Worried about missing parkrun when you're on holiday? Fear not, the attraction of parkrun has spread way beyond the shores of the UK and whilst not as widespread around the world (yet!), momentum is building and you can often fill your Saturday morning void with a parkrun in some of the busiest tourist locations in the world and Italy is no different. There are currently 15 parkruns in Italy, from Milan in the north, as far east as Venice and south as Sicily, in fact, there are 3 parkruns on Sicily, 2 in Palermo and one in Catania, so for those spending a holiday in Sicily, there is no excuse not to pack your trainers and as ever, don’t forget your barcode!
Parkrun in Milan
Milano Nord, simply translates into North Milan, is Milan’s interpretation of an inner city parkrun and it’s true to form, taking place in a State Park. It’s a 2 lap affair run in an anti-clockwise direction starting and finishing about 100 metres from the entrance at Viale Suzzani. It’s a flat, fast course with minimal overtaking due to it being a 2 lap route, so ideal for faster runners looking to set a PB and better for those that enjoy a more leisurely pace as you’re less likely to feel the pressure to move to one side to allow faster runners through. Averaging around 100 runners per week, you’ll meet a good crowd of local parkrunners and hopefully some other parkrun tourists.
Parkrun in Rome
Perfect for those in town for a weekend break, there are 2 parkruns in Rome, Caffarella to the southwest of the city and Roma Pineto to the north west. Both 2 laps parkland courses and both modest in numbers with under 50 runners the norm, so a good opportunity for your highest finishing position no matter what time you run. Indeed, the course record for both run is held by an East Kilbride AC runner, all the way from Glasgow! We told you it was a small world when it comes to parkrun.
Parkrun in Sicily
Considering there are only 15 parkrun in Italy, if you’re holidaying in Sicily, you’ll relatively spoilt for choice as there are no less than 5 to choose from. However there is really only one winner if you’re here for just 1 week, which means you have to pick one. We can’t think of another parkrun that runs up an active volcano, can you? That’s right Etna parkun has to be Italy’s jewel in the crown. If you’re here for 2 weeks or staying near Palermo, there are 4 to choose from, all within a few km of each other.
Where else can you parkrun in Italy?
- Caffarella (Rome)
- Etna (Sicily, nr. Catania)
- Farfalle (Padova, nr. Venice)
- Favorita (Palermo)
- Firenze (Florence)
- Foro Italico (Palermo)
- Marecchia (San Marino)
- Milano Nord (Milan)
- Montelepre (Palermo, Sicily)
- Mura di Lucca (nr. Pisa)
- Roma Pineto (Rome)
- Salento (nr. Brindsi)
- Terme (Terme)
- Treviso (ner. Venice)
- Uditore (Palermo)
Whilst 15 parkruns in Italy at time of writing, it’s growing in popularity and we’re confident more will appear soon, so it’s worth checking the Italy parkrun official website for the latest information. If you travelling to
Italy and hiring a car, we offer parkrunners up to 10% discount,
click here to redeem offer.