Delicious Trail Dolomiti

The Delicious Trail Dolomiti is a mountain trail race in Cortina d’Ampezzo that pairs trail running with food. Organised by the sports association L5T Sport, it is the centrepiece of the Delicious Festival Dolomiti, held over two days at the end of September around the PalaDelicious marquee at Pocol, above Cortina. What sets it apart is the aid stations: they are set up in mountain huts and refuges, where chefs from partner restaurants and huts of the Cortina Delicious network serve bites of local cooking. The race is run in semi-self-sufficiency and appears on both the ITRA and UTMB Index calendars.

The long course, around 43 km with 3,100 m of climbing, leaves the centre of Cortina at 7 am with an 11-hour limit. It crosses the Great War open-air museum and visits eight huts, each one a tasting stop: Lago d’Ajal, Croda da Lago, Scoiattoli, Nuvolau, Averau, Col Gallina, Lagazuoi and Baita Resch. Its high points are the Lagazuoi at 2,778 m and the Nuvolau at 2,647 m. The Medium Delicious Trail, nicknamed “Un passo oltre”, starts at 9 am outside the tourist office in La Villa, in Val Badia: 35 km and 1,900 m of ascent within 9 hours, via the Gran Risa ski run, the Pralongiá plateau and Armentarola at the foot of the Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park, then over the Piccolo Lagazuoi before the descent to Pocol. The Short Delicious Trail, about 23 km with 1,300 m of climbing, sets off from Pocol at 10.15 am, with a 7-hour limit and six food stops in huts along the way.

The long course is for experienced trail runners: the climbing is substantial, much of the route lies above 2,000 m, and it follows old front-line paths and passes through the Lagazuoi mine tunnels. The Medium, with a gentler profile, suits runners used to the mountains, while the Short is billed as a good first step for those new to trail running. All races finish at the PalaDelicious in Pocol, where an evening party open to everyone brings runners, chefs and spectators together.

The setting is the Ampezzo Dolomites, between the Giau and Falzarego passes: the Cinque Torri, the Averau and the Nuvolau, then the walls of the Lagazuoi, where Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops fought during the First World War. Tunnels, trenches and restored positions now make up a vast open-air museum that runners pass straight through. The Dolomites are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Cortina, a historic resort that hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956 and again in 2026, provides a renowned high-mountain backdrop.

The festival also includes the Mini Delicious Trail for children, with workshops on making race bibs and marking the course, and a slow night trek, the Delicious Slow Trekking, led by Cortina’s mountain guides from sunset to dawn. Free shuttles link the centre of Cortina and Pocol on race day; for the Medium, a paid transfer to La Villa can be booked in advance. Italian runners must upload a competitive athletics medical certificate when registering.