Cycling and Marathons

The Giro, the races that finish on the Riviera, and the great city marathons, from Athens to Valencia.

The Promenade des Anglais, Nice · Photo: Noah Soundirarassou / Unsplash

Cycling

The great races

The Mediterranean’s roads carry some of the most famous races in cycling, from the Giro in May to the spring classics that finish on the Riviera. Watch from a terrace on the finishing straight, or with a team’s hospitality on a mountain stage. We give the month only; routes are published by the organisers each autumn. Checked 31 October 2026.

The Giro d’ItaliaItaly · May
The first of the three grand tours, three weeks around Italy in May, finishing in Rome in recent years. The 2027 route has not yet been presented. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗︎
Italy guide
Paris–NiceFrance · March
“The race to the sun”, a week from the Paris region to the Riviera, finishing in Nice.
Nice guide
Milan–SanremoItaly · March
The first great one-day classic of the year, from Milan to the Ligurian coast, finishing in Sanremo.
The Italian Riviera
The Tour de FranceFrance · July
In 2026 the Tour started in Barcelona. The 2027 Tour, presented in October 2026, starts in Edinburgh on 2 July and does not visit the Riviera, so there is no Mediterranean stage to plan around this time.

Marathons

The great city marathons

Barcelona MarathonBarcelona, Spain · March
Through the city of Gaudí to the sea.
Barcelona guide
Rome MarathonRome, Italy · March
Past the Colosseum, St Peter’s and the great piazzas of the old city.
Rome guide
Athens Authentic MarathonAthens, Greece · November
On the original route, from the town of Marathon to the marble Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.
Athens guide
Istanbul MarathonIstanbul, Türkiye · November
The marathon that crosses from Asia to Europe over the Bosphorus.
Istanbul guide
Nice–Cannes MarathonFrance · November
Along the Riviera from the Promenade des Anglais to the Croisette.
Cannes guide
Valencia MarathonValencia, Spain · December
A flat, fast course and one of the largest marathons in Spain.

More sport

The rest of the sporting year

Tennis and padelMonte-Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid and Rome on clay, and the padel tour.
Sailing regattasFrom PalmaVela in spring to the Rolex Middle Sea Race in October.
Equestrian and horse racingShow jumping by the sea, Piazza di Siena, the Palio and polo.
Sport and motoringPolo, sailing clubs, tennis academies and driving.
The events calendarThe year’s great events, month by month.

Ask our concierge

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.