The starting places for the Maratona dles Dolomites will be raffled off again this year. Registration for the starting place draw will be open between 9 October and 5 November 2024. As a non-Italian, you have a manageable chance of getting a starting number: only 2050 places are in the lottery pot for this group. There are a total of 8000 starting places of which only 4100 will be drawn. Half of the lottery pot goes to Italians and the other half to the rest. In the complicated calculation, there are also 100 places for starters travelling from countries outside Europe. This year, the entry fee is 166 euros. If you don't want to rely on the luck of the draw, you can buy a package consisting of hotel accommodation and a starting place.
Maratona dles Dolomites routes
This year, the Maratona once again offers its three traditional routes, which lead over the Dolomite passes Campolongo, Pordoi, Sella, Gardena, Giau, Falzarego and Valparola, which are closed to traffic.
- Maratona route: 138 km with an altitude difference of 4230 m
- Average distance: 106 km with a difference in altitude of 3130 m
- Sella circuit: 55 km with a difference in altitude of 1780 m
How to get a starting place for the Maratona dles Dolomites
Online pre-registration on the website www.maratona.it between 9 October and 5 November 2024, which entitles you to take part in the prize draw, which will take place in the second half of November 2024.
Purchase of a race package (hotel + race number), which will be managed and sold on the website of the official tour operator Holimites www.holimites.com from 9 October 2024. Other official international tour operators can be found on the website www.maratona.it/de/tour-operator-de
200 starting places combined with a donation to charity will be available for sale on 20 November 2024 and 20 March 2025 exclusively online at www.maratona.it. Further information at the following link: https://www.maratona.it/de/wohltatigkeits-startplatze-2025
Light as the motto of the Maratona 2025
The motto of this year's Maratona des Dolomites is light (Lüm in Ladin): "Every moment of light is ultimately a whisper of time, the echo of a moment that has already passed, which reaches us like a work of art floating in the sky. As we ride forward on our bicycles, we leave prolonged shadows behind us, we chase after the light. "Omnia quae sunt, lumina sunt" (all that is, is light), Ezra Pound reminds us in one of his writings. We are light because we ourselves are an emanation of a higher light. The sun will also rise on 6 July, and we will be there for the next marathon, unconsciously kissed by the most precious gift, the light that illuminates the world," says Michil Costa, President of the Organising Committee, introducing the 2025 theme.
Light in the logo
"Illuminate, see the light, come out of the darkness; how many messages can the word Lüm - light - contain? The new logo is compact, solid, but imbued with the rays of the sun, deep and entirely drawn by light, a fine line that can nevertheless leave a clear mark.
The M at the end recalls the logo of the Maratona dles Dolomites, but also represents the summit of the Sassongher, which is magically illuminated every year at 6.30am while we wait for the start - a kind of reassurance, a gentle touch for all excited cyclists.
But this is just a quick symbolism, enlightening oneself means much more. Illuminating ourselves means finding our own inner light, which, like the rays of the Logos, should characterise us deeply. We must transform ourselves in the course of our lives in order to overcome the darkness and continue on our path," says Manuel Bottazzo, artistic director of the Maratona.
Cycling days as an alternative to the Maratona dles Dolomites
If you don't get a starting place, you can still enjoy three days of car-free roads through the Dolomites drive:
The Sellaronda Bike Day will take place on Saturday 7 June and will be repeated on Saturday 13 September 2025, while the Dolomites Bike Day will be held on Saturday 21 June 2025.
These events are not competitions and are open to all cyclists without registration. The Dolomite passes Val Gardena, Sella, Pordoi and Campolongo will be closed to motorised traffic for the Sellaronda Bike Day and Campolongo, Falzarego and Valparola for the Dolomites Bike Day (info: www.altabadia.org).
Kristian Bauer
Editor
