Maratona del Riso
The Lowdown
The Maratona del Riso (Rice Marathon), officially registered as the Maratona di Riso Italiano, is an annual road race held every Italian Labour Day (1 May) in Santhià, a small town in the rice-growing plains of the Vercelli province of Piedmont. Organized by Club Super Marathon Italia, the event offers a full marathon, half marathon, and 10K, all starting and finishing at Piazza Zapelloni. The pancake-flat course is run as a double loop for the marathon and a single loop for the half marathon, winding through the "Borghi delle Vie d'Acqua" (Villages of the Waterways) and the neighboring communities of Tronzano Vercellese, Bianzè, Crova, Salasco, and San Germano Vercellese. The scenery is a checkerboard of flooded rice paddies, though the open farmland can bring strong crosswinds. The 2026 edition drew nearly 1,000 finishers across all three distances, its largest turnout yet. Generous cutoffs (8 hours for the marathon, 4 hours for the half, 2 hours for the 10K) make it welcoming to first-time marathoners and charity runners alike.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Medium-sized race
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Moderate spectator support
Piazza Zapelloni (start/finish)
Vercelli rice paddies (risaie)
Tronzano Vercellese
Bianzè
Crova
Salasco
San Germano Vercellese
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Santhià, Piedmont, Italy
IT
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Minimum age 20 on race day for the marathon (typical Italian FIDAL road-race minimum)
Required Documents
- Photo ID
- Valid Italian FIDAL/RunCard medical fitness certificate where required for Italian race registration
Entry Methods
- Online registration via the official maratonadelriso.piemonte.it iscrizioni page
- On-site/in-person registration where permitted per the official regulation
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Review the official race regulation (Regolamento) published on the organizer's FIDAL calendar listing before registering
Organized by Club Super Marathon Italia (CSMI); held annually on 1 May (Festa dei Lavoratori, Italy's Labour Day public holiday)
The 2026 edition (the 2nd under the current "Maratona di Riso Italiano" registration/organization) drew close to 1,000 finishers across all distances despite strong winds
Course billed as passing through the most important rice-growing area in Italy, between Santhià and Vercelli
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