La Sportiva Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB® 2026

Stunning panoramas, steady strides, nose to the wind, bib pinned on, captivating trail… No, no, this isn’t a dream we’re describing to you, but indeed the Sportiva Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB®. Coming here means falling (back) in love with this sport again, at every moment 🏃‍♂️. What could be better than setting foot on the Italian lands of the Dolomites, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, to clear out the cobwebs. In this protected area, sport vibrates all year 🗓️. Between the Olympic Games, the trail races, or even the paragliding descents, the air seems to attract every kind of athlete (and yes, even at such high altitude 🏔️). Speaking of air, this race takes place in June, when temperatures range between 4° and 19°. You’ll notice the variation is quite significant—hence the usefulness of planning for good running gear. Ahhhh, summer is just around the corner at that time, but the altitude plays tricks on everyone! 🧤 

Here, you run in an area listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and in one of the most beautiful European mountains ⭐️. With an example distance of: 120 km, the star of the event, there are also 4 other distances so everyone has the chance to experience the race in their own way. Phew! 😮‍💨 Come on, given the country, we might as well adapt the language and go “crescendo”. The shortest distance is a 10 km route with 300 mD+, and starts and finishes on Corso street. Let’s double it up for the 20 km, known for being “the meanest 😈”, with its 1,000 mD+. To get an even more breathtaking view, these two races will take place at the end of the day, to enjoy the sunset and drop your jaw a little wider at the beauty of the place 🌅. Running around Cortina is possible thanks to the 50 km format totaling 2,600 mD+. The second-to-last race—the only one that doesn’t start in Cortina but finishes there—is the 80 km. Adding up to 4,600 mD+ in total, the sections at Tre Cime di Lavaredo are known for soothing muscle pain with their charm 💕. And finally, the star of the day, the 120 km. This ultra-trail features 5,800 mD+ on an unforgettable course, taking you to the top of the Dolomites at the best moment: when the sky turns orange, at the end of the day 🧘‍♀️. 

To make the challenge even more captivating, being “by UTMB”, this race is part of the UTMB World Series circuit, in order to qualify for the big deadline, which is... the UTMB! ✨ Depending on your race, you’ll be able to validate “Running Stones” to increase your chances in the lottery for the big race 🍀. As for the race itself, in any case, it’s rare to mess up when it runs through protected environments like this one. The Dolomites are an Alpine range (in case you hadn’t figured out where the elevation gain came from 😹), stretching across Trentino–Alto Adige and Veneto. Formerly called the “pale mountains”, not because of the snow but because of the brightness, it was in 1976 that it took its current name in honor of the geologist Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu 🕵️‍♂️. UNESCO has listed this site since 2009, for the beauty of the landscapes it offers. Between these mountains and massifs, many lakes are hidden there, such as: Lago di Braies, Lago di Dobbiaco, or Lago di Landro. There are others too, but that would be one lake too many 🙊. In short, you get it: your race course will be memorable.

It would still be a shame not to enjoy the Italian Dolce Vita for a weekend 🇮🇹. Also known as “the Boot” because of its unusual shape, Italy truly is a dream destination. So once the altitude wears you out and you’ve seen the Dolomites landscapes from top to bottom, you just have to head down a little (from the mountains) and the Veneto region is right nearby! Venice, Verona, Bardolino—there’s plenty to enjoy! Che vuole mangiare ?  🤌 And we’re certainly not going to miss out on one of the best cuisines in the world. A pasta party in the country that created the concept AND pasta—hard to do better… 🍝

What’s certain is that no one comes back disappointed from this weekend, but rather in “a presto ” mode! 🎩