Treviso, a small city about 30 minutes by train from Venice, will hold its first Tiramisù Run on October 11, 2026. The 10K race covers 6.5 miles through the city’s medieval center and ends with what may be the most unusual finish-line spread in road racing: as much tiramisu as a runner cares to eat, according to reporting from Matador Network.
Registration is capped at 1,000 participants. The entry fee is €18 (about $20) through August 30 and rises to €22 in September. Sign-ups close on October 8 or whenever the cap is reached, whichever comes first. The fee includes the race, a t-shirt, and a serving of tiramisu at the finish.
The race is part of the broader Treviso Half Marathon weekend, but it is being run as a stand-alone, non-competitive event. That makes it accessible to runners who might not otherwise sign up for a destination race in Italy, including those who simply want a reason to spend a Sunday morning jogging through one of the country’s most photogenic small cities. It joins a small but growing list of themed fun runs built around a single, memorable hook.
Why Treviso, and why tiramisu
The run is timed to coincide with the Tiramisù World Cup, an international dessert competition held in Treviso’s main square, Piazza dei Signori, from October 9 to 11. This year marks the tenth edition of the competition, which launched in 2017 and has grown into a major draw for pastry chefs and home bakers.
Demand to judge the contest is high. When registration opened for the 2026 edition, the 350 judge spots sold out in 12 hours, according to the World Cup organizers. Judges have to pass a 15-question exam on competition rules, tiramisu history, and evaluation criteria before tasting begins.
The competition has two categories. The classic division requires the original recipe of ladyfingers, espresso, mascarpone, egg yolks, sugar, and cocoa. The creative category is open to variations. Runners curious about how sugar actually performs on the run can read up on whole-food alternatives to running gels.
Treviso defends its claim as the dessert’s birthplace with a specific origin story. Most accounts trace tiramisu to Le Beccherie, a restaurant in the historic center, where pastry chef Speranza Bon Garatti is said to have created the dessert in the late 1960s.
That claim is contested. Some food historians point to Albergo Ristorante Roma in Tolmezzo, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, which reportedly made a similar dessert for hikers in the Carnic Alps. Trattoria Vetturino in Pieris also lays claim, citing a semifreddo version called “tireme su” that uses cream and sponge cake instead of mascarpone and ladyfingers.
The argument has reached Italian government offices. In 2013, the Veneto regional government, which includes Treviso, applied for EU protected status for tiramisu. In 2017, the Italian Ministry of Agriculture added tiramisu to Friuli-Venezia Giulia’s list of traditional agri-food products. Veneto received the same designation in 2024.
The Tiramisù Run is not the only food-themed race drawing runners willing to swap medals for meals. A Taco Bell ultramarathon in Colorado sends participants 31 miles between 10 restaurants, requiring them to eat at each one. Vomit, and the race is over. Finish, and runners earn the title “Survivor.” The Ferrari Half Marathon in Maranello is another sign of the trend, even if its hook is horsepower rather than dessert.
The Tiramisù Run is a gentler proposition. The only requirement, according to the organizers, is “at least a passing interest in tiramisu.”
Runners new to the distance can find free training plans in our Couch to 10K guide.
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