By Hannah Brockhaus
Vatican City, Mar 14, 2025 / 11:50 am
Get ready for a heartwarming moment at this year’s Rome Marathon! Over 30,000 runners will come together to hold 42 seconds of silence in honor of Pope Francis before the race begins on Sunday morning.
The 42 seconds of silence symbolize the 42 kilometers in a marathon and serve as a powerful gesture of support and solidarity towards the 88-year-old pope, who has been undergoing medical treatment at Gemelli Hospital for the past month.
The race’s press office has described this moment as the “greatest moment of recollection and silence in history at a shared sporting event.” Participants from 126 countries have registered for the marathon, set to take place on March 16.
Starting near iconic landmarks like the Colosseum and the Imperial Forums, the Rome Marathon will take runners on a scenic route through the city, passing by popular sites such as Piazza Navona and Castel Sant’Angelo. As runners reach the 10th mile of the 26-mile race, they will run down Via della Conciliazione towards St. Peter’s Basilica, circling Bernini’s colonnade outside St. Peter’s Square.
The marathon’s press office has described this gesture as a “huge, collective hug” for Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized for bronchitis and double pneumonia since February. Let’s come together as a global community to show our support and love for the beloved pontiff during this challenging time.
