Trailrunners really don't have long to wait until they can start at the Rosengarten Schlern Skymarathon and explore the magnificent mountain world in the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site. This Saturday, July 12, over 400 athletes from around 20 different nations will turn the popular trail run into an international sports festival. Preparations for the renowned event are almost complete.

The starting signal for the eighth edition of the Rosengarten Schlern Skymarathon will be given at 7 a.m. sharp. The hundreds of trail runners will then set off from the Cyprianerhof to tackle one of the two tried and tested routes. The “shorter” distance measures 36 kilometers and has 2000 meters of elevation gain. For those who like it even more challenging, the “long” route is just right with 45 kilometers, of which not a single meter is run on asphalt, and almost 3000 meters of altitude.

Both routes lead up to the Grasleiten Pass, which is the highest point of the renowned running event at 2601 meters above sea level. Participants on the shorter route descend via the Tschamin Valley back to Tiers am Rosengarten, while the hardy runners face two more challenging climbs, the Molignon Pass and the Tschafon. The finish line is in the village center of Tiers am Rosengarten, where the finishers can cool off in the village fountain after their exertions.
When ex-ski racers run up the mountains instead of down them

The most famous participant in the Rosengarten Schlern Skymarathon is a South Tyrolean. Andreas Reiterer is a multiple Italian champion and even runner-up in the world trail running championship. He will tackle the 45 kilometers with 3000 meters of altitude and is the top favorite to win the day. Local hero Florian Eisath - he is the managing director of Carezza Dolomites - and Karoline Pichler from Petersberg are two former top ski racers who will also be taking part. Eisath, like Reiterer, will tackle the 45 km, while Pichler will give it her all on the 36-kilometer distance.

As far as the preparations for the Rosengarten Schlern Skymarathon are concerned, everything is running like clockwork. "Our well-coordinated team knows exactly what needs to be done when and, above all, how. This wealth of experience, which we have acquired over the past few years, is of course an advantage. Now, of course, we are hoping for good and, above all, dry weather. We wish the participants an injury-free run. And then we would like to thank all the volunteers who make our trail possible in the first place - as well as the many sponsors," say the organizers of the Rosengarten Schlern Skymarathon.
Last-minute runners can still register for one of the most scenic trails on the official website www.skymarathontiers.it. However, not only mountain runners but also spectators are welcome at the Rosengarten Schlern Skymarathon. There is also a special offer. All passengers on the Tiers Cabrio cable car will receive the Rosengarten Pass on July 12 from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. for 26 instead of 38 euros. This allows them to travel up to the Kölner Hütte and then follow the race directly on the Hirzelsteig trail.