Gardalonga Rowing Race to Connect Maderno, Gardone, Salò on Lake Garda

It is now the «Gardalonga». From Maderno to Gardone Riviera and Salò, with a return along the Cavazza Island. Only rowing boats can participate: canoes, kayaks, bisse, single, double, or four-rowers, etc. The event is scheduled for May 6. After organizing the Befana-Christmas Santa Clash and the Carnival day, with challenges in the gulf, the Friends of Rowing of Toscolano Maderno, who participate in the traditional Palio delle Bisse during summer, decided to focus on an event capable of uniting different localities around the middle of the lake.

Clones and Inspirations of the Gardalonga

The model is represented by the Vogalonga of Venice (30 kilometers, from St. Mark’s Basin to Burano, Mazzorbo, Murano, the Cannaregio canal, Grand Canal, Rialto, Punta della Salute), which attracts thousands of enthusiasts and takes place in the following week.

The route of the «Gardalonga» is shorter: about fifteen kilometers. In the past, there have been some attempts, such as the event organized in Salò during the Rivi Festa or the gathering of members of the Touring Club Italiano. But these “water walks,” similar to non-competitive Sunday cross-country runs, did not catch on.

Meanwhile, the Maderno group, led by President Angelo Merigo, was invited to Venice to participate in the four-oared sandolo regatta, a typical boat used in the historic regatta. The crew composed of Paolo Tacconi, Niccolò Conti, Paolo Rosina, and Osvaldo Mazzurega finished second; the team with Marco Righettini, Alfredo Tonoli, and brothers Bruno and Paolo Bignotti came in sixth.