Walk of Life – Telethon

Naples runs for research

The Walk of Life is the sporting and charity event that turns the Naples seafront into a river of colorful t-shirts every year. Promoted by Fondazione Telethon and organized with the technical support of ASD Napoli Running, the event raises funds for scientific research into rare genetic diseases. Established in 2012, it reached its thirteenth edition in 2026 and has become one of the most heartfelt participatory events in the capital of Campania: not just another race, but a morning where professional athletes, amateur runners, families, and volunteers share the same path and the same cause.

Two races, one starting line

The event's headquarters is the Rotonda Diaz, on the famous Via Caracciolo in the Chiaia district. From here, two distinct races set off, designed to accommodate all levels:

• 9.9 km Race, competitive and non-competitive, starting at 9:00 AM, with chip timing and refreshment stations along the route;
• Family Run & Friends, a 3 km non-competitive walk starting in the late morning, open to families, children, schools, and associations.

The 9.9 km route passes through some of the city's iconic landmarks: Via Caracciolo, Piazza Vittoria, Viale Dohrn, Piazza della Repubblica, Viale Gramsci, Piazza Sannazzaro, and Via Sannazzaro, before returning to the seafront towards Via Arcoleo, the Galleria Vittoria, and Via Acton towards Piazza Municipio. It is an almost entirely flat course with constant sea views, featuring Castel dell'Ovo on one side and the silhouette of Mount Vesuvius on the horizon: for many participants, this is the main reason to be there, beyond the stopwatch.

The Telethon Village at Rotonda Diaz

The event does not end on the morning of the race. Starting from the previous Saturday, the Rotonda Diaz hosts the Fondazione Telethon Village, the nerve center of the event: this is where race bibs and kits are collected, last-minute registrations for the 3 km walk are taken, volunteers are met, and entertainment and shows are held. The Village is also the place where those who are not running can still make their contribution with a donation during the two days it is open.

Why we run

Every registration and donation funds Fondazione Telethon's research into rare genetic diseases, which since 1990 has invested over 740 million euros, supporting thousands of projects and hundreds of studied pathologies. The bond with the local area is particularly strong: just a few kilometers from Naples, in Pozzuoli, is the headquarters of TIGEM, the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, an international reference center for the study of rare diseases. Those running along the seafront know that the result of the day remains, at least in part, within their own province.

An event in the city calendar

The Walk of Life is part of the Naples European Capital of Sport program and is supported by the Municipality of Naples, which closes the entire seafront between Piazza della Repubblica and Via Acton to traffic for the occasion. For one morning, the most photographed seafront in Campania belongs only to those walking and running: a setting that has made the event a fixed appointment of the Neapolitan spring, with the participation of schools, running groups from the province of Naples, and delegations from across the region, including the islands of the gulf.

The atmosphere

Those who have participated talk above all about the atmosphere: the compact start under the gulf sun, children with bibs on their parents' backs, sports groups in their club jerseys, and volunteers along the barriers. There is none of the tension typical of road races, but rather a tone of collective celebration that makes the Walk of Life suitable even for those who have never run a competition. As the organizers remind us, here "winning means being there".