When Marathons Meet Mission: Turning Urban Races into Environmental Insight

What if a marathon could do more than test human endurance — and help make our cities healthier and more sustainable?

During the Rome Marathon, Serco supported an advanced air quality monitoring initiative that turned a major public event into a real-world laboratory for environmental insight.

Working alongside World Athletics, Sapienza University of Rome and research partners, our teams helped deploy mobile and fixed monitoring systems along the race route — capturing real time data on air quality and environmental conditions experienced by runners and citizens alike.

This project is part of BAQUNIN, a European initiative using cutting edge monitoring to better understand air quality exposure in complex urban environments. Beyond the technology, the objective is clear: support better informed public decisions, healthier communities and more liveable cities.

At Serco, we are proud to help public authorities and partners turn major events into opportunities for insight, prevention and positive social impact; combining innovation with our long standing commitment to serving communities. Congratulations to the teams involved on this important project and milestone.

Explore the interactive maps and see how data can drive impact in practice. Click here for the route of the 5K fun run, and click here for the 42K marathon.

Stay tuned for further updates.