2026: A Big Year for Italy – Join the Trasimeno SUP Race!

Get ready for the Trasimeno SUP Race, returning on April 18-19! Organized by Cristian Bottausci, a celebrated SUP athlete, coach, and multiple national master champion, this iconic race has been bringing paddlers together since 2014. Starting as a national event with 70 participants, it has grown into a highlight of the Italian SUP calendar, attracting top athletes year after year. This edition marks an exciting step forward: the race goes international under the ICF and FICK, welcoming paddlers from across Europe. The program includes a 5km inflatable race, a FUN race, and a 10km long course with scenic turns past Monte del Lago and Polvese Island. Lake Trasimeno’s flat waters and occasional playful winds make for thrilling conditions. Whether you’re competing or cheering, this event is the perfect mix of sport, nature, friendship and Italian charm.

Ciao Cristian! First of all, can you introduce yourself to our audience and tell us about your journey in SUP, as well as your role within Canoa Club Perugia?

Ciao Mathieu! My name is Cristian Bottausci, I’m a SUP athlete and coach. I started Stand Up Paddling in 2013, and I immediately dedicated myself to teaching and competing. As a master athlete, I’ve won several national titles in my category, but my greatest satisfaction has come as a coach, since one of my athletes, Vira Lemekha, won two gold medals at the 2024 ECA European Championship (now Paddle Europe) in Hungary.

Congratulations! How was the Trasimeno SUP Race born and what inspired you to create this event on Lake Trasimeno?

I organized the first edition of the Trasimeno SUP Race in 2014. It was a great success at a time when SUP in Italy was in its infancy, with about 70 participants including the best Italian champions of the time such as the Nika brothers, Paolo Marconi, Martino Rogai, etc.

In the following years, the race became a classic on the Italian SUP circuit, and in 2018, 2021, and 2024, it reached around 100 participants.

Can you give us the full details of this year’s event? What race formats and distances are on the program, who can participate, what does the schedule look like, and what makes this edition special?

Until now, the Trasimeno SUP Race has always had a purely national character, but this year the goal is to make a qualitative leap and the competition becomes international under the aegis of the ICF (international Canoe Federation ) but also FICK ( Federazione Italiana Canoa Kayak ).

This year’s race will have an ICF format, and the program includes a 5km inflatable race on Saturday, followed by the FUN race in the afternoon. On Sunday morning, the long-distance race will take place over a 5km course (the same as the inflatable race), but with two turns. It will be a medium distance race, but with multiple turning points. The course will run in front of the charming village of Monte del Lago and Polvese Island.

Tell us more about Canoa Club Perugia. What is the history of the club, what role does it play in Italian paddle sports, and have any well-known SUP or canoe athletes emerged from the club?

This year, we moved from Passignano to Monte del Lago, to the headquarters of the Canoa Club Perugia.

This club, which has been around for over 40 years and is home to many canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts, has now opened its doors to SUP.
Our entire team and members of SUP Trasimeno have become members of the Canoa Club Perugia and are therefore part of it. This allows us to organize an event within a well-established facility.

What are the racing conditions like in Monte del Lago? How does Lake Trasimeno suit SUP competition, and what kind of wind, water conditions, and scenery can paddlers expect on race day?

Lake Trasimeno is perfect for organizing stand-up paddleboard competitions. It is generally flat, but some winds often blow from various directions, it can make the race much more exciting, therefore choppy but also with light waves, often even lateral ones.

This is a big year for Italian SUP, especially with the Italian Canoe Federation and the World Championships later this year. What is the atmosphere like right now within the Italian SUP community, and do you feel extra motivation and momentum around events like Trasimeno?

Yes! 2026 is an important year for Italian SUP. There will be many competitions at sea and on lakes, and there’s certainly a lot of excitement for the ICF World Championships, which will take place in Italy in October.

Our race is part of the FICK Italian SUP Race Circuit and serves as a qualifying round for the Italian team at the ICF World Championships in Sicily.
We’re very proud to be part of this circuit.

Beyond the race, why should athletes and their families come to Umbria? What makes Monte del Lago and the Lake Trasimeno area a special destination in terms of tourism, culture, food, and lifestyle?

Monte del Lago is a picturesque medieval village offering beautiful lake views and breathtaking sunsets. It’s close to art cities like Perugia, Cortona, and Siena and Lake Trasimeno is a little gem in its own right, perfect for a vacation combining nature, history, and fine dining.

As has always been the case for me, the watchwords are hospitality and friendship, because I feel part of a wonderful SUP community and I want to carry these values forward along with the sport.

To find out more and register : 
www.keepsporting.com/
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