Loading event…
We use only the cookies needed to keep you signed in and remember your language and theme. Optional categories stay off until you choose. Read our privacy & cookies policy.
Photo: alba24.ro
Run in the Other Capital.
26 September 2026Alba Iulia, Alba
Around 1,000 runners lace up inside Romania's largest star-shaped fortress — the baroque Alba Carolina citadel, in the city where the 1918 Great Union was proclaimed. A running festival where history, emotion and sport meet between restored 18th-century bastions.
About the race
Run through the gates
Few courses double as a guided tour. The route passes the great baroque Gate III and slips through Gates IV, V and VI of the citadel, runs the inner moats between the bastions, and curves past both cathedrals at the heart of Alba Iulia.
A western gate of the Vauban fortress — the route slips through its arch onto the rampart walk.
One of the citadel's original seven gates, opening onto the inner moat between two bastions.
The eastern gate near the esplanade — a fast, flat stretch as runners re-enter the star.
The Orthodox cathedral where King Ferdinand and Queen Marie were crowned in 1922.
Transylvania's oldest Roman Catholic cathedral, founded in the 13th century.
Grassed channels between the seven bastions — the fortress's defensive geometry, now your running line.
Cursa principală, 21 km și +700 m. Start din Piața Cetății Alba Carolina, primii ~5 km comuni cu Crosul, apoi off-road prin Pădurea Alba Iulia până la Vârful Mamut (~800 m alt.). Medalie metalică de finisher.
Cros 11 km, +270 m. Start din Piața Cetății Alba Carolina, traseu mixt city/trail cu vedere panoramică de la Vârful Mamut. Medalie metalică de finisher.
Cursa populară de 5 km, +55 m, traseu urban prin centrul istoric și zonele pietonale. Medalie de lemn.
Entries run from about 115 to 405 lei for the half marathon, depending on category and how early you sign up. Most editions also accept race-day registration in cash, subject to availability.
The Other Capital
On 1 December 1918, delegates gathered in Alba Iulia to proclaim the union of Transylvania with Romania — the act that gave the modern country its shape. That is why Alba Iulia is called the symbolic capital, the Other Capital. Running here isn't just a race through pretty walls; it's a lap through the place where a nation was decided.
A seven-pointed star you can run, one bastion at a time.
Why run it
A closed-road citadel, water on course, chip timing and a medal you'll actually want to keep.
Baroque gates, two cathedrals and the star fortress — there is nowhere else in Romania you can run a route like this.
Around 1,000 runners, music, family activities and the citadel's cafés and museums open all day.
From a 21K half marathon to a 2.7K family run and kids' dashes — bring the whole household.
Electronic timing on every timed race, a finisher medal, and a technical running tee for the 21K, 11K and 5K.
The course
Every distance starts and finishes at Piața Cetății, in the heart of Alba Carolina. Explore the start area and surroundings on the map below.
Race day
A typical race-morning rhythm — confirm exact times in the official race guide before the start.
Start competiție
Startul pentru toate cursele de pe 26 septembrie 2026
FAQ
Sign up online at albaiulia.cityrace.ro/inscriere. Online entries close around 21 September, a few days before the race. Most editions also allow race-day registration in cash on site, subject to availability — but registering online secures your size and saves you the queue.
Five options: the 21K Semimaraton (half marathon), the 11K Cros (cross-country, off-road sections, around 270 m of climbing), the 5K Cursa Populară (popular run), the 2.7K Family Run for ages 14 and up, and the Kids races for younger children.
Fees are tiered by category and registration period. The 21K runs roughly 115 to 405 lei depending on when you enter, with the shorter distances priced lower. Signing up earlier is always cheaper.
A race bib with electronic chip timing, a finisher medal and on-course water. The 21K, 11K and 5K also include a technical running tee. Exact race-kit contents are confirmed in the official race guide.
Everything starts and finishes at Piața Cetății, inside the Alba Carolina citadel in Alba Iulia. The fortress is pedestrianised on race day, so use the public car parks just outside the walls and walk in through one of the gates — give yourself extra time, as roads around the citadel are closed for the race.
Yes. The 2.7K Family Run is open to runners aged 14 and up, and there are dedicated Kids races for younger children. It's built as a family festival, not just an elite race.
Each distance starts from the citadel square and runs through the star-shaped Vauban fortress — through Gates IV, V and VI, past both the Coronation and St. Michael's cathedrals, and along the inner moats between the bastions. The 21K and 5K are on tarmac; the 11K Cros adds off-road sections and the most climbing.
See you on race day at the gates of Alba Carolina. Register online before the deadline to lock in your distance and your tee.
Cursă de familie 2,7 km, +45 m, prin cetate pe drumuri pavate cu piatră cubică. Tricou de bumbac și medalie de lemn.
Cursa copiilor, start la ora 14:00 în Piața Cetății Alba Carolina.