Mountain Races in Ticino

In Ticino, the mountains almost drop straight into the lake 🏔️. From Lake Maggiore to the Leventina, mountain races in Ticino offer profiles where you go from palm trees to ridgelines in just a few hours of climbing.

The valleys unfold in elegant tiers: chestnut trees below, beech forests higher up, alpine pastures around 2,000 m, scree beyond. Monte Generoso, reached by a small rack railway, and Monte Brè, above Lugano, offer great viewpoints for training. The season runs from April to November, with mild mornings and often warm afternoons ☀️. Summer thunderstorms strike quickly in the afternoon, so a windbreaker is still recommended, especially above 2,000 m. Autumn brings golden light and ideal temperatures for climbing 🍂. The old mule tracks, carved into the stone, now serve as race routes, with their dry-stone walls and chapels tucked away along the way.

The Ticino mountain race calendar features two events. In June, the BancaStato Morobbia Trail starts from Pianezzo, near Bellinzona, with climbs through a wild valley. In October, Runthrough Ascona-Locarno takes place on the shores of Lake Maggiore 🥾. Each of the two formats offers a different setting, from the wild valley to the lakeshore, to better appreciate the variety of the canton. For other summits, mountain races in Graubünden and mountain races in Switzerland offer great prospects.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel, the longest railway tunnel in the world, makes it possible to reach Zurich in under two hours: a valuable detail for runners who want to combine mountains and a getaway 😄. At the finish, a steaming plate of polenta comforts everyone 🍚. Everyone will find their race according to their level and their appetite for verticality, from an introductory outing to a full day.