The Best 5 we should try?

UTMB
This is the race that all the ultrarunners should run at least once in their life: if you don’t participate you can’t feel the atmosphere in Chamonix during the last week of August!
Excellent organization, a lot of people on the trail and the crowd at the finish line at the Place Triangle de l’Amitiè worth all the race hours… 

GORE-TEX TRANSALPINE RUN
A 8 stages race along the Alps, from Germany to Austria and Italy. The unique race in which you have to run with a partner, therefore a strong feeling between the feeling with your partner is essential. Eugen and I shared thousands of training and competitions in skimo and we just need a glance to understand each other: during the race we don’t need to speak. It is fascinating also because participants share the dinners all together and the daily ceremony while watching the pictures and the videos of the morning stage. If you join this competition, you feel like be a part of a big family (and the landscapes are amazing).

ULTRA TRAIL ATLAS TOUBKAL
Morocco, Grand Atlas range.  This race is worth for the beautiful landscapes and for the Berber villages that the runners run through during the race. Dissuade this race if you are used to comfort.  Runners sleep in dormitories or tents near the starting line. Forget the crowd of the finish line in Chamonix and the aid stations!

You will find water and if you have some money you can buy a Coke or other beverages from the kids that watch the race. In order to understand how much “wild” the race is, don’t forget that on the equipment you have got to bring the pills to purify water to avoid stomach ache due to no-drinkable water. If you drop the race far from the finish line you have to swap your clothes or your equipment for a lift to the finish line

LAVAREDO ULTRA TRAIL
The LUT was my first ultra and also the race that run up and down my mountains. I can even stop at home for a quick aid station during the race!

Wonderful landscapes and perfect organization. Knowing the route is a good advantage, and the finish line atAngelo Dibona square with a lot of friends waiting for you is totally great!

DOLOMITI EXTREME TRAIL
The DXT was the first race over 50 km that I runned, in 2013, with no experience and just a lot of improvisation. Together with Eugen we entered the fray and without expectation we won together!

The Zoldo’s public is great and it is like a “second family” to me. I remember the post-race party: it’s hard to go home at night…
Running under the most important mountains for mountaineering like Civetta, Torre Trieste, Pelmo was really exciting. I would like to try also the new distance of 103 km.

Race you would like to run:
MISURINA SKY MARATHON
“My” competition. Both because I’m the president of the organization Committee and because it takes place on my training roads that I know as my pockets. 

Even if I run them thousands of times they always give me great emotions. Not only the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (this is the only race that do a complete ring around the Tre Cime) but also the Cadini of Misurina, less famous but as wonderful as the Tre Cime.
 

WESTERN STATES ENDURANCE RUN
I never run in America and this competition is the greatest, according to the runners’ anecdotes. American races are different from the European ones, both as trails and organization and I would like to try to win the “buckle”.

LA DIAGONALE DES FOUS
This is famous because of the technical trails and for involving all the locals of the Reunion Island. I would like to see that landscapes and experience the differences of weather in the 164 km of the race.

ZEGAMA AIZKORRI
Even if it is a short race I would like to participate one time.  Is difficult to participate because of the numerous entries. But according to pictures and videos it should be something really beautiful. It is unbelievable how many people on the trails to cheer the athletes with any weather condition!

TOR DES GEANTS
When Eugen and I decided to enter the trail running scene I told him: “the first year we will do the LUT, then the UTMB and then the TOR…then we can quit!
It was just a joke, but we already finished two of the three races….
To be honest, the length of this race is really too long and all the debates during the years stopped me to try to run it, but I’m sure that this is a great experience and I would like to try, even without looking the ranking, just for fun!