In this new 4running literary journey we discover the sporting events that have traced the history of international road running, starting from Scarpadoro in Vigevano.
By Daniele Milano | photo: Organizing Committee
ATLETIC VIGEVANO, it all starts from here…
To define the origins of a historic race like the Scarpadoro of Vigevano, one cannot stop at the simple sporting event, which saw the light in 1980, but one must go back in time quite a bit, when way back in 1949 the late Dante Merlo, journalist and director of the ATLETICA LEGGERA magazine, founded Atletica Vigevano.
Dante Merlo
Dante Merlo was not only a journalist with great professional qualities, in fact he often managed to give his work that “something extra”, that gift, that intuition that fueled his action. A visionary soul, he had in fact understood that organizing sporting events could generate important opportunities for the town of Vigevano and raise the cultural level of the Vigevano Athletics members.
RAI’s first time
Merlo’s spirit was nothing short of volcanic, always on the front line, projecting the city in which he lived into the Italy of the post-war rebirth. 1955 represents another great achievement, Merlo manages to bring RAI to the municipal stadium of Vigevano for the first time, on the occasion of an athletics meeting for the first official live television broadcast. The Vigevano stadium, which in 1991 was named after him, owes a lot to Merlo, but this is only the initial part of a great story, which finds its natural continuation in Gianni Merlo, son of Dante, true creator of the “Scarpa International Gold Award”.
1980, The International Golden Shoe
The International Golden Shoe was officially born one day in March 1980 in a restaurant in Legnano. Sitting at that table are Dante Merlo, his son Gianni, and Sebastian Coe (current president of World Athletics), a British middle-distance runner with a great future, who has arrived in Italy to compete in a few days at the “Cinque Mulini” in San Vittore Olona, another historic race that we will talk about in one of the next issues of 4running. Addressing Gianni Merlo, Coe makes a brief request: “Gianni, I would like to do an eight kilometer road race in the first week of April. Do you know if there is one around here?”. Gianni turns towards his father, an exchange of glances that already foreshadows yet another intuition, he takes the official calendar of that year’s sporting events in his hand, begins to leaf through the pages, but finds nothing, or almost nothing… Impassive, he turns towards the great British champion smiling and replies: “There is a race, 8 kilometres, right here in Vigevano. We’ll organize it for you on Easter Monday, April 7th.”
A history spanning 26 editions
And so, since that 7 April 44 years ago, the International Golden Shoe has represented one of the most important and evocative road races in Italy and in the world. An indelible mark in the memory of many editions, which have marked the recent history of the Lombard town and not only of Italian athletics. The legacy that Gianni Merlo acquired over the years from his father Dante has honored the streets of Vigevano by hosting the names of the world’s greatest distance interpreters. Opening the first edition on 7 April 1980, as promised by Father and Son, was Sebastian Coe himself who gave so much to world athletics – which now sees him in the role of President of World Athletics – who was succeeded by the most great world middle distance athletes. Steve Ovett, Robert de Castella, Alberto Cova, Gelindo Bordin, Francesco Panetta, Salvatore Antibo, Genny Di Napoli, Stefano Baldini, Paul Tergat, Sergey Lebid are just some of the names who raced in Vigevano.
2006: LA SCARPADORO 21k-10.2k-5k
The Golden Shoe will then experience darker times until 2006, the year of the definitive passing of the baton from Gianni Merlo to his daughter Manuela, who on the one hand realizes that running is becoming more and more a mass sport, and on the What’s more, the elite race is progressively losing the appeal that in the past made it one of the most sought-after road tests in the world. And in 2006 Manuela created the 0 Edition Scarpadoro Half Marathon, maintaining the prestigious brand, but eliminating the apostrophe from her name, to continue such an important tradition. The event was a great success and, within a few years, it expanded by including collateral events in its program such as the 10.2k Stravigevano, the 5k Stracittadina and the Scarpadoro Ability, the race invented by Giusy Versace to encourage people to run and walking people with disabilities and offering them a different morning.
Running into the Future
Every year, on the occasion of the Scarpadoro, over 2,500 competitors run through the streets of Vigevano. Extremely comforting numbers for a race which, edition after edition, has increased participation and an enthusiastic audience. This year the Scarpadoro took place on SUNDAY 17 MARCH.
“It was the seventeenth edition of the renewed event, in which we at 4running also participated with a group of passionate runners from all over Italy together with Carlotta Montanera.”
Manuela Merlo, face to face with Scarpadoro
Manuela, the story of your competition is truly fascinating, what effect does continuing a family tradition have on you?
“I feel the duty and responsibility to continue a tradition that has become the heritage of the city of Vigevano. And, at the same time, an unmissable event for all those runners who always come back every year very willingly, because they are fond of our event.”
In 2006, after 27 editions of the historic race, you had a great intuition…
“I dare say I was in the right place, at the right time. In the sense that since 2000 I had become part of major sporting events. Prhymed with the Stramilano, then with the Milano Marathon. Pwhere I had cut my teeth in organizing large running events and I felt that the time had come to put my experience to work in Vigevano too. I started organizing a 10km for amateurs and Masters in 2004 and then, in 2006, there was the big leap. I expected 500 members and 850 arrived. I immediately understood that, after the ‘0’ edition, a new tradition would begin.”
Scarpadoro, an event in history
Scarpadoro is now a historic event for Vigevano, how does the population react?
“It is a truly heartfelt and participatory event. AND this is a strong source of pride. Because, when the city falls in love with your event, it means that you’ve done ‘bingo’, that you’ve fully achieved your objective. Thanks to the two non-competitive 10k and 5k races, I can really involve families, children, less experienced walkers and runners. Malso to people with disabilities, who enjoy a different Sunday, full of sport and fun.”
Today you are in charge of the entire organization, do you have a dream?
“Understanding who, one day, we can pass the baton to continue the tradition.”
Captions
Alberto Cova and Stefano Mei protagonists of the 1986 Golden Shoe
Gelindo Bordin winner of the Golden Shoe in 1987
Andrea Soffientini, winner of the 2023 edition of the Scarpadoro Half Marathon, passes through Piazza Ducale in Vigevano | © Mattmand Photo
