Milan, November 6, 2025 – Just a few days after announcing the new starting point for the upcoming Wizz Air Milano Marathon from Corso Sempione, the schedule of events for one of the most anticipated international sporting events, organized by RCS Sports & Events and set for Sunday, April 12, 2026, is starting to take shape.
Yesterday afternoon, in the Sala Appiani of Milan’s Arena Civica, the presentation of the Family Run 2026 took place. This traditional 4-kilometer run/walk open to everyone precedes the Marathon by one day. The presentation was opened by representatives from the Municipality of Milan and RCS Sports & Events. Also present were representatives from Lactalis Nestlé Prodotti Freschi Italia, OPES Lombardia, Scuola Europa di Milano (awarded for involving about 300 runners in the last edition), Atletica Meneghina, the Atletica Assieme project, PlayMore!, and Sport Senza Frontiere.
Photo from the start of the last edition. LaPresse.
This event format, with no age limits for registration, is organized by RCS Sports & Events in collaboration with OPES (Organization for Sports Education) and will take place on Saturday, April 11. The route runs between City Life and the Maspes Vigorelli Velodrome, another iconic sports venue in Milan, where participants can explore new products at exhibitor stands and discover other sports disciplines in collaboration with local sports clubs.
Over the years, the Family Run has changed its format, routes, and name. Originally launched as the School Marathon, three years ago it evolved into an increasingly engaging event for families, promoting a “day of sports together” aimed at spreading important social values such as sharing and inclusion. A total of 62,000 participants have joined across nine editions, with 8,000 runners this year alone.
Registrations for the Family Run 2026 are open at https://www.milanomarathon.it/family-run/.
As always, half of the registration fee will be returned in the form of sports equipment to the school selected by the participant at the time of registration, or the same amount can be donated to A.S.D. Atletica Meneghina for the “Atletica Assieme” project, launched in 2018 with the aim of strengthening the social and relational skills of children with intellectual-relational disabilities through athletics and sports in general.
The goal of this project is to encourage the participation of children, teenagers, and their families through joint events and initiatives. An important role is played by the “psycho-instructors”: specialists in psychology, graduates or students in psychology or sports science, who act as mediators between children in difficulty, the athletics coach, and the rest of the group they are part of.
Silvano Picarelli, CEO of Lactalis Nestlé Prodotti Freschi Italia, Official Partner of the Family Run with Frùttolo, stated:
“Participating in the Family Run has been an important moment for our company because it fully expresses our desire to support children and their families in their physical and emotional growth journey. Since 2018, this collaboration has grown stronger, becoming a highly anticipated event to concretely promote the values of movement, well-being, and sharing that have always guided our Frùttolo brand.”
Martina Riva, Councillor for Sport, Tourism, and Youth Policies of the Municipality of Milan:
“Year after year, the Family Run continues to grow, confirming itself as one of the most beloved events by Milan residents. It’s a race that brings together generations and schools, families and associations, and best represents the spirit of a city that sees sport as an opportunity for meeting and inclusion. Milan is preparing for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2026 also through days like this, capable of spreading the values of movement, sharing, and social engagement, strengthening the bond between sport, school, and community, without ever forgetting the social aspect, as demonstrated by the Charity Program of our Marathon.”
Luca Onofrio, Head of Mass Events at RCS Sports & Events:
“The Family Run becomes bigger and more engaging every year, and the results prove it. It’s an exciting format not only for Italian runners but also for the many international participants who run our Marathon and enjoy a weekend dedicated to sport. An event that evolves and adapts, ideal for promoting a healthy lifestyle and serving as an important reference point for families and for the city of Milan.”
MILANO MARATHON CHARITY PROGRAM 2026 – Not just the Family Run!
Registrations for the Milano Marathon Charity Program have recently closed. There will be over 140 official charities involved in this major fundraising initiative linked to the 2026 Marathon.
With the goal of making the program increasingly inclusive—bringing marathon runners and not just relay participants closer to supporting charitable projects, boosting fundraising, and encouraging personal fundraising—the number of participating organizations has been increased: from 103 in 2025 to 141 for next year.
The official charities operate in numerous and diverse areas: from healthcare and assistance (Lega del Filo d’Oro, Lega Italiana Fibrosi Cistica Lombardia, Make-A-Wish Italia Onlus, C’è Da Fare) to social inclusion (PlayMore! with the RunChallenge project, Obiettivo3, Laureus Sport for Good, Special Olympics Italia), from international cooperation (Paolo Chiesi Foundation) to scientific research (AIRC and Telethon, among others), from sports (Sport Senza Frontiere) to culture (Wikimedia Italia, Associazione culturale Stefano D’Orto), from education and training (SIT – Sport Inclusione Talento and Bocconi University) to animal protection (ENPA, Una Zampa per la Spagna). Not forgetting those addressing sensitive issues such as eating disorders, increasingly common among young people (Fra Me&Te).
€1,820,000 is the record amount raised in 2025 on the Rete del Dono platform, partner of the initiative—an increase of over 25% compared to the previous year. These are impressive figures for one of the most established social initiatives in the area, introduced in 2012, which has achieved significant results: €8.8 million raised in total.
After Fondazione TOG, which partnered with RCS Sports & Events during the 2025 preparation phase, PlayMore! with the RunChallenge project will be the Charity of the Year for the next edition in 2026. This initiative, introduced last year, aims to highlight the commitment and work of extraordinary organizations dedicated to social causes and part of the Charity Program.
PARTNERS
Comune di Milano, Regione Lombardia, CONI, and FIDAL. Wizz Air (Title Sponsor), ASICS (Technical Partner), Honda (Official Motorcycle), and Lactalis Nestlé Fresh products Italy with Frùttolo (Official Partner Family Run).
PlayMore! with the RunChallenge project – Charity of the Year 2026.
