Ride Your Own Maratona dles Dolomiti: Italy’s Greatest Cycling Event
The Maratona dles Dolomiti is one of the most popular gran fondo cycling events in the world and even rivals the Giro d’Italia for popularity in Italy. Held annually in Italy’s Dolomite mountains, the iconic “Maratona” event attracts thousands of cyclists from around the globe to Corvara in the Badia region. With its stunning scenery, grueling climbs, and exhilarating descents, the Maratona dles Dolomiti offers an unforgettable experience for riders of all levels.
The Maratona is renowned for being a challenging experience on one of the most gorgeous cycling routes in the world. Starting from the town of La Villa, just down valley from Corvara, the course features several historic climbs, including the several passes of the famous Sellaronda route; Passo Campolongo, Passo Pordoi, Passo Sella, plus the infamous Passo Giau. These climbs are not only physically demanding but also offer stunning panoramic views of the dramatic Dolomite peaks and beautiful alpine meadows. The descents? They’re just as good, featuring silky smooth, winding roads that will test your technical skill and satisfy your love of speed.
The full Maratona cycling route is 138 kilometers (86 miles) long with a staggering 4,230 meters (13,900 feet) of climbing. Despite its demanding nature, the Maratona dles Dolomiti is incredibly popular. The event typically attracts around 9,000 participants each year, who descend on the village of Corvara on the first Sunday in July.
But if the crowds seem overwhelming, you missed out on registering, or you want to include quiet roads on your itinerary, all this and more can be made part of your fully custom Secret Dolomiti Cycling Tour with Alter Exploration.
A combination of factors make the Maratona so popular:
- Stunning scenery: The Dolomites are one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in Europe, if not the world. The Maratona dles Dolomiti offers riders the opportunity to experience this breathtaking scenery firsthand, while gliding between quaint alpine villages.
- Challenging course: The course is designed to test riders’ limits. The combination of steep climbs and technical descents makes the Maratona dles Dolomiti a truly memorable experience.
- Unique atmosphere: The Maratona dles Dolomiti has a unique atmosphere. The event is well-organized, and the participants are friendly and supportive. Corvara’s start area comes alive with a festive atmosphere of cyclists, friends, family, and spectators.
- Italian culture: The Maratona dles Dolomiti is held in Italy, a country with a rich cycling tradition. The event celebrates the passion and enthusiasm that Italians have for cycling.
The Origin of The Maratona dles Dolomiti
The Maratona was founded by a group of local cycling enthusiasts. In fact, the origin story of the event began inside the hotel run by my friend, Igor Tavella, and his family.
With pride, the Tavella family can claim that the ideas and the organization for Maratona dles Dolomiti started taking shape inside their Ustaria Posta hotel. Igor’s father, Edoardo, who grew up with a healthy obsession for cycling, rode his bicycle daily from his house in the hamlet of Piccolino all the way to Brunico to attend high school. Once he took over the management of Ustaria Posta in 1975 and had gathered a few cycling friends, Edoardo founded the first cycling club in Val Badia in 1978.
Maratona dles Dolomiti is now one of the most prestigious cycling events in the world.
“The idea of the Maratona came from my dad, after he took part in some long distance events like the Vätternrundan in Sweden and the many that were organized in Germany,” says Igor. “Those were mostly a big party with feed zones like little Octoberfests where you had a hard time finding water but not beer. In Italy it was the opposite, there were some of them like the Nove Colli where there was no support on course like feed zones, or they were really sparse—maybe water and biscuits—and it was all about how fast you could go.”
Just like the Giro d’Italia—and many other bike races around the world—the Maratona dles Dolomites was founded as a way to boost local tourism. In the mid-1980s, the summer tourist season usually lasted only 1.5 months in the mountains. Edoardo had the idea that in order to lengthen the tourism season for Val Badia and Corvara, it was necessary to organize events to attract cyclists. The idea from the beginning was to organize an event that always would be held on the first Sunday of July.
Although busy between competitive cycling, work, and family, in 1980 Edoardo and his Badia cycling club found time to organize the first finish-line and time-trial races on the Val Badia roads and the Dolomite passes that later, in 1987, became the first edition of Maratona dles Dolomites, with 145 participants.
They recognized the potential of the Dolomites as a cycling destination and wanted to create an event that would showcase the beauty and challenge of the region. Their vision has been realized, and the Maratona dles Dolomiti is now one of the most prestigious cycling events in the world.
“It worked out so much that cycling and cyclists are now welcome in the area, when before cyclists were just considered ‘cheap’ tourists,” Igor says. Today, Igor’s hotel in Badia is a destination for cyclists who have come to enjoy Dolomites cycling tours. Alter Exploration often visits his Ustaria Posta, using the quaint hotel as a home base for many road cycling and backroads Dolomites rides.
Is the Maratona Better Than the Giro d’Italia?
The Maratona is the benchmark of gran fondos, but is it the best cycling event in Italy? It has stiff competition from the Giro d’Italia, one of the world’s great grand tour stage races for professionals.
For the small villages of the Dolomites, which often appear on the Giro route, each event has its advantages and disadvantages.
“Let’s just say that the Giro brings excitement to road users because when you learn where the route will go that year, then you know which roads will be repaved,” Igor says with a laugh.
The Maratona is different in that everyone in the Badia valley is involved, either directly as volunteers or indirectly as hotel, restaurant, and shop owners. Everyone benefits from the event and every year it is held on the same date. It that way it has become a seasonal ritual.
Interestingly, neither Igor nor Edoardo have ever ridden the Maratona on the day it is held. Edoardo’s work attitude as a hotelier was alway that, on that day, you “serve” others. So he rode the first editions in advance to check the routes. Igor has only ridden the route once, during COVID, when the official Maratona was canceled. The organizing committee held a special Maratona only for people in the organization and volunteers that wanted to take part.
“It was the best day ever,” Igor says.
Why? Fewer people, quiet roads, and camaraderie. Something that he now recreates with his backroads exploration of Dolomiti gravel known as YOLOmites5000.
Ride Your Own Maratona dles Dolomiti with Alter Exploration
For experienced cyclists who want to experience the best routes of the Maratona dles Dolomiti outside of the official race, there are several options.
- Organized tour: The Maratona route is one of my personal favorite Italian road cycling routes and can be part of your fully custom Secret Dolomiti Cycling Tour with Alter Exploration in June and July. Our tours include accommodation, transportation, and guided rides on all of the climbs of the Maratona route, plus many more (not on the same day, of course).
- Cycle during the shoulder season: The Maratona dles Dolomiti is held in July. However, it is possible to ride the best routes of the event during the shoulder seasons of spring or autumn. The weather is typically milder during these times, and there are fewer crowds.
- Explore past stages of the Giro d’Italia: The Maratona dles Dolomiti has often incorporated stages from the Giro d’Italia into its course. This offers cyclists the opportunity to experience the same challenging climbs and stunning scenery that the professional riders have tackled. This can also be accommodated if you travel on an Alter Exploration trip in late May when the Giro often passes through the area.
- Discover hidden gems: The Maratona dles Dolomiti is just one of many great cycling routes in the Dolomites. There are countless other beautiful mountain passes and scenic roads to explore. Some lesser-known but equally stunning passes include the Passo Falzarego, Passo Valparola, and the many hidden backroads found along the sides of the valleys. If this sounds appealing, you need to come for YOLOmites5000 with Alter Exploration.
See more about the destination and our fully custom itineraries.
