Ultra-Trails in Ticino

Ticino doesn't yet host a listed ultra-trail, but its valleys offer a training ground that can easily rival the big names 🏔️. For an ultra-trail in Ticino, the idea is to accumulate quality kilometers, then head off to Graubünden or Valais. Serious preparation starts with long weekend runs, interspersed with climbing sessions to build power.

The terrain is excellent preparation for long outings. The Maggia Valley, the Leventina and the Blenio Valley offer long, steady climbs lined with chestnut forests before reaching open alpine pastures. The dry-stone trails, sometimes steep, teach you to place your foot without wasting energy. The mild climate allows long runs from March to November, with summer best reserved for early-morning starts ☀️. Mountain huts serve as ideal aid stations for rehearsing your effort management. The very long summer days allow you to set off early and be back before nightfall without stress.

The neighboring ultra-trail calendar offers great goals. In June, the Swiss Irontrail starts from Savognin, in Graubünden. In August, the Transalpine Run leaves Lenzerheide for a stage-based adventure across the Alps, while the Ultra Tour Monte Rosa circles the massif, in Grächen, in Valais 🥾. The ultra-trails in Graubünden and the ultra-trails in Switzerland complete the list.

The 57 km long Gotthard Base Tunnel connects Ticino to the north of the Alps in record time: an engineering feat that reminds us that long races are won with patience 😄. After a long run, a steaming risotto gets your legs back on their feet 🍚. Everyone chooses their goal according to their level and experience of the terrain, building their preparation over several months, between lakeshores and high-altitude valleys 🌴.