Canossa Trail Marathon

The Canossa Trail Marathon is a trail race organised by Atletica Reggio, an athletics club from Reggio Emilia, in the so-called Matildic hills, named after Matilda of Canossa, the countess who ruled these lands in the 11th century. The race starts and finishes in Piazza Vittoria in Vezzano sul Crostolo, a village in the foothills of the Reggio Apennines, and the courses also cross the municipalities of Casina, Canossa and San Polo d'Enza. It takes place in late October and is run in semi-self-sufficiency on footpaths, dirt tracks and old mule trails, with tarmac making up less than a fifth of the distance. A youth event, the Canossa Mini Trail, rounds off the weekend.

The long course, named Castello di Rossena, covers 42 km with 2,100 m of elevation gain and starts at 8:30 a.m. It heads into the heart of Matilda's lands from village to viewpoint, passes the castles of Canossa and Rossena, then returns along the ridge that overlooks the Campola valley and, beyond it, the Po plain. There are two cut-offs: 1 hr 45 at km 9, at the Casa Querceto fork, and 5 hr 15 at Rossena Castle, at km 27.5; the overall time limit is 8 hours. Seven aid stations line the loop, four of them with solid food. Entries on this course are limited to a few dozen runners.

The medium course, Castello di Canossa, is 24 km with 1,150 m of climbing and starts at 9 a.m. It climbs Monte Grafagnana, reaches the hamlets of Pedergnano and Signano, drops from Banzola into the Campola valley, then climbs back up to the rock of Canossa. From the castle it follows the ridge of Monte Sella and Monte Pentile, descends to Pecorile and ends with a final ascent of Grafagnana before the run down to Vezzano. It counts towards the UISP provincial trail championship over the intermediate distance.

The Monte Gesso course, 12.5 km with 650 m of gain, also starts at 9 a.m. and stays on the slopes of Monte del Gesso, which towers over Vezzano, and of Grafagnana, facing the Campola valley. It is an ideal introduction to trail running. Across all the routes, the scenery alternates between woodland, meadows, open ridges and medieval ruins: Canossa is forever linked to 1077, when Emperor Henry IV came here to do penance before Pope Gregory VII, while Rossena still stands intact on its reddish rock.

On the practical side, entrants need a medical certificate for competitive athletics, as is always the case in Italy; the minimum age is 20 for the 42 and 24 km, and 18 for the 12.5 km. Mandatory kit includes a charged phone, a cup or bottle, a survival blanket and trail shoes; a windproof jacket and the GPX track are recommended. Bibs are collected the afternoon before or on race morning at the middle school in Vezzano. Showers at the municipal gym, a bag drop, a motorhome area in the pine wood and a medal for every finisher complete the package, and the organisers encourage car-sharing.