Stralaceno

A local race on the Laceno Plateau

Stralaceno is an amateur road running event held every year in late August on the Laceno Plateau, a mountain basin in the Picentini Mountains that has long served as the summer retreat for the residents of Caposele, in the province of Avellino, Campania. Established in 1987, it is one of the longest-running popular races in Irpinia—not a manufactured event, but a community ritual that brings generations of local runners together on the same road every summer.

The event is organized by the Stralaceno Committee, composed of the participants themselves, in collaboration with the ARS - Amatori Running Sele association. The race is now a permanent fixture in the Estate Caposelese program, a series of events promoted by the Municipality of Caposele and the local Pro Loco between late July and early September.

The course: 5.585 km on the Laceno circuit

The track is a single 5.585 km loop along the provincial road crossing the plateau, officially measured in August 2007 and unchanged since. Start and finish are located near the 4 Camini hotel, the event's historic landmark.

• Distance: 5.585 km road race, single circuit
• Location: Laceno Plateau, a few kilometers from Caposele
• Start and finish: near the 4 Camini hotel
• Timing: late August or early September, in the late afternoon
• Weather: the race takes place regardless of weather conditions

The plateau's altitude and the crisp mountain air of Irpinia make the race much more pleasant than summer events in the lowlands.

A race reserved for the people of Caposele

The most unique aspect of Stralaceno is its entry rule: the race is reserved for those with sporting citizenship in the Municipality of Caposele. Organizers explain that this is not to exclude outsiders, but to foster an authentic competition where all participants belong to the same community and know each other well. Those born in 2011 and earlier are eligible to register.

The result is a race where different goals coexist: some fight for the podium, others test their fitness, and some simply aim to complete the loop within the time limit, even by walking. There are no official prizes; the value of the event lies in the sporting spirit and the camaraderie among fellow citizens.

The statute and the comparability of results

In June 2025, the Stralaceno Statute was signed and officially registered, codifying principles considered immutable by the organizers: the participants' belonging to the Caposele sporting community, the annual frequency of the event, and the comparability of results across editions. This last point mandates that the course, start, and finish lines remain unchanged, barring force majeure. It is a rare choice for an amateur race and explains why the Stralaceno roll of honor serves as a true sporting archive for the town.

The roll of honor, from 1987 to today

The first edition in 1987 was won by Donato Merola. Throughout the nineties and the 2000s, the most recurring name is Gelsomino Merola, winner of numerous editions, joined in the roll of honor by Pasquale Ceres, Donato Ceres, Raffaele Merola, and Francesco Ceres. Since 2012, the race has been dominated by Daniele Caprio, who has won every edition up to 2025. The event's historic website preserves rankings, times, and personal profiles of the participants.

Caposele, water, and the Irpinian mountains

The Municipality of Caposele, with just over three thousand inhabitants about 58 kilometers from Avellino, is known as the town of springs, where the Sele River rises. The village is also a pilgrimage destination for the Sanctuary of San Gerardo Maiella in the hamlet of Materdomini. Stralaceno completes this picture from a sporting perspective, bringing the community to the heights of the plateau, which becomes the great open-air space for the people of Irpinia during the summer.

When to run and how to follow it

The event is traditionally set for the last days of August in the late afternoon, when the heat subsides and the plateau fills with families and spectators along the road. Dates, rankings, and organizational announcements are published on the event's historic website, managed by webmaster Pasquale Ceres.