Valtellina Wine Trail: a great celebration of sport and tradition, appointment Saturday 9th November

The Councillor for Local Authorities and Mountains, Massimo Sertori, and the Undersecretary to the Presidency with responsibility for Sport and Youth, Federica Peaks, they presented on October 21st in the Region 'Valtellina Wine Trail', one of the most famous and popular running events in the off-road racing scene. Three thousand six hundred athletes, of which approximately 500 foreigners, From 51 nations. The appointment is Saturday 9th November. Also speaking at the presentation were Marco Scaramellini, mayor of Sondrio, and Elio Moretti, president of the board of directors of APF, the Promotion and Training Company of Sondrio.

Now in its 11th edition, the event involves the entire territory in what is not just a celebration of Sports, but also a celebration of local food and wine. With a history that has its roots right on those terraces where the precious wine is produced Valtellina red. Wine aged in the barrels of the cellars that the competitors of the three scheduled races -12, 21 and 42 km, with departures from Tirano, Chiuro and Castione Andevenno – will be lucky enough to cross, until reaching the long-awaited finish line located in Garibaldi square in Sondrio. All this at the end of a ride up and down the fascinating rows of vines that paint the Rhaetian hillside.

“Thanks to this representative event for Valtellina, – he said Sertors – our territories will once again be protagonists and at the center of attention. And not only in the world of sports. In fact, we will not only talk about races, races and altitude differences, but also about wines, food and wine products, terraces and many excellences of our valley. With many editions of the event, which celebrates in all respects the passion for the territory, we have demonstrated that we know how to combine enthusiasm, competence, professionalism and the ability to welcome tourists. The right showcase of a 'system' of excellence, and the Valtellina landscapes the perfect stage to host it. Congratulations to the organizers for the extraordinary work and success of this event, widely recognized at an international level”.

“My thoughts when thinking about the Valtellina Wine Trail – the councilor then added Sertors – flies to the 2026 Winter Olympics and therefore to our province of Sondrio. An event that will increasingly encourage economic development and tourist attractiveness throughout the Lombardy region. The organizational machine is already in full swing. But first we await you in Valtellina on Saturday, November 9, for this eagerly awaited event that promises, once again this year, a great show”.

And it is right at the finish line that the athletes will find the first novelty: a tensile structure that will cover the entire square, including the statue of Garibaldi. Inside there will be a expo village, large and comfortable, with space for food and wine corners. A structure that will allow a large number of people to gather under the same roof even in case of bad weather.

“When sport combines cultural and social aspects, since it is open to disabilities, with 24 teams from all over Italy, and involves schools, younger children, together with the beauty of the territory, success is immediate – said the undersecretary Federica Peaks – . An event that combines the knowledge of a fundamental sector of our economy, such as food and wine, that the whole world envies us and shows appreciation. We are on the right track, the success of this edition is demonstrated by the maximum number of registered participants being reached in just a few hours. A great example of how to make Lombardy known in its distinctive features thanks to sport”.

With its 42 km and 1700 meters of altitude difference the race route crosses a large part of the middle Rhaetian coast and 10 of the 11 municipalities that are touched by the event: Tirano, Villa di Tirano, Bianzone, Teglio, Chiuro, Ponte in Valtellina, Tresivio, Montagna in Valtellina and finally Sondrio.

Instead, twelve hundred runners took part in the half marathon with a 900-meter difference in altitude.. This intermediate distance, starting from the Chiuro sports center, follows the second part of the 42 km route. The Sassella Trail, the “smallest” of the competitions, but no less fascinating and challenging, is a completely different story: 13 km for a good 550 meters of altitude difference where 1300 competitors will battle it out on a nervous and muscular track.

And that the Valtellina Wine Trail is becoming a reality rooted in the territory is demonstrated by another new piece of news: within the framework of the Education Programme Gen26 of Milano Cortina 2026, a path of PCTO – Paths for transversal skills and orientation – with the students of secondary schools, because - as underlined by the President of the organizing committee Simone Bertini: «It is only by sowing seeds in the school world that we can preserve and mature the sporting spirit and the desire to get involved».

The secret of success is the percorso, one of a kind in which each athlete breathes the true essence of Valtellina in a postcard landscape. But also a lot of commitment and ability to know how to renew oneself, gradually adding a small piece so that the event is increasingly a celebration for everyone.

Also confirmed for the third consecutive year is the walk for the joelettes, the special wheelchairs that also allow people with disabilities to fully experience the atmosphere of the VWT. For them, a route that winds through the vineyards starting from Montagna in Valtellina, then reaching Ponchiera and ending in the heart of Sondrio. Here they will be well 24 formations deployed, compared to the 15 of the last edition, a sign of constantly growing numbers.

Valtellina Wine Trail also focuses on young people: it is no coincidence that the week of events will open and close with two events designed for young people: the Student Wine Trail and the Mini Wine Trail.

THE COMPETITION FOR SCHOOLS – After last year's successful debut, the competition dedicated to high school students returns to Tenuta La Gatta in Bianzone (SO), which will officially open the week dedicated to the VWT. The scheduled tests remain unchanged, non-competitive 3 and 5 km race plus a walk to discover our terracesThe grand finale will instead be Sunday with the Mini Wine Trail: no longer a midweek event, but rather the official closing race of the 11th edition, making the little ones feel like the true protagonists of a competition that skilfully combines sport, food and wine and culture.

“Our goal – he said Simone Bertini, VWT president – ​​is to ensure that the Valtellina Wine Trail can involve the entire territory, in a single great celebration of sports and Valtellina traditions. We have managed to grow year after year, trying to improve every detail to offer a unique and memorable experience. I believe that the winning weapon is precisely that of transmitting our passion for sports by combining it with food and wine, involving more and more entities so that the VWT is not only our event, but the event of the entire province”.

“The Valtellina Wine Trail is much more than a race that winds along a suggestive route – he recalled Mark Scaramelli, mayor of Sondrio – : it is a meeting for the many fans of this sport and it is the valorization and promotion of our territory. The images of the athletes who run through the streets of the center, enter the vineyards of our hamlets until they reach the walkway on the Cassandre are the best calling card for Sondrio. Our city is ready to reserve a warm welcome to athletes and companions”.

“The Valtellina Wine Trail – he reiterated Elio Moretti, president of APF Sondrio – is one of the most iconic and representative events of our territory. Over the years it has managed to acquire global relevance. Starting this year, the event will be included in the Gen26 Education Programme of Milano Cortina 2026 and in particular in “Milano Cortina 2026 in schools – Valtellina”, the initiative promoted by APF Valtellina which aims to involve the local population and in particular the students of the area in the path towards the next Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milano Cortina 2026. Among the various activities we have planned the launch of new PCTO (Paths for Transversal Skills and Orientation) linked to some of the most prominent events in the province, such as the Valtellina Wine Trail, which will allow young students to live a training experience in close contact with the organizational part of the event and understand the work and commitment necessary for its realization”.

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