The Race
| Next Race Date | To be announced |
|---|---|
| Course type | Not confirmed |
| Registration | Open entry; 2027 terms not yet published |
| Ballot opens | Not applicable |
| Avg race-day temp | Not confirmed |
| Cutoff time | Not confirmed |
| Course certification | Not confirmed |
History
The Maratona di Riso Italiano is organised by Club Super Marathon Italia in Santhià, in the province of Vercelli, the heart of Italy's rice-growing country. The second edition was held on Friday 1 May 2026. An organiser page for a first edition refers to 1 May 2024, so the race has not run every year. The day includes a half marathon and a 10 km race.
The marathon was won in 2026 by Luca Tomatis of Podistica Valle Grana in 2:53:46, and by Serena Piana of Atletica Santhià in 3:25:39. An organiser headline for the 2026 race mentions gusts of wind.
Reports of the 2026 turnout differ. One results page counts 425 finishers across the three distances, with 193 in the half marathon. Another source puts the event at about 1,000 athletes, a record, and a local headline refers to over 700 participants. None of these is a marathon figure. Marathon finishers, course records and the status of any 2025 edition have not been published.
The course
The organiser's regional page says the route covers the water villages of the Vercelli area, including Santhià, Tronzano, Bianzè, Crova, Salasco and San Germano, which is rice-growing country. Bio Correndo describes a road race through Santhià. The start and finish location, the number of laps and the surface have not been published.
The route visits exactly those villages: it starts and finishes in Santhià, runs south to Tronzano and Bianzè, east through Crova to Salasco, and returns by San Germano Vercellese. It is not a certified measurement. The SRTM profile stays between 156 and 190 m.
Kilometre by kilometre
The organiser publishes no kilometre breakdown. The village order below matches the organiser's list. Treat every position as approximate.
Km 0 to 6: Santhià. The route starts in Piazza Zapelloni and loops through the town centre by Corso Santo Ignazio da Santhià at 1 km, Piazza Roma at 2 km and Via Matteotti at 3 km, then leaves by Via Alice Castello at 4 km. The ground is level at 187 m.
Km 6 to 17: south to Bianzè. The route runs south through Tronzano Vercellese on the SP42 and SP3 at 6 and 7 km, and down Via Bianzè at 8 to 10 km. It reaches Bianzè at 11 km, its southernmost point at about 13 km, and turns east on Strada Comunale Campanasca at 14 to 16 km. The ground falls gently from 189 m to 170 m over 12 km.
Km 17 to 30: Crova and Salasco. The route turns north on the SP87 and Strada per Carpeneto at 17 to 19 km, then east on the SP11 and Via Crova at 20 to 22 km, reaches Crova at 23 km, and follows the SP26 through Viancino at 24 to 26 km to Salasco at 27 km, its easternmost point and the low point of the course at 156 m.
Km 30 to 42.2: San Germano and home. The route turns north through San Germano Vercellese on the SP27 and SP28 at 28 to 34 km, then west by the SP115 and SP143 at 36 and 37 km and into Santhià on Corso Vercelli at 38 to 40 km. A slow climb of about 28 m over 11.6 km (0.2%) brings the ground back to 187 m by the finish.
Wind was a factor in 2026, and the plain gives little shade.
A loop through the town centre at 187 m before the route heads out into the fields.
Tronzano Vercellese and Via Bianzè, falling gently to 170 m.
East through the rice fields to Salasco at 27 km, the lowest point at 156 m.
North through San Germano Vercellese, then west into Santhià on Corso Vercelli.
Course Map
Tap a marker for the start and the villages on the loop, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
No sourced average temperature or start time is available. The 2026 race was on 1 May, and an organiser headline mentions gusts of wind, so a light windproof suits the open rice-field roads. Check the forecast in the week before.
A cap and sunscreen suit a slower runner on a sunny day, since the plain gives little shade.
Entry
Fees, the entry platform, medical rules, the age limit, foreign-runner rules and the refund policy have not been found. Results were published through timingrun.it, so entry may use a similar system, but that is unverified. Check the organiser's entry page, Club Super Marathon Italia, before paying. No ballot or guaranteed-entry route was found.
Fast runner standards
There is no guaranteed-entry or qualifying standard.
Race Weekend
Bib collection
Bib collection hours and the venue have not been published in the pages checked. Ask the organiser, and plan to collect the day before if possible.
Getting to the start
The start time, assembly, bag drop, toilets and showers have not been published. Confirm them with the organiser, leave valuables at the hotel and bring a light layer for the wait.
Nutrition on course
Aid stations have not been published. An organiser headline mentions panissa, a rice dish of the Vercelli area, but does not say what is served or when. Carry the fuel you have trained with.
Spectating
Spectator advice has not been published. The recorded route loops through the centre of Santhià in the first 4 km and returns on Corso Vercelli, so a supporter in the town may see runners twice. Confirm the start and finish venue with the organiser first.
- Confirm the start and finish venue with the organiser
- Watch the start, then see runners again on their return through the town centre
- Wait at the finish
Post-race food
What the organiser serves after the race has not been published. For a sit-down meal, ask your hotel in Santhià about Sunday or holiday opening hours before relying on a table.
Where to Stay
The start and finish venue has not been published, so the honest advice is to stay in Santhià. The race is named for the town, and the recorded route starts and finishes there.
Santhià
The obvious base. The town sits on the Turin to Milan rail line, which is a useful link for arrivals.
Vercelli
A larger city nearby with more hotels, which the organiser's regional page associates with the race. It needs a transfer to the start.
Turin and Milan
Both have airports and large hotel supply, but each needs a checked early-morning rail or road connection.
Booking timeline
Wait for the organiser to announce the next date. The race has not run every year, so do not plan travel around an assumed 1 May. Hold a refundable room if travelling, and check the organiser's news page.
See & Do
Santhià is small. The other two stops are on the plain around it.
Santhià centre
The town that gives the race its name. Check opening hours for churches and shops.
The rice fields of the Vercelli plain
Flat farmland, flooded in spring. The timing of the flooding needs checking.
Vercelli
A larger town in the rice country. Check opening hours.
After the Race
The 2026 race was on a Friday holiday, so the day after may be a Saturday. The itineraries below say the day after.
The rice capital of Piedmont, a flat town walk and a rice-based lunch.
A lake close to Santhià, with a flat shore path for stiff legs.
One night in Turin before a flight from Turin airport.
Two nights in Milan, with flat central streets and airports a short ride away.