The Town That Ran a Marathon Every Day for 20 Years—and Got Younger Doing It

They didn’t do it for a medal. They did it for each other. What happened next stunned medical science.

In the small mountain village of Acciaroli, Italy, something astonishing has been happening for decades. Starting in the 1990s, nearly the entire population began taking daily group walks and runs—often clocking marathon-level distances each week. It wasn’t organized or sponsored. It wasn’t for fitness. It was social. But by the 2010s, researchers noticed something strange: over 15% of the town’s population was over 100 years old, and heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and cancer rates were dramatically lower than the national average. Many attributed it to their movement, strong community, and one secret ingredient: wild rosemary, grown only in their region.

“We don’t count steps. We count conversations.”

~ Donato Basso, 103-year-old Acciaroli resident

“They have the arteries of 20-year-olds. It’s completely unnatural—in the best way.”

~ Dr. Alan Maisel, cardiologist, University of California

“It’s not one thing. It’s the dance between movement, herbs, and laughter.”

~ Dr. Salvatore Di Somma, Rome University

“They walk together like clockwork. Rain or shine, every street becomes a gym.”

~ Maria Lucia Varricchio, local historian

“Acciaroli didn’t find the fountain of youth. They built it with their feet.”

~ Dr. Giuseppe Paolisso, Italian longevity expert

Knock-on effect: Acciaroli sparked major studies into rosemary’s anti-inflammatory compounds and the impact of low-intensity, high-frequency movement. It challenged the fitness industry’s obsession with intensity, showing that social, daily motion may be the real secret to longevity. One village walked itself into history.