A Record-Breaking Weekend in Tuscany
The rolling hills of Chianti Storico played host to an extraordinary weekend of trail running as the Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB 2026 delivered drama, course records, and Western States Golden Tickets across its opening two days. Set against the backdrop of vineyards, olive groves, and medieval castles in Radda in Chianti, the event once again cemented its status as one of the premier early-season ultra trail races on the calendar.
Chianti Wine Run (10K) — Friday, March 20
The festivities opened on Friday evening with the Chianti Wine Run, a 10 km race with 400 meters of elevation gain winding through the heart of the Tuscan countryside. Of 259 starters, 258 crossed the finish line in what proved to be a spirited opener.
Samuel Demetz (Italy) dominated the men's race, finishing in 42:08 — over three and a half minutes ahead of compatriot Matteo Mantua (45:51). Latvian runner Jānis Kūms completed the podium in 46:21.
In the women's race, Ukrainian athlete Svitlana Kobets claimed victory in 1:01:16, followed by Italy's Veronica Pacini (1:03:26) and Ecaterina Sevcenco (1:06:26).
Ultra Trail Chianti Castles 120K — Saturday, March 21
The flagship race delivered a sensational day of competition, with both the men's and women's course records falling on a course that traverses approximately 25 ancient castles over 120 km and 5,200 meters of elevation gain.
Men's Race: Cardin Dethrones Walmsley's Record
Thomas Cardin (France) announced himself on the ultra-distance stage with a commanding victory in 9:58:38, breaking Jim Walmsley's 2025 course record of 9:59:48. Remarkably, this was Cardin's first race beyond 100 km. The three-time SaintéLyon champion and 2024 Grand Trail des Templiers winner employed an unusually patient strategy, staying conservative through the first half before pulling away decisively in the second half — a departure from his typically aggressive racing style.
Andreas Reiterer (Italy), the 2024 champion who pivoted to Chianti after the Tenerife Bluetrail cancellation due to Storm Therese, finished a strong second in 10:06:16. France's Vincent Bouillard completed the podium in 10:06:52, just 36 seconds behind Reiterer in a thrilling battle for the final spots.
Women's Race: Dauwalter Obliterates the Record
Courtney Dauwalter (USA) made the most of her last-minute entry — herself a Tenerife pivot — by crushing Fiona Pascall's 2025 course record of 12:34:59 with a stunning 11:31:55, an improvement of over an hour. The multiple-time UTMB, Western States, and Hardrock 100 champion showed once again why she is widely regarded as the greatest female ultrarunner of all time.
Norway's Yngvild Kaspersen, the 2023 CCC champion at UTMB Mont-Blanc, pushed Dauwalter throughout and finished second in 11:33:34 — less than two minutes behind. American Rachel Entrekin, the reigning Cocodona 250 champion who has been undefeated in ultradistance racing since 2022, rounded out the podium in 11:38:13.
Western States Golden Tickets
As one of six HOKA Golden Ticket races for the 2026 Western States Endurance Run, the Ultra Trail Chianti Castles awarded automatic entries to the top two men and women. Thomas Cardin and Andreas Reiterer earned the men's Golden Tickets, while Courtney Dauwalter and Yngvild Kaspersen secured the women's spots. Dauwalter, a two-time Western States champion (2018, 2023), may choose to decline her ticket — in which case it would slide down to Rachel Entrekin.
Additionally, the top three finishers in both the men's and women's categories earned automatic entry to UTMB Mont-Blanc in late August.
Chianti Ultra Trail 75K — Saturday, March 21
The 75 km race with 3,100 meters of elevation gain delivered equally compelling competition.
Poland's Andrzej Witek, who finished third at the 2025 OCC at UTMB Mont-Blanc, took a convincing victory in 5:39:16. France's Guillaume Tiphene finished second in 5:47:11, with Italian Alessandro Affolati close behind in 5:48:42.
In the women's race, Iceland's Elísa Kristinsdóttir delivered an impressive performance to win in 6:22:31. Swiss star Judith Wyder, who finished second at UTMB Mont-Blanc in 2025 and is a Red Bull athlete, came in second at 6:31:48. The Netherlands' Hannah Derksen completed the podium in 6:46:11.
Tomorrow: The Festival Continues
The Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB weekend is far from over! Two races remain on Sunday, March 22:
- Chianti Half Trail (21K, 920m D+) — Start at 8:15 AM from Radda in Chianti. A perfect introduction to Tuscan trail running through vineyards and medieval hamlets.
- Chianti Marathon Trail (46K, 2,000m D+) — Start at 9:00 AM. A challenging mountain trail taking runners to the summit of Monte San Michele, with both races sold out and featuring competitive elite fields.
Follow all the action live on UTMB Live and on the official Chianti Ultra Trail Instagram.