Races in Abruzzo

They’re nicknamed the greenest region in Europe, and it’s not a marketing slogan: a third of the Abruzzo region is classified as parks and nature reserves. Wedged between Rome and the Adriatic, the region turns its back on the classic tourist circuits, which keeps it authentic and quiet. L’Aquila, the capital set at 700 meters above sea level, is slowly recovering from the 2009 earthquake, between scaffolding and reopened alleyways. Pescara plays the seaside card on the coast, with its long beach and lively waterfront. Chieti keeps its Roman remains, Teramo stands watch at the foot of Gran Sasso, and Sulmona, birthplace of the poet Ovid, claims to have invented sugar-coated almonds 🇮🇹.

The terrain is first and foremost mountains—and real mountains at that. The Gran Sasso massif peaks at Corno Grande at 2,912 meters, the highest point in the entire Apennines, with Campo Imperatore at its feet—an immense high-altitude plateau nicknamed Little Tibet 🏔️. The Calderone glacier, the southernmost in Europe, still clings to its northern slope. Further south, the Majella rises as another giant, and the Abruzzo National Park shelters what few places in Europe can claim: Marsican brown bears, wolves, and Apennine chamois, just a stone’s throw from the trails 🐻. Between the massifs, lakes like Scanno lay down their blue mirror, and to the east the plain drops toward the beaches of the Adriatic.

The seasons follow the altitude, unsurprisingly. The peaks stay snow-covered for a good part of the year—Campo Imperatore keeps its snow until May, sometimes longer—which concentrates mountain trail races between June and September. The coast, meanwhile, can be run almost year-round, with hot summers tempered by the sea breeze and mild winters in Pescara ☀️. Spring wakes up flower-covered alpine pastures and the famous Santo Stefano lentils, while autumn tints the national park’s beech forests. A rare detail: on Gran Sasso, you can ski in the morning and dip your feet in the Adriatic in the afternoon—the sea is only an hour’s drive away.

The race calendar in Abruzzo puts the mountains in the spotlight. The Ultra Trail Gran Sasso starts from Pietracamela in July and climbs onto the roof of the Apennines—a reference race for anyone looking to discover the massif. The Monterosa Est Himalayan Trail sets the same scene in August, while the Ultra Serra Sky Marathon runs above Celano in June 🥾. On the road, the Pescara Half Marathon follows the sea in May—the Maratonina del Mare, aptly named. Sunday triathletes aren’t really Sunday triathletes here: the EagleXman Extreme Triathlon strings together swim, bike, and run around L’Aquila with elevation gain that discourages the lukewarm, while the two editions of XTERRA Lake Scanno set up their transition by the lakeshore. For cycling, the Nova Eroica Gran Sasso explores the plateau’s white roads, and the Race Across Italy starts on the coast to cross the entire country 🚴. To branch out, neighboring Marche extends the Apennines to the north, and Lazio borders the region on the Rome side.

After a race in Abruzzo, the cuisine doesn’t go for lightness—and that’s a good thing. Arrosticini, those small skewers of grilled mutton cooked by the dozen, are the region’s absolute emblem, to be eaten with your fingers. Maccheroni alla chitarra, pasta cut on a stringed frame, comes with a generous sauce, and high-altitude pecorino ages on the pastures 🧀. L’Aquila saffron, one of the best in the world, perfumes dishes, and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo fills the glasses (Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health; consume in moderation). Here, the real sporting tradition comes from transhumant shepherds, who logged dozens of kilometers on foot long before trail running was invented 🐑. As for heritage, Abruzzo gave us the Latin poet Ovid, a child of Sulmona, the philosopher Benedetto Croce, and the great singer and songwriter Ivan Graziani, a figure of Italian rock 🎸. So—an ultra on the roof of the Apennines, or a half marathon with your feet in the water in Pescara? Compare the local trail races and triathlons—wild Italy is waiting for you 👟.