Porto Venere hosts Rea Palus Race on 18 October

Porto Venere hosts the Rea Palus Race on 18 October; the Navy Edition combines Open and Elite obstacle courses with Comsubin.

The Rea Palus Race Navy Edition takes place in Porto Venere on 18 October 2026, bringing an obstacle race to the Ligurian coastal town. The event combines running with natural and artificial obstacles and is being held in collaboration with COMSUBIN, the Italian Navy unit responsible for underwater and raiding operations.

The race gives Porto Venere a sports programme alongside its historic waterfront, churches and coastal landscape. Its location in the Province of La Spezia also places the event inside a wider cultural setting recognised internationally for the relationship between settlement, sea and steep terrain.

Rea Palus Race brings a Navy Edition to Porto Venere

The organiser lists two main formats for 18 October 2026: an Open category for participants without a competitive ranking and an Elite category for competitive athletes. A further Open 10K format is also listed, while the race page describes the courses as combining running with climbing, crawling, carrying and other obstacle challenges.

The programme identifies Sporteventi SSDRL as the organisation behind the Rea Palus Race and COMSUBIN as its collaborating military body. The organiser's programme for 18 October lists accreditation at Palestra La Forza, the first Elite start at 10am, the first Open start at 11am and the Rea Palus Kids event at 2.30pm. A regional report also places the meeting point at Palestra La Forza in Via Libertà 2 and identifies the event as the Navy Edition.

Porto Venere's race route meets a UNESCO cultural landscape

The event is set in a town whose built and natural surroundings form part of the World Heritage property Portovenere, Cinque Terre and the Islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. UNESCO describes the property as a cultural landscape on the eastern Ligurian coast, shaped by compact coastal settlements, steep ground and stone-walled terraces developed over centuries.

Porto Venere's houses align along the coastline and rise towards Doria Castle, while the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto lie offshore. The UNESCO site was inscribed in 1997 and includes the territory of the town as well as the island group. That setting gives the 18 October race a specific physical context: competitors will encounter an event designed around terrain and obstacles in a landscape whose character is itself defined by rugged coastal ground. The UNESCO description of the property records the town's Roman-era importance, its coastline and the cultural landscape extending towards Cinque Terre.

What the 18 October programme means for visitors

The published schedule distinguishes between the race programme and the children's event. The adult starts are listed for the morning of Sunday 18 October 2026, with the children's race scheduled for the afternoon at Le Grazie. The organiser's page also lists a Saturday accreditation period at Palestra La Forza before the main Sunday programme.

The race is therefore not a general museum opening or a change to access at the churches, castle or waterfront. It is a scheduled sporting event using the town and its surrounding terrain as its setting. Visitors interested in the heritage landscape can still use the date as a reason to visit, but the practical information concerns the race venues and published programme rather than regular monument arrangements.

Visiting Porto Venere: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Rea Palus Race Navy Edition takes place on 18 October 2026, with the meeting point at Palestra La Forza, Via Libertà 2.
• The first Elite start is scheduled for 10am and the first Open start for 11am; the Rea Palus Kids event is listed for 2.30pm at Le Grazie.
• Porto Venere is in the Province of La Spezia on the Ligurian coast, within the UNESCO property that also includes Palmaria, Tino, Tinetto and parts of Cinque Terre.
• The race is built around natural and artificial obstacles, so participants should expect running and physical challenges rather than a conventional town-centre sightseeing route.
• Italy's official language is Italian and its national currency is the euro.

Porto Venere combines the race date with a protected coastal landscape, medieval buildings and offshore islands.

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Frequently asked questions about Porto Venere

When does the Rea Palus Race take place at Porto Venere?

The Navy Edition takes place on 18 October 2026. The first Elite start is scheduled for 10am and the first Open start for 11am.

Where is Porto Venere and how do you get there?

Porto Venere is on the Ligurian coast in the Province of La Spezia, Italy. The race meeting point listed for 18 October 2026 is Palestra La Forza in Via Libertà 2.

What is Porto Venere?

Porto Venere is a historic coastal town within the UNESCO-listed cultural landscape of Portovenere, Cinque Terre and the Islands. Its setting includes a compact shoreline settlement, Doria Castle and the offshore islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto.