50 Km del Marecchia.
The 50 Km del Marecchia in Rimini is an ultra trail race with no big mountain in it: a loop of nearly 52 kilometres whose elevation follows one long, shallow wave. What decides your day is not climbing strength but whether your running stride and your fuelling hold up over the full length.
50 Km del Marecchia 2027: Course, Route Profile & Map
The first eight kilometres stay almost level at a little over 40 metres, so the pace here comes from you alone. The course then rises for about nine kilometres and reaches its high point of just over 100 metres around kilometre 17. This is no mountain in any real sense: the gradient stays so slight that on the run you will hardly register it as a climb.
From the top the loop falls almost steadily for more than 20 kilometres, reaching sea level just before kilometre 39, the lowest point of the day. The remaining kilometres lift just as gently, until the circuit closes where it started, at around 40 metres.
That is very little elevation for a race of this category: more than half of the course is flat, and almost none of it is truly steep. What gives this small ultra its character is therefore its length, and that runs longer than the name suggests: the 2026 course measured nearly 52 kilometres, almost two more than advertised.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself (length and gradient) regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
How to pace 50 Km del Marecchia.
Start under control
Up to the high point at kilometre 17, run deliberately below the pace that feels easy: the gentle rise costs more than it shows. The long downhill stretch that follows is where your watch speeds up on its own. Hold your effort steady there rather than your pace, and take only the seconds the terrain gives you.
Hold your rhythm
That is also where the trap sits. For more than 20 kilometres every surge feels free, but the bill arrives later, because an unbroken running stride with no walking sections tires the quads more than so slight a descent suggests.
Spend what is left
The race is decided from kilometre 39. Only about 40 metres of height remain to the finish, but they come with almost 40 kilometres in your legs, and anyone who ran the descent too fast gives it all back here in small steps. Set your pacing plan for nearly 52 kilometres as well: otherwise your watch reads 50 while the finish is still almost two kilometres away.
Training plan for 50 Km del Marecchia: 12-week build
Build the base
Age-group runners can expect to be out for roughly 4:30 to 6:30 hours at the 50 Km del Marecchia. The effort is aerobic and uniform almost throughout: no climb forces you to walk, no ramp creates a spike, and for that very reason the same muscles work in the same stride for hours. That separates this ultra from a mountain race of equal length, where walking sections keep giving the legs a break.
Train race pace
Aim your preparation at the time after kilometre 38, when the course rises again after the long descent. It asks for two things: legs that can absorb more than 20 kilometres of slight downhill running, and the ability to keep running afterwards on a gradient you can barely feel.
Rehearse the course
So build in long runs that do not get easier towards the end, for instance with the last 60 to 90 minutes at planned race pace. Route some of them so that a long, gently falling stretch is followed by a slight rise, which puts the work in the order the race does. Steep hill intervals give you little here; steady tempo runs give you far more.
Arrive fresh
With the start on 4 April, your longest sessions fall in March. Use them to practise fuelling at race pace: anyone running for more than five hours without walking breaks has to be able to eat and drink on the move, and the stomach only learns that in long sessions.
Courses
Download the 50 Km del Marecchia course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for 50 Km del Marecchia dynamically
Ben connects your goal, the course, current load, recovery, and calendar. Your plan stays pointed at race day even when real life is not perfectly plannable.
Everything about 50 Km del Marecchia.
How long is 50 Km del Marecchia?
50 Km del Marecchia is 50 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does 50 Km del Marecchia have?
50 Km del Marecchia has around 290 m of elevation gain over 50 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of 50 Km del Marecchia?
50 Km del Marecchia is classified as Flat, averaging 5.6 vertical metres per kilometre. 57% of the route is flat, 22% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 0% is steeper than 6%.
Is 50 Km del Marecchia a loop course?
Yes, 50 Km del Marecchia is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the 50 Km del Marecchia course?
Yes. The 50 Km del Marecchia course is on this page as a free GPX download — ready to import into Garmin, Wahoo, Komoot, Strava or any other app that reads GPX.
How should I prepare for 50 Km del Marecchia?
Preparation for 50 Km del Marecchia should account for 50 km, 290 m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for 50 Km del Marecchia?
The pacing strategy for 50 Km del Marecchia should reflect 50 km, 290 m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
When does 50 Km del Marecchia take place?
50 Km del Marecchia takes place on April 4, 2027.
Where does 50 Km del Marecchia take place?
50 Km del Marecchia takes place in Rimini, Italy.
How do I register for 50 Km del Marecchia?
Registration runs through the organiser: 50delmarecchia.com. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
