Marcialonga is the international granfondo race, in classic technique, that winds its way for 70km through Val di Fiemme and Val di Fassa. Thousands of “bisonti,” as the participants are jokingly called, will reach from Moena to Cavalese, along 70km winding through villages and forests of the valleys. The history of the Marcialonga is practically the history of cross-country skiing in Trentino and Italy.
The energy and enthusiasm of Marcialonga also overwhelms two-wheelers and running enthusiasts, with the Marcialonga Cycling Craft in late May and the Marcialonga Running Coop in September.
An international event
Marcialonga involves many locals, Italians and Scandinavians, to mention just a few. Every year athletes register from all over the world, creating really international moments, marked by sports and friendship.
The volunteers
Marcialonga also stands for volunteers. Indeed, there are many people working hard behind the scenes to make the organization function seamlessly, from every point of view: from the preparation of the track, thus guaranteeing that the route is accessible also during the weeks before the competition, to the distribution of the racing bibs. And it continues up to the competition day, when volunteers welcome all athletes with a smile and some exhorting words, when they stop the refreshment stands.
The very famous international cross-country skiing race has brought cross-country skiers from all over the world along the track that from Moena goes up towards Canazei in Val di Fassa, where the race marks the halfway point to the greatly famous Viale Mendini in Cavalese. The cross-country skiing tracks run 70 km long, along white meadows, forests, winding along bubbling creeks and crossing the roads in the villages, thus defeating, for one day, the usual traffic.
The light race is “only" 45 km long and it ends in Predazzo, with the finishing line surrounded by jubilating crowd gathered in the square.
The excitement and enthusiasm of Marcialonga returns in early summer with the cycling granfondo: the Marcialonga Cycling Craft, the two-wheel race in the Dolomites. It is possible to choose during the race which of the two proposed routes to take: mediofondo route (80km +2488) or granfondo route (135km +3900). The cyclists will whizz through Val di Fiemme and Val di Fassa, with a passage also in Alto Adige and Veneto, among villages and in places well known to all lovers of two wheels: Costalunga Pass and Carezza Lake, Pampeago Pass with Latemar as a backdrop, San Pellegrino Pass, Valles Pass and the Paneveggio Natural Park.
Alongside Marcialonga Cycling there is also a race dedicated to children and young people: the Minicycling. The race format is a gymkhana: the difficulty and the number of laps to be completed vary according to age and category, starting with mice (children up to 6 years old) up to 12-year-olds.
On the first weekend of September now for more than 20 years the Marcialonga running race has been renewed: the Marcialonga Running Coop. The race winds through Val di Fiemme and Val di Fassa passing through villages, hamlets and unique landscapes, and participants are accompanied by cheers from all the valley dwellers along the entire route.
One can participate by running 26.5 kilometers or taking part in the Half Marathon, and one can also choose to tackle the race solo or as a team, passing the baton of the three-man relay. The relay is meant to embody the values of “sport for all,” physical well-being, sharing and solidarity.
As in other Marcialonga races, Marcialonga Running Coop also dedicates an event to young runners: children aged 6 to 12 can have fun at the Minirunning Coop.
