Oliena Sky Trail

The Oliena Sky Trail brings together several mountain races each year, between late September and early October, starting from Oliena, a town in the province of Nuoro at the foot of the Supramonte massif in eastern Sardinia. Held since at least 2022, the event has added an ultra, the Supramonte Ultra Sky, covering 50 km with 3,500 m of climbing, alongside a 24 km skytrail, a 17 km trail, a vertical kilometre and an untimed 8 km hike. All races start from Piazza Santa Maria in the heart of the town, and total entries are capped at 500.

The Supramonte, a limestone upland of around 35,000 hectares shared by Oliena, Orgosolo, Dorgali, Urzulei and Baunei, reaches its highest point at Monte Corrasi, 1,463 m. It is a world of sharp karst rock, deep gorges and underground rivers, as the caves of Sa Oche and Su Ventu and the Su Gologone spring bear witness. The ultra, starting at 7 am on Sunday, goes almost all the way around the municipality: boulder fields at the foot of the long ridge linking Corrasi with Punta Sos Nidos, Cusidore and Monte Uddè, the Sovana saddle, the Lanaittu valley, the edge of Monte Tiscali, a climb up Punta Duavidda on the Orgosolo boundary, then the ascent of Corrasi before the return to town. The time limit is 12 hours 30 minutes.

The Husidore SkyTrail, starting at 9 am the same day, covers 24 km with 1,700 m of climbing: it first follows the ultra to the foot of the walls of Cusidore, a peak with a Dolomite feel, reaches Orgoi, runs below the ridge to climb Corrasi and descends via Scala 'e Marras. The day before, in mid-afternoon, the Corrasi Trail (17 km, 1,250 m) and the V-Karabidda set off together. The former takes the same climb as the vertical, runs along the ridge on a technical path to Scala 'e Marras, then drops through ancient woodland to Monte Maccione; the latter, billed as the only vertical kilometre in Sardinia, climbs 980 m over 5 km to Punta Carabidda at 1,310 m, with a shuttle bringing runners back down from Maccione.

The rules give fair warning: sections up to 1,400 m, conditions that can be tough (wind, cold, rain) and a few very short stretches graded EE, for expert hikers, on the Italian Alpine Club scale, with no climbing involved. For the ultra, prior experience of trail races over 40 km is strongly recommended. Races are run in semi-self-sufficiency, with no disposable cups at the aid stations, and compulsory kit specific to each distance is checked; on the longer courses it includes water and food reserves, a survival blanket, a whistle, a strapping bandage, a waterproof jacket and a personal cup, plus a headlamp for the ultra and the Corrasi Trail. A medical certificate for competitive sport is required, and the minimum age is 16.

Bibs are collected in the town centre, on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, the day before and on the morning of the races. Showers are available at the sports hall, next to an area where runners can park a camper van or pitch a tent. At the finish, a meal and a beer are served, and the weekend closes with the prize-giving and live music. The 24 km and 50 km races award ITRA points.