# Italian sports diplomacy initiatives in Croatia

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/italian-sports-diplomacy-initiatives-in-croatia
> Updated: 2026-09-20T19:55:45.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

The Italian Embassy in Croatia has initiated the ‘Corsa dell’Amicizia’ (Friendship Race) as part of a sports diplomacy effort to celebrate the National Italian Sport Day in the World.

The third edition of the race was held at Lake Jarun in Zagreb, involving over 300 participants. Italian Ambassador Paolo Trichilo noted the event is part of a broader initiative to promote dialogue and inclusion.

Following the Zagreb event, the initiative expanded to the Pula Marathon, which hosted the inaugural Friendship Run in Pula. This iteration saw 200 runners participate in a nearly 6 km race, supported by organizations such as the Unione Italiana and FederEsuli.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-20: Pula Marathon hosts inaugural Friendship Run to celebrate Italian sport

The Embassy of Italy in Croatia launched the inaugural ‘Corsa dell’Amicizia’ during the Pula Marathon to celebrate National Italian Sport Day and strengthen bilateral relations through sport.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/pula-marathon-hosts-inaugural-friendship-run-to-celebrate-italian-sport

### 2026-09-05: Zagreb hosts third Corsa dell’Amicizia to celebrate Italian Sport Day

Over 300 participants joined the third ‘Corsa dell’Amicizia’ in Zagreb, an event organized by the Italian Embassy to celebrate Italian Sport Day in the World and promote sports diplomacy.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/zagreb-hosts-third-corsa-dellamicizia-to-celebrate-italian-sport-day

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Cite as: Italian sports diplomacy initiatives in Croatia. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/italian-sports-diplomacy-initiatives-in-croatia