Maratona dles Dolomites
With it's 142km route and brutal 4000m climbing, the Maratona dles Dolomites is the stuff of legends. Buckle up, because by the time you've finished reading this, I guarantee you'll be looking for the booking form.
With it's 142km route and brutal 4000m climbing, the Maratona dles Dolomites is the stuff of legends. It's the sort of thing that comes up down the pub, and before you've finished your pint you're booked onto an easyjet flight with a chalet for 10! The overwhelming enthusiasm from people who've been, the stories (like bumping into Bradley Wiggins on an ice rink) and the sheer challenge are irresistible. We've been several times, our friends many more, and we cannot wait to go again this year. This event will remind you exactly why you love cycling, that you definitely did not train enough, and that yes you really can hit 90kmph downhill. So buckle up, because by the time you've finished reading this, I guarantee you'll be looking for the booking form.
On a cold October night in London I had just completed a training session with the local triathlon club. The 'spin-swim' double was famously tough, but also the perfect primer for our regular late night pub visit - with a £10 beer & calzoni special. It gave us plenty of time to compare Strava notes, and stories of bonking at races around the world... and this I where I first learnt about the Maratona (including that I was the only person who hadn't been!). Tales of closed roads, epic mountains and people falling off their bikes at Mür dl Giat was just the start... Some said it's 'like Glastonbury for bikes' and others that 'it's where your legs go to die'. All I knew was that the pictures & stories were awesome, so I wanted in.
The rest is history, and in this article I will try my hardest to convince you to go. Because you might not know it yet, but trust me - you really do need this. As always it's the people and routes that made the trip so special, so remember #OutsideIsFree and as always #RideWithMates.
And so we come to this article. You'll get an honest story, some top advice, lessons we learnt on the road and some solid encouragement to get involved yourself. So remember #OutsideIsFree and as always, #RideWithMates.
What you need to know
The Maratona finishes in the small town of Corvara in the Alta Badia region, and starts just a couple of kms away down a very gentle hill. It has a few distances to choose from, including 138km (4,230m climbing), 106km (3,130m climbing) and 55km (780m climbing). All of them happen on the same Sunday at the beginning of July, & you can expect a foggy 7am start with sunny mid 20's by lunch time. If you do the full course you'll meet all 6 absolutely epic climbs:
- Passo Campolongo: ⟶5.8km, ↑353m, average 6%, max 11% (Strava)
- Passo Pordoi: ⟶9.2km, ↑638m, average 7%, max 10% (Strava)
- Passo Sella: ⟶5.5km, ↑436m, average 8%, max 12% (Strava)
- Passo Gardena: ⟶6km, ↑250m, average 6%, max 10% (Strava)
- Passo Giau: ⟶9.9km, ↑922m, average 9.3%, max 15% (Strava)
- Passo Valparola: ⟶11.5km, ↑665m, average 6%, max 15% (Strava)
Don't sweat
The Start
Nothing to stress about as it's very well organised. The start is a few kms gentle downhill from the finish line, and the large starting area is split into several pens. There are toilets there but I recommend using the facilites at your hotel! The mornings can be cols so make sure you take a packable jacket, and keep an eye out for the floating cannon - it makes a REALLY big bang over head to start the race.
BEST BITS
The Mountains
Have to be at the top of the list. Not only are they uniquely jaw dropping, but because the entire route climbs & descends around various peaks, the views will follow you all through day. Expect to say things like 'Oh my god this is so epic' a hundred times.... Especially at the points where you'll literally ride into a cloud, like the photo I took at the top of Passo Gardena:
The Best bits
The Pinarello Museum
One for those 'in-the-know'. You can find it within the incredibly luxurious La Perla Hotel in Corvara. They have a variety of bikes including Chris Froome's Tour de France winning 'Rhino' F10 and Miguel Indurain's Espada TT, with seating and a cinema screen showing Grand Tour replays. Whilst it's extremely hard to get a room around the Maratona week, the garden makes a perfect place to grab lunch and a coffee. Top tip: it's also where cycling celebs tend to stay, so keep an eye on the bike rack in the museum for clues. We spotted Bradley Wiggins' red f10 - easy to single out as he was the only one with Zipp wheel sponsorship at the time).
The Best bits
Mür dl Giat
Now bear with me on this one because it's definitely 'Type 3 fun'. Right at the end of the route, maybe 5km before the finish line is where you'll find this little monster. It's a hard right, straight into a 370m sprint that climbs 46m up and peaks at 19%. It's short, it's sharp, and this deep into the day it is also absolutely brutal! I'm giving it a spot on the best bits because of the sheer fiendishness of it. The organisers showing evil genius at it's absolute finest. (Strava)
The worst bits
Travelling by car
I flew into Venice for my first Maratona, and whilst there a friend told me that they drive down through Germany every year. It seemed like a great idea - so the following year I convinced some buddies to sign up & drive the 2,800km round trip. What we didn't account for is the reality of dodgy sat nav's, missed junctions and motorway toll's. In the end one of the guys had to get back in a hurry, so we also did the entire way back to Calais in a 4am single jaunt. Mür dl Giat has nothing on those 14 hours! Driving to Italy could definitely work, as we did still have a lot of laughs... But be sure to share the driving, assign a co-pilot to check directions, and stop overnight on the way to discover somewhere new and have a proper dinner.
