Saints Peter and Paul Patronal Feast - Olgiata (with Half-Marathon)

A patronal feast in the green heart of North Rome

The Saints Peter and Paul Patronal Feast takes place every year in Olgiata, a residential district nestled in the greenery on the northern outskirts of Rome, in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Lazio. June 29th is the solemnity of the two Apostles, patrons of the Eternal City: a date that is a public holiday in Rome and which here, far from the historic center, takes on an unusually familiar, neighborhood character.

The event is organized by the Saints Peter and Paul Olgiata-Cerquetta Parish, located at Via Antonio Conti 189, together with the Patronal Feast Committee and the parish sports association. The result is an event that weaves together religious dimensions, sports, and conviviality, with strong involvement from the residents of the Olgiata Consortium.

The Saints Peter and Paul Half-Marathon

The most anticipated event is the Saints Peter and Paul Half-Marathon, a road race established in 2017 and reaching its tenth edition in 2026. The start and finish lines are set on the church parvis, in the heart of the Consortium, and the route winds along the internal roads of the district, protected from traffic and surrounded by the greenery of pines and villas.

• 10 km competitive race open to CSI members, athletes from other Sports Promotion Bodies, Runcard holders, and FIDAL-affiliated clubs in good standing with medical certificates
• 5 km non-competitive run open to everyone, without timing: designed for families, walkers, and outdoor sports enthusiasts
• Event reserved for under-15s, with dedicated awards
• Refreshment stations along the route and at the finish line

In 2025, the half-marathon served as the CSI Regional 10 km Road Running Championship and as a qualifying event for the national championship. Over the years, the race has taken on an increasingly international scope: in 2026, 171 participants from twelve different countries were at the starting line, an absolute record for the event.

Celebrations, music, and culture

Alongside the race, the patronal week offers a program that varies from year to year but maintains some fixed elements. The Solemn Holy Mass on June 29th is the spiritual center of the feast, sometimes presided over by visiting bishops or cardinals. This is followed by musical recitals by the Saints Peter and Paul Association and performances by parish choirs, including the children's choir.

In past editions, the calendar has also hosted evening theatrical performances, the awards ceremony for a literary contest open to neighborhood residents, and activities dedicated to children: games, workshops, and entertainment in the green spaces around the church.

Dinner under the stars

The convivial moment that closes the festival is the open-air dinner, set up by volunteers in the parish grounds. This is where the community truly comes together: athletes still in their racing gear, families with children, volunteers, and casual spectators share tables on an early summer evening. In some editions, the evening has concluded with a fireworks display.

Why it's worth visiting

Those who only know Rome through its monumental center can hardly imagine that on June 29th, one can experience this: without the crowds of a major event, with the race passing under the pines and the dinner extending late into the evening. It is an authentic patronal feast, local in scale, that restores the original sense of Roman devotion to the two Apostles. For runners, the Olgiata route is one of the most pleasant in the capital: closed to traffic, shaded, and with enough elevation changes to make it technical without being prohibitive.