Vercelli Half Marathon

The half marathon of the rice capital

The Vercelli Half Marathon is the winter running event held in the town of Vercelli, in the heart of the Piedmont rice-growing plains. Organized by ASD Circuito Running, the event brings hundreds of athletes to the streets, taking them through the city and the surrounding countryside in one of the first major road races of the Italian season. The start and finish are set in the picturesque Piazza Cavour, the historic heart of the city center.

Four distances for everyone

The race offers a range of courses designed to welcome both competitive athletes and amateurs:

• VHM 21 km — FIDAL competitive half marathon covering the official distance of 21.097 km;
• VHM 21 km non-competitive (E.P.S.), open to those running without a stopwatch;
• VHM 10 km FIDAL competitive;
• VHM 10 km non-competitive, ideal for those getting into running.

The track is predominantly flat and fast: from the center of Vercelli, runners reach the outlying districts and the roads between the rice fields before returning to the finish line in Piazza Cavour. It is a course well-suited for chasing a personal best, thanks to the flat terrain typical of the Po Valley.

Spirit of the event

Established in 2025, the Vercelli Half Marathon immediately established itself as a celebration of popular sport: the first edition saw over four hundred runners take to the starting line, many coming from clubs across Northern Italy. The competitive half marathon is FIDAL-certified, while the non-competitive events open participation to a wider audience, including families and beginners.

The city's warm welcome makes the event special: volunteers, law enforcement, and local associations guard the course, while the public cheers on the athletes along the city streets. All participants who cross the finish line receive a Finisher medal, a memento of the challenge faced on the roads of Vercelli.

Vercelli, a city to discover

Running the Vercelli Half Marathon is also an opportunity to visit one of the oldest historic centers in Piedmont. Vercelli, a provincial capital overlooking the Sesia River, is famous for its rice cultivation and the majestic Basilica of Sant'Andrea, a masterpiece of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic architecture. The race weekend thus becomes a short sporting and cultural trip to the province of Vercelli.