The worst bits
Missing a LEGEND
I had seen that Bradley Wiggins was doing part of the ride, and I had spotted his bike at La Perla... So I had a keen eye out to meet and hopefully high five the cycling legend. Unfortunately it didn't happen. But it was a real 'kick-in-the-satchel' when we met some friends at the pasta party, and they showed us a selfie with Wiggins 2 minutes earlier! So close, and yet so far ...
Planning Advice
Enter the ballot
It opens early October for a couple of weeks, get all the info here on the main maratona.it website.
Get a guaranteed spot
By booking directly through cyclingmaratona: II have always got my spot through Ian and the Team and Cycling Maratona, the service is great, it's very cost effective, we get great advice and they do a massive (a hundred or so people) Cycling-Weekly coffee run the day before the race .
Book early for groups
As you would expect the accommodation books up really fast, so get something sorted as soon as you have your spot. Prices are high (especially in Corvara) so the most cost efficient route is a chalet for 5-10 friends. We found one near the finish line and it worked out at about €70 a night.
Go to Col Alto for lunch
You can catch a cable car from Corvara (here) straight up to the peak of Col Alto for a spot of lunch & incredible views of the valley. When you're done hang a right and take a 30min stroll through the wild flower meadows back into the town. Absolutely brilliant.
Find cycling history at La Perla
A variety of famous bikes and memorabilia are on display in the little known 'Dogma Lounge' at La Perla.
Watch the world go by in Corvara
There is a gentle bustle all around the town on the days leading up to the Maratona, and you should take some time to grab a lunch/coffee on the high street and watch it all go by. Cyclists pottering up and down, bike racks outside every shop & restaurant, and pop up tents for every cycling brand you can think of. If there is a heaven, this is what it looks like (see the last picture of this article and measure the grins on our faces!).
Race Day Advice
Don't over dress
It will be nippy and foggy in the morning, but by the afternoon you'll be toasty, so make sure any outer layers are easy to remove and stuff in a pocket.
Store tickets in your saddle bag
When you register you'll receive a bunch of paper tickets for the finish line pasta party. It's held on the defrosted ice rink, and you'll get a ticket for a beer, a pasta dish, a hot dog, and some other stuff... unless you lose them! So keep them safe (not in your jersey because you'll be in and out of that so much it will definitely fall out).
Pace yourself
It really is a marathon not a sprint, and Passo Giau will take at least an hour of grinding to complete and it's where most people hit the wall. Expect to see a lot of people bonking half way up... So save yourself!
Don't stop too long!
Don't stop: too long or if you don't have to. The stations are pretty epic with cheese, hams, fruit, cake and even espressos - but you'd be surprised how quickly you can lose and hour or two over the course of the day.
The Kit List
Ofcourse be sure to take everything that you personally need, but to give you an idea here is what I packed:
- Merino base layer
- Stuff jacket
- Velotoez shoe covers
- Lightweight gloves
- Arm warmers
- Toe covers
- Bike wallet
- Hand pump
- Hydration tablets x4
- Gells x2
- Gel blocks x1
- Cliff bar x2
- Chamoix cream!
For the ride to the start:
- Powerade
- Cliff bar
The Morning After
Passo Gardena for breakfast: I'm going to put it out there and say that Passo Gardena is not only my favourite climb in the world, but it's actually the best. Don't listen to your legs, the morning after get straight on the bike and push your sorry butt up the mountain. I promise within 20 mins you'l feel a lot better, there is a cafe at the top, and then you can relive one of those incredible descents from the race.
Share the Adventure
We all know our favourite #RideWithMates and #ExploreMore tags, but this adventure really does embody them both. Trip of a life time? Yup! Absolutely unforgettable, beautiful, inspiring landscapes? Cor blimey yes! Something we still talk about years later?... 100%. But these really would not be the case if the 3 of us didn't share it together. If Barry didn't call me (just a week in advance) with a cool idea & a train ticket... If Simon didn't reply to a social post saying 'Hey guys I'm Simon & I'm in!' then it just would not have happened. Eating pies on highland lakes, sheltering from the wind behind a post box, knocking on doors for shelter for the night and riding into the sunset... These moments we all about us being together, and we'll never forget them.
Ready to go?
I knew you would! The Maratona dles Dolomites runs a ballot every year, but there are also several ways to circumvent this and get straight in. These links will make sure you have everything you need:
- maratona.it
- Best way to guarantee a spot: cyclingmaratona.co.uk
- Maratona dles Dolomites: Alta Badia Tourist Page Guide to the event
- Maratona dles Dolomites: Facebook Group
Fancy another adventure?
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Maratona dles Dolomites
Some said it's 'like Glastonbury for bikes' and others that 'it's where your legs go to die'. All I knew was that the pictures & stories were awesome, so I...
Maratona dles Dolomites
Some said it's 'like Glastonbury for bikes' and others that 'it's where your legs go to die'. All I knew was that the pictures & stories were awesome, so I...
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The North Coast 500 #NC500
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Quite possibly the greatest ride in the UK. 500m of coastal roads in a loop around the North of Scotland.
