Last Saturday, Daniel Pattis celebrated the biggest success of his career to date, clinching the silver medal at the European Trail Running Championships in Kamnik, Slovenia. In exactly one month, the Tiers native will be in the spotlight at his home race: At the Rosengarten Schlern Sky Marathon on Saturday, July 11, Pattis is the top favorite to win.

Even before winning his silver medal at the European Championships, Pattis was among the favorites for the ninth edition of the Rosengarten Schlern Sky Marathon, which he had already won in 2024. Now, following his major international success, he is an even stronger contender for the win. With his second-place finish in Kamnik last Saturday, June 6, the native of Tiers, who now lives in Innsbruck, has also broken his personal curse at major events. After all, things had never gone as planned for the 28-year-old at World and European Championships up until that point. “That’s exactly why I’m all the more delighted to have this medal now. I missed the top 10 at the last European Championships and also at last year’s World Championships. Now I’ve finally made it,” says the Tiers native happily.

In Kamnik, Pattis pushed hard right from the start over the 52-kilometer course with 2,450 meters of elevation gain. He kept pace with the dominant runner and eventual European champion, Frederic Tranchand, until halfway through the race, but then Pattis had to let the Frenchman pull ahead. “I suddenly got stomach cramps and even had to stop once. I was already worried that I wouldn’t be able to hold on to second place,” the trail runner recalls. Nevertheless, he crossed the finish line 3 hours, 59 minutes, and 54 seconds after the start in second place, just under four minutes behind Tranchand and more than five minutes ahead of bronze medalist Antoine Charvolin. “I’m obviously thrilled with the silver, and I want to build on that. The level of competition in trail running is getting better and better. But I’m still young and hope I can keep up at this level for a few more years,” says Pattis.

Pattis has his sights set on a second victory and the course record

In exactly one month, the Tiers native will compete in his home race, the Rosengarten Schlern Sky Marathon. After Pattis’ victory in 2024, the joy in his hometown was immense—as was the disappointment when, due to injury, he could only attend as a spectator in 2025. 2026 is set to be his year again: “I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve been competing in races all over the world, but racing at home is always something special. Of course, I want to win the Rosengarten Schlern Sky Marathon. And I want to bring the course record—set last year by Hafling native Andreas Reiterer (4:49:48.3 hours, editor’s note)—back to Tiers,” says the local hero confidently. Pattis will be competing in the flagship race, the 46-kilometer Sky Marathon, which features nearly 3,000 meters of elevation gain. “As usual, I expect strong competition here, especially from South Tyrol, but also from other countries,” says the South Tyrolean endurance specialist. In addition, the Rosengarten Schlern Sky Marathon will feature the 36-kilometer Sky Trail, which includes nearly 2,000 meters of elevation gain. A new addition that has been very well received is the 16-kilometer Sky Run, which features nearly 800 meters of elevation gain. The overall participant limit of 500 has almost been reached, so those interested should hurry to register. Running enthusiasts can still sign up. The runners who have registered so far come from 25 different countries, which impressively demonstrates the popularity of this Dynafit-sponsored event.

Spectators can purchase the Happy Hour Ticket

To allow spectators to experience the excitement of the Rosengarten Schlern Sky Marathon in the Dolomites around Tiers up close, the organizers have created the Happy Hour Ticket. With this ticket, you can purchase a discounted ticket at the Tiers cable car valley station from 7 to 8 a.m., allowing you to go directly to the Frommer Alm after the start of the Sky Marathon and the Sky Trail at 7 a.m. (the Sky Run starts at 9 a.m.) and from there access the Hirzelsteig. There, you can enjoy the breathtaking panoramic view of the Dolomites and cheer on the trail runners. During the happy hour the Rosengarten Pass (which includes all six lifts in the Carezza Dolomites hiking area) costs 27 euros instead of 39 euros. A one-way ticket for the Tiers cable car costs 13 euros instead of 18.50 euros, and a round-trip ticket cos