Next year will mark the 30th edition of the Maratona dles Dolomites, one of Italy’s biggest Gran Fondos and arguably the most spectacular.
The first Maratona was held on July 12, 1987 as part of the tenth anniversary celebrations of the Alta Badia-Raiffeisen Cycling Club. 166 riders raced in this first event covering 175 km and 7 passes in the Dolomites.
In 1989, the event had to be abandoned because of heavy snowfalls on the ascent to Passo Giau. But since then, the number of people who would like to ride the Maratona has increased exponentially. In 2004, the number of participants had to be limited to 9,000 riders and lotteries were introduced to draw participants. For the 2012 edition, 29,100 people registered to take part in that year’s lottery, which allocated 4,800 entries.
There are three different options as part of Maratona dles Dolomites – the Sellaronda course, the Middle course and the Maratona course. Riders who take on the full Maratona will face seven significant climbs, the hardest of which is Passo Giau. The Giau which often features in the Giro is 9.9 kilometres long with an average gradient of 9.3%.
Climbs:
Campolongo Pass: 5.8 km, Gradient: 6.1%
Pordoi Pass: 9.2 km, Gradient: 6.9%
Sella Pass: 5.5 km, Gradient: 7.9%
Gardena Pass: 5.8 km, Gradient: 4.3%
Campolongo Pass: 5.8 km, Gradient: 6.1%
Giau Pass: 9.9 km, Gradient: 9.3%
Falzarego Pass/ Valparola Pass: 11.5 km, Gradient: 5.8%
Total distance: 138 km
Total altitude difference: 4,190 m
To mark the 30th anniversary, the organisers have produced this video which recaptures what that first running was like and how the event has grown since then.
that’s an epic photograph.
Jesus. I need to get to the dolomites some day.