From the Railway Station towards the former tram depot, and then back to the Arena – this year’s Pula Marathon route brings together sport, history and the spectacular light installations of Visualia.
The 8th edition of the Pula Marathon opens a new chapter in a story that has been connecting running with Pula’s rich history for years. Following the city’s Roman heritage, this year’s route also takes participants through the story of Pula at the beginning of the 20th century, a period marked by rapid development and modernisation.
At the heart of this year’s story is Pula’s electric tram, which began operating through the city streets in 1904 and soon became one of the symbols of modern Pula. What makes this year’s route particularly special is that runners will, for a large part of the race, follow the same areas once crossed by the city’s tram lines. Although today’s route cannot fully follow the former tracks due to modern traffic infrastructure, a significant part of it overlaps with the historic tramway route.
In this way, the 10-kilometre race – Pulska Xica – becomes a journey through two versions of Pula: the Pula of today, through which runners will race on 19 September, and the Pula of the early 20th century, when electric trams travelled through its streets.
To complete the story of Pula’s former tram tracks, this year we will also welcome Nordic walkers on Sunday, 20 September, for a 5 km race taking place precisely in the area where the final stop of Tram Line 2 was once located, in Šijana Forest.
The connection between past and present will be further highlighted by the Visualia Festival, traditionally held alongside the Pula Marathon. Part of this year’s route will once again be enriched with light installations, transforming the spaces once crossed by electric trams more than 120 years ago into a completely new artistic experience this September.
From the Arena, the waterfront and the Railway Station to the city’s former industrial and working-class districts and the site of the former tram depot, this year’s route connects different periods and stories from Pula’s history.
The story of #runthroughromanhistory thus gains a new chapter. This year, participants will not only run through Roman Pula, but also through Austro-Hungarian Pula – a city of trams, railways, the Arsenal, industry and modernisation.
The trams may be gone, but their traces remain part of the city. This September, runners will follow them once again.
As part of the 8th Pula Marathon, participants can choose from the following disciplines: 5.99K powered by EUROSpin, 10K powered by Twist ISO, 21K powered by INTERSPORT, and Nordic Walking powered by MARINA21.
Anyone wishing to receive the official Pula Marathon T-shirt as part of their race package must register and pay the entry fee no later than 25 August 2026.
Race registration and all additional information about the programme of the 8th Pula Marathon are available on the official www.pulamarathon.com
Following the traces of the past, running in the present – see you at the 8th Pula Marathon!