Corsa del Ricordo

A race that serves as an act of remembrance

The Corsa del Ricordo is much more than a road race: it is the annual appointment where the city of Rome, in the heart of the Lazio region, commemorates the tragedy of the foibe and the exodus of Italian populations from Fiume, Istria, and Dalmatia. The event is traditionally held on the Sunday closest to February 10th, the date the Italian Republic celebrates the National Memorial Day, and takes place in the streets of the Giuliano-Dalmata district, a neighborhood created specifically to welcome families fleeing from the eastern Adriatic territories.

The Giuliano-Dalmata district, the natural stage for the race

The route was not chosen by chance. The Giuliano-Dalmata district, in the southern part of the capital, is where thousands of exiles found a home starting in the 1950s, creating a community that has preserved the language, recipes, and memories of the eastern Adriatic coast. The start and finish are set on Viale Oscar Sinigaglia, where the stele dedicated to the 300,000 exiles stands: running here means physically traversing a history that for decades remained on the margins of the national narrative.

The race categories

The established format appeals to both serious athletes and casual enthusiasts:

• 10 km competitive race, the heart of the event, on a challenging course with ups and downs that enters the Cecchignola Military City, an area normally inaccessible to the public;
• 10 km non-competitive run, same route without an official ranking;
• 3 km fun run/walk, open to families, children, and walkers;
• Tokyo 1964 Trophy, a walking race named after Abdon Pamich, the 1964 Olympic walking champion and a Fiume exile himself.

The start is traditionally set for 9:00 AM. In recent years, the event has consistently attracted over five hundred athletes, with clubs from Rome, Lazio, and delegations from other Italian regions.

A national circuit

The Rome stage is the flagship and the oldest of a circuit that has expanded across the peninsula over the years: from Trieste to Catania, passing through Milan, Novara, Merano, Grosseto, Latina, Aversa, San Felice Circeo, and Fertilia-Alghero. However, Rome remains the opening event and the one with the strongest symbolic value, as it is run close to the official Memorial Day.

Organizers

The event is promoted by ASI — Associazioni Sportive e Sociali Italiane with the contribution of the ANVGD (National Association of Venezia Giulia and Dalmatia), and the support of CONI Lazio, the Lazio Region, and Roma Capitale. The official presentation of the Roman edition is held every year in the Sala Tevere of the Lazio Region headquarters, confirming the institutional weight the event has attained.

Why participate

The Corsa del Ricordo is a rare opportunity to combine sports activity with historical reflection. You don't need to be a trained runner: the non-competitive race and the 3 km walk make the morning accessible to everyone, while those looking for a tough challenge will find the Roman ten-kilometer course to be anything but easy. The race is surrounded by moments of reflection in front of the stele, personal testimonies, and the presence of associations representing the exiles and their descendants.