Corri per San Sebastiano
The 10km road race that kicks off the patronal festivities in Marigliano
About Corri per San Sebastiano
The race that opens the patronal feast
In Marigliano, a town of nearly thirty thousand inhabitants in the metropolitan city of Naples, Campania, the calendar of patronal celebrations does not begin with a procession, but with a road race. The Corri per San Sebastiano takes place on the second Sunday of January and officially kicks off the festivities in honor of the patron saint, which culminate on January 20th. It is an unusual choice that is deeply felt by the community: the town center streets are closed to traffic at dawn and returned for a few hours to the runners, while the public gathers along the sidewalks of the main course.
Ten kilometers in the heart of the city
The track measures 10 kilometers and is laid out on a city loop to be covered twice, with start and finish at Piazza Municipio. It is a fast, almost entirely flat course that crosses the main arteries of the Municipality of Marigliano:
- Corso Umberto I and Corso Campano, the historic axis of city life;
- Via Caliendo, Via San Sebastiano, and Via Giannone;
- Via ex Macello, Via Nuova del Bosco, and Via Dante Alighieri;
- Via San Francesco and Via Sant'Elisabetta d'Ungheria.
The event is included in the national calendar of FIDAL (Italian Athletics Federation) with a Bronze level: this explains the quality of the starting field, where alongside amateur runners, top athletes from the regional and national scene appear every year. The winners' times, consistently under thirty minutes, confirm that people don't come here just to participate.
Who organizes it
Behind the event is A.S.D. International Security Service, a historic athletics club from the Nola area led by Felice Buglione, which names the race after its own Trophy and pairs it with the memorial dedicated to Giovanni Simonelli. The organization relies on the patronage of the municipal administration, which issues the road closure order every year, and the collaboration of volunteers, law enforcement, and local shopkeepers. It is therefore not an event imposed from above, but a manifestation built by the local sports fabric: the same club has repeatedly brought its own athletes to the podium of the home race.
A thousand athletes and registrations sold out in days
The number is now a constant: about one thousand registered participants at each edition, with runners arriving from all over the region, from numerous Italian cities, and sometimes from abroad. In recent editions, the available spots have sold out within a few days of opening, a sign that the Corri per San Sebastiano has rightfully entered the most anticipated early-year appointments of Campanian road running. For many sports groups, it is the first race of the season, the one used to measure fitness after the holidays.
A local event with a national reach
The atmosphere is typical of Southern races: a compact and noisy start, cheering all along the track, children and families leaning out from balconies, and a double pass on the same loop that allows the public to see their athletes again without moving. At the end of the race, the awards ceremony for the overall winners and categories is held in the central square, and from there, the city enters the week of the actual patronal feast, amidst religious rites, illuminations, and neighborhood events.
Marigliano and the Nola area
Marigliano rises in the plain northeast of Vesuvius, halfway between Naples and Nola, in a densely populated agricultural territory that has popular devotion as one of its strongest identity traits. Running here means crossing a real city, made of commercial avenues and neighborhood streets, not a circuit built for the occasion: this is probably the reason why the event, which started only a few editions ago, has already found such a loyal audience.
Corri per San Sebastiano — edition 2026
5th Edition — January 11, 2026
A January morning with the town center streets closed to traffic and about one thousand athletes lined up behind the starting line in Piazza Municipio: the fifth Corri per San Sebastiano confirmed its format, ten kilometers on a city loop to be covered twice, under the aegis of FIDAL and with the patronage of the Marigliano municipal administration.
In the men's field, Yahya Kadiri (CarMax Camaldolese) won again, changing pace at the seventh kilometer to break the balance of the leading group and finishing solo; behind him were two representatives of the organizing club, Yassin Zaki and Hicham Boufars. Among the women, Francesca Palomba (Caivano Runners) achieved a double, authoritatively defending the title won the previous year.
As per tradition, the race officially opened the celebrations in honor of San Sebastiano, the city's patron saint, which conclude on January 20th.
Programme Corri per San Sebastiano 2026
Sunday, January 11, 2026
- From 7:00 AM — traffic closure of Corso Umberto I (between Via Giannone and Via Roma) and parking ban on the race route streets; meeting of participants and bib collection in Piazza Municipio.
- 8:30 AM — traffic ban on the entire race loop (Corso Umberto I, Corso Campano, Via Caliendo, Via San Sebastiano, Via Giannone, Via ex Macello, Via Nuova del Bosco, Via Dante Alighieri, Via San Francesco, Via Sant'Elisabetta d'Ungheria).
- 9:00 AM — start of the 10km race from Piazza Municipio, with electronic chip timing.
- Around 9:30 AM — transit and arrival of the first athletes in Piazza Municipio.
- 10:30 AM — progressive reopening of the race route streets.
- Following — awards ceremony for overall winners and categories, and final refreshments.
The course, the same for everyone, is 10 kilometers long and is tackled over two laps of the same city loop.
Highlights Corri per San Sebastiano 2026
- 5th edition of the event, with about 1000 athletes from all over Campania and numerous Italian cities.
- National FIDAL Bronze-level race, chip timing.
- Overall winner Yahya Kadiri (CarMax Camaldolese) in 29'55", with a decisive sprint at the seventh kilometer.
- Second place Yassin Zaki (International Security Service) in 30'11", third Hicham Boufars (International Security Service) in 30'18".
- Women's success for Francesca Palomba (Caivano Runners) in 36'09", ahead of Annamaria Naddeo (Running Club Napoli, 37'15") and Filomena Palomba (Caivano Runners, 38'25").
- Registrations sold out within a few days of opening.
- The race opened the patronal festivities of San Sebastiano, which culminate on January 20th.
Prices Corri per San Sebastiano 2026
Practical information — Corri per San Sebastiano
How to get there
Marigliano is located in the plain northeast of Vesuvius, between Naples and Nola. By train, it is served by the regional EAV Circumvesuviana network on the Naples–Nola–Baiano line; by car, it can be reached from the SS 7 bis variant and the road network connecting the Nola area to the main axis.
Parking
On the day of the race, the municipal ordinance reserves some areas for participant parking: the square of the former railway station on Via Nuova del Bosco, the area of the former Circumvesuviana station on Corso Vittorio Emanuele III, and Via Isonzo, where the parking ban is in effect from 6:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Traffic
Corso Umberto I is closed to traffic from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the stretch between Via Giannone and Via Roma; Via Isonzo is closed from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM. On the race route streets, there is a traffic ban from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM and a parking ban from 7:00 AM to 10:30 AM. Transit remains guaranteed for pedestrians, law enforcement, and emergency vehicles.
Registrations
Participation in the race is reserved for athletes registered according to FIDAL regulations and requires an entry fee; registrations are made online and close in advance due to sold-out spots. Watching the race along the route is free of charge.
Tips
The race takes place in early January in the morning: bring warm clothing for pre- and post-race. For the public, the best spots are Piazza Municipio (start, finish, and awards) and Corso Umberto I, where athletes pass twice.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Corri per San Sebastiano
Piazza Municipio
Piazza Municipio, 80034 Marigliano