Italian Road Race Walking Championships
The Italian road walking championships arrive in Alessandria with the first-ever half-marathon race walk
About Italian Race Walking Championships
National race walking titles in the heart of Alessandria
For the first time in its history, Alessandria becomes the capital of Italian race walking by hosting the Italian Road Race Walking Championships. The event, organized by FIDAL (Italian Athletics Federation) in collaboration with Atletica Alessandria and supported by the Municipality of Alessandria, brings the elite of Italian race walking to the capital of the Province of Alessandria, in Piedmont.
The new half-marathon race walk
This edition marks a historic debut for the entire movement: the absolute Italian title is awarded for the first time over the half-marathon race walking distance (21.0975 km), replacing the traditional 20 km championship. This is the same distance that will enter the Olympic program at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, a sign of a discipline in full transformation. The races are held on a city circuit laid out in the streets adjacent to the Viale Massobrio Athletics Field.
Program of events
- Absolute and U23 Italian Half-Marathon Race Walking Championship (men and women)
- Italian Junior 10 km Race Walking Championship (men and women)
- 1st round of the National Youth Road Race Walking Trophy: 6 km for cadets and 4 km for cadet girls
More than just races: conferences and sports culture
The Alessandria program goes beyond the competitions. In the days leading up to the race, technical insights and outreach events are held: a school conference dedicated to the relationship between women and sport at the University of Eastern Piedmont and a technical conference on race walking aimed at coaches and enthusiasts, with the participation of top federation officials. A choice that confirms Alessandria's vocation to make race walking not only a competitive spectacle but also an opportunity for cultural and educational growth.
A nationally renowned event
The presence of the best Italian race walkers, some of whom represent military sports groups, makes this one of the most important sporting events of the year for the city. For one day, the streets of Alessandria transform into an open-air track, with the public lining the circuit to support the athletes striving to win the tricolor jersey.
Italian Race Walking Championships — edition 2026
The 2026 Italian Road Race Walking Championships took place in Alessandria from Friday, March 6 to Sunday, March 8, with the competitive highlight on Sunday morning. For the first time, the absolute Italian title was awarded over the half-marathon race walking distance (21.0975 km), a distance that replaces the old 20 km championship and will be an Olympic event at Los Angeles 2028. The event, organized by FIDAL with Atletica Alessandria, attracted the best Italian race walkers to a circuit created in the streets adjacent to the Viale Massobrio Athletics Field.
Programme Italian Race Walking Championships 2026
Friday, March 6
- 10:00 AM — School conference "Woman is sport", a dialogue on women and sport, at the Aula Magna of the University of Eastern Piedmont (Viale Teresa Michel 11)
Saturday, March 7
- 5:00 PM — Technical conference on race walking "The right step: walking towards the future", at the Athletics Field (Viale Massobrio 28). Moderator: Antonio La Torre (FIDAL Technical and Scientific Director). Speakers: Gaspare Pavei (3D analysis of step kinematics), Stefano Serranò (posture and performance), Riccardo Pisani (youth training methodology). Free admission.
Sunday, March 8
- 12:45 PM — Start of the races on the city circuit
- Absolute and U23 Championship — half-marathon race walk (21.0975 km), men and women
- Junior Championship — 10 km race walk, men and women
- 1st round of the National Youth Trophy — 6 km for cadets and 4 km for cadet girls
The race was streamed live on the Nebiolo TV YouTube channel.
Highlights Italian Race Walking Championships 2026
Among the men, Riccardo Orsoni (Fiamme Gialle) won in 1h24:30, ahead of Gianluca Picchiottino (1h25:27) and Michele Antonelli (1h29:07). Among the women, the first Italian half-marathon race walking title went to Sofia Fiorini (Libertas Unicusano Livorno) in 1h34:20, ahead of Alexandrina Mihai and Michelle Canto. In the 10 km junior races, Alessio Coppola and Serena Di Fabio were victorious. The return of former Olympic champion Alex Schwazer, 41, was highly anticipated, though he was disqualified by the race judges after a series of warnings.
Prices Italian Race Walking Championships 2026
Practical information — Italian Race Walking Championships
Location
Viale Massobrio 28 Athletics Field, Alessandria. The races take place on a city circuit created in the streets adjacent to the facility.
How to get there
By train: Alessandria station is one of the main railway hubs in Piedmont, well-connected to Turin, Genoa, and Milan; from the station, the facility can be reached in a few minutes. By car: Alessandria is served by the A21 (Turin-Piacenza) and A26 (Genoa-Gravellona Toce) motorways.
Admission
Public access to the circuit is free of charge. Competitions are reserved for FIDAL-registered athletes according to federal regulations.
Info
Program, schedules, and results are published on the FIDAL website (fidal.it).
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Where does it take place — Italian Race Walking Championships
Campo di Atletica Leggera "Renato Centrone" e circuito cittadino
Viale Massobrio 28, 15121 Alessandria