Cancel Your October Plans: Italian City to Host Worlds First ‘Tiramisu 10k’ Run

The race itself

 

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The Tiramisù Run will cover 6.5 miles along a mostly flat route starting and finishing on the historic street of Viale Bartolomeo d’Alviano. It’s part of the broader Treviso Half Marathon weekend, but this race isn’t open only to traditional runners. There are no time requirements or cutoffs, no medical clearance, and no requirements, other than at least a passing interest in tiramisu. Walkers are explicitly welcome, and the inaugural event is capped at 1,000 participants.

Registration is open online now and closes on October 8, or when it reaches 1,000 registrants. Unlike your average professional race, the entry fee is fairly reasonable at €18 (about $20) through August 30. It rises to €22 (about $24) in September, but is still low enough to leave plenty of travel budget left for dessert-hopping your way through town afterward. Treviso is only about 30 minutes by train from Venice, making it easy to fold into a longer Italy trip.

And don’t worry: racers need not sacrifice on tiramisu tasting. Registration includes not just the race entry itself, but also a t-shirt — and a heaping serving of tiramisu at the finish line.

Treviso’s claim to tiramisu

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Treviso doesn’t just claim to be the birthplace of tiramisu, but defends that claim vigorously with a strong, provable history.

The most well-known origin story traces the dessert’s creation to Le Beccherie, a restaurant in Treviso’s historic center. It’s there that pastry chef Speranza Bon Garatti supposedly created tiramisu in the late 1960s (though its roots may go back further). The original recipe used a ladyfinger cookie soaked in espresso, layered with a mascarpone and egg-yolk cream, then dusted with cocoa powder. Though many other bakeries and restaurants have made their own versions, the original version has been more or less unchanged since then.

Of course, every bold claim comes with challenges. Some food historians have found evidence of a similar dessert being made at Albergo Ristorante Roma in Tolmezzo, which supposedly made the dessert for hikers in the nearby Carnic Alps. Trattoria Vetturino in Pieris also makes a claim, saying it has served a semifreddo version under the name “tireme su” going back even further. That recipe differs from the one Treviso claims is the original, made with cream instead of mascarpone and sponge cake instead of ladyfingers, but the name and loose concept are the same.

It’s a hotly contested debate that has even made its way into Italy’s legal system. In 2013, the Veneto regional government (home to Treviso) sought EU protected status certification for tiramisu. But in 2017, The Italian Ministry of Agriculture added tiramisu to the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (home to Tolmezzo) list of traditional agri-food products. It then also gave that designation to Veneto, in 2024. Needless to say, it’s still a hotly contested issue as to who made it first.

What is the Tiramisù World Cup?

 

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The Tiramisù World Cup is an international dessert competition held in Treviso that draws pastry chefs, home bakers, and dessert enthusiasts from around the world. It launched in 2017 and has grown significantly since. When registration opened for the 2026 edition, the 350 judge spots sold out in 12 hours. Judges have to pass a 15-question exam on competition rules, the history of tiramisu, and official evaluation criteria. But if you pass, you’re responsible for tasting some of the world’s best desserts.

The 2026 competition runs October 9–11 in Piazza dei Signori, Treviso’s main square, wrapping up on the same day as the Tiramisù Run. Bakers can enter in one of two categories: a classic division requiring the original recipe (ladyfingers, espresso, mascarpone, egg yolks, sugar, and cocoa), or a creative interpretation category open to variations. The weekend also includes public tastings, workshops, and classes, so spectators can eat well regardless of whether they’re competing.

How to plan your trip

The race runs through the historic streets of Treviso, Italy. Photo: Simone Padovani/Shutterstock

Whether you’re planning on running, judging, or just hoping to attend, you’ll need to fly into Venice Marco Polo Airport. Train tickets start from around €3.90 (about $4.50), making it one of the cheaper train rides in Italy. From the airport, transfer to Venice Santa Lucia (the main station on the Grand Canal) or Venice Mestre, and catch the train to Treviso Centrale, which is about an eight-minute walk from the old city walls. You’ll want to stay in Treviso rather than commuting from Venice on race day. The city is small enough that most of the old center is walkable, and staying in the centro storico means you’re steps from the World Cup festivities all weekend.