ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the evolution in the engagement of secondary stakeholders in the agro-tourism sector to a central role in a rural event as it has broadened from a strictly athletic competition to one also incorporating celebration of local food and wine. The aim of this chapter is to gain a better understanding of the process through which a rural event evolves, with particular focus on the expansion of the group of primary stakeholders. Central in this process are the motivations of the original and new primary stakeholders and their expectations about the event and more specifically, the changes in its profile. The empirical case investigated was the Ecomaratona del Chianti held in Castelnuovo Berardenga, Tuscany. The Ecomaratona del Chianti is arranged during an autumn weekend in Castelnuovo Berardenga, in the Chianti area close to the Tuscan town of Siena. The Ecomaratona del Chianti belongs to the Circuito delle Ecomaratone.
