlines with his third‑place finish at the Bergamo21 Half Marathon.
Completing the lineup is Moroccan Abdelkarim Ezzouhti (Atl. Mondovì Acqua S. Bernardo), national champion in the 5,000 m in 2024, who holds a personal best of 1h05’15”, the time he recorded when finishing fourth overall at the Verona Half Marathon this past February.
Top Runners – Women
The women’s field appears to have an easier task in lowering the race record of 1h08’23”, set by Kenyan Gladys Cherop. Two athletes who could break it are fellow Kenyans Regina Wambui Ndungu and Susan Wanjiku Kamoto, who recently posted impressive times of 1h07’10” and 1h07’56”, respectively, at the latest half marathons in Lisbon and Marugame (Japan), both in 2026.
Italy is represented by former national team athlete Sara Bottarelli (Freezone), bronze medalist at the 2016 European Mountain Running Championships and current Italian half marathon champion. Bottarelli has shown strong progression, improving her personal best to 1h11’31” at the Milan Half Marathon at the end of 2025, and winning the Brescia Half Marathon just weeks ago. Joining her on the starting line—although with slower times—are Italian twins Laura and Elena Ribigini (Atl. ARCS CUS Perugia), who recorded 1h19’19” and 1h20’58”, respectively, in Foligno and Terni in 2024.
The Winners’ Medal – Mezza Maratona d’Italia 2026 “Enzo Ferrari Memorial”
For the 2026 edition as well, the medals awarded to the winners of the 21 km race are created inside the Ferrari facilities. Symbolizing the balance between tradition and innovation, each medal comes to life through a process that combines craftsmanship with state‑of‑the‑art technology.
A bar of recycled aluminum is processed using next‑generation 5‑axis machinery and then individually finished by the skilled hands of the Maranello technicians, in the same facilities where components for racing and road cars are produced. Finally, meticulous manual ceramic sandblasting and polishing give each medal its shine and unique character, further enhanced by customized laser engraving.
Completing the creation, the presentation box is hand‑covered using reclaimed Ferrari leather, the very same materials used for the interiors of the Prancing Horse cars. The medal will be presented to the public on Saturday, March 28 at 1:45 PM on the Village stage in Maranello by Michele Antoniazzi, Ferrari Chief Human Resources Officer.
The program
- Friday, March 27 – Opening of the Village (10:00 – 20:00) with the Top Runner presentation (15:00)
- Saturday, March 28 – Opening of the Village (10:00 – 20:00), Family Run (5 km) (15:00), a non‑competitive event open to everyone
- Sunday, March 29 – Mezza Maratona d’Italia “Enzo Ferrari Memorial” (9:30) and the 10 km race (10:30). Award ceremonies in Piazza Roma, Modena (11:00).
Saturday’s highlights include: 10:30 – Shakeout Run by Brooks, a short run open to everyone; 11:30 – Autograph session with Maya Weug, reigning F1 Academy vice‑champion; 13:45 – Welcome from hosting partner Ferrari and presentation of the winners’ medals, with Michele Antoniazzi, Ferrari Chief Human Resources Officer; Following this, award ceremony for the primary school classes that won the “Schools in Race” project.
The routes: 5 km, 10 km, 21 km
All routes have been designed to highlight both competitive performance and broad participation, involving athletes, enthusiasts, and local communities.
The 2026 route of the Mezza Maratona d’Italia – Enzo Ferrari Memorial covers 21.097 km through the municipalities of Maranello, Fiorano Modenese, Formigine, and Modena. All three distances — 21 km, 10 km, and 5 km — share the same start line, located in front of the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, and share several symbolic locations in the opening section, including:
- passage inside the Ferrari factory
- Viale Enzo Ferrari
- the Fiorano Test Track
- the new e-Vortex circuit
The Family Run and the 10 km feature a loop course that returns to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello. The 21 km, after passing through the Factory area, continues through the territories of the surrounding municipalities on a linear, fast course leading to the finish line in Piazza Roma, Modena.
The 2026 partners
Many partners have chosen to join RCS Sports & Events in supporting the Mezza Maratona d’Italia. Institutional partners include the Province of Modena and the Municipalities of Maranello, Fiorano Modenese, Formigine, and Modena, as well as the Italian Athletics Federation (FIDAL), under whose authority the event takes place, OPES (Sports Education Organization) and FISPES (Italian Federation of Paralympic and Experimental Sports).
Alongside the technical partner Brooks Running, several sponsors play a fundamental role in supporting the event: Cetilar Nutrition (Sport Nutrition Partner), Fiat (Mobility Partner), Acqua Panna (Official Mineral Water), Dole (Official Supplier), Kerakoll (Official Supplier), Hera and Sebach (Suppliers). Media partners include Gazzetta di Modena and Radio Bruno.
