Εδώ και αρκετό καιρό, μέσα από τη συνεργασία μας με κορυφαίες παγκόσμιες διοργανώσεις, πρωταθλήματα και διεθνείς σειρές αγώνων ορεινού τρεξίματος, σας μεταφέρουμε με λεπτομέρεια τις σημαντικότερες εξελίξεις που διαμορφώνουν το άθλημα σε παγκόσμιο επίπεδο. GTWS, Skyrunning, WMRA, UTMB World Series και World Trail Majors. Διαφορετικές φιλοσοφίες, διαφορετικές αγωνιστικές προσεγγίσεις, διαφορετικά βουνά και σε μεγάλο βαθμό διαφορετικό κοινό.

Όλα αυτά συνθέτουν ένα εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρον και πολυσύνθετο τοπίο, που γεννά ένα εύλογο ερώτημα, το οποίο θα μας απασχολήσει στα πλαίσια αυτού του editorial: Μήπως το ορεινό τρέξιμο δεν είναι πλέον απλά ένα άθλημα, αλλά έχει εξελιχθεί σε ένα ολόκληρο παγκόσμιο οικοσύστημα;

After an exciting Vertical Nasego the previous day, won by Nina Engelhard and Patrick Kipngeno, attention turned to the 25th edition of Trofeo Nasego. With many of the same athletes lining up for both races, there was little doubt that Stage 13 of this year’s World Cup would be fiercely contested.

Trofeo Nasego has steadily grown in stature over the years, becoming a regular fixture on the international mountain running calendar and playing host to both Italian Championships and World Cup races. This year’s field reflected that status, bringing together reigning and former World and European champions, World Cup winners and leaders, alongside a new generation of athletes looking to make their mark.

All eyes were on Casto as the field gathered, on another hot day, for one of the most established races on the mountain-running circuit.

Saturday, 5^th September 2026. Casto, Italy hosted the opening leg of a demanding double-header this weekend, with Vertical Nasego serving as stage 12 of the WMRA World Cup before stage 13 follows on tomorrow at Trofeo Nasego. Conditions matched the intensity of the racing, with temperatures climbing into the 30s and testing athletes across both fields.

Vertical Nasego ranks among Italy's most demanding uphill-only races, and its reputation is well earned. The 4.2km course starts gently enough, but gradient increases sharply in the closing stages - nearly half of the route's 1,000 metres of elevation gain comes in the final kilometre alone. The terrain grows steep enough that competitors are forced to use their hands for parts of the last section.

After the drama of Sierre-Zinal, the Mountain Running World Cup returns this weekend with a different kind of test. Vertical Nasego and Trofeo Nasego bring a double-header to northern Italy, drawing many of this season's leading contenders alongside some of the sport's most decorated names - and a seven-nation team competition that adds a further edge to proceedings.

Zinal, Switzerland, 8^th August 2026

For more than half a century, runners from around the world have travelled to Sierre, Switzerland, to take on the 31-kilometre journey to Zinal, beneath the backdrop of the Alps’ 4,000-metre peaks. Now in its 53rd edition, Sierre-Zinal once again brought together the world’s best mountain runners, all chasing one of the most coveted titles in the sport, and it delivered one of the most interesting races we have seen in several years.

With former winners such as Philemon Ombogo Kiriago, Caroline Jepkoech Kimutai (both KEN), Maude Mathys (SUI) and Sophia Laukli (USA), on the start line, as well as a large number of exciting runners who broke into the top 10 here last year, both the men’s and women’s fields had huge depth and unpredictability. Serving as both a Golden Trails and WMRA World Cup race, the level of competition was incredibly high.