Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB
Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB – Chianti Ultra Trail
Radda in Chianti → Radda In Chianti
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The Chianti Ultra Trail is the 73 km signature ultra of the Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB festival, a loop that starts and finishes in Radda in Chianti and tours the vineyards, castles and hilltop villages of the Tuscan Chianti region. With 2428 m of positive climbing and a high point of 900 m, it delivers a full ultra day of relentless undulation rather than a single alpine climb. Run largely through the afternoon and into the night, the course strings together six checkpoints with cut-offs that tighten toward the finish. It suits runners comfortable with sustained rolling terrain and long stretches between aids, and it makes a natural progression for those who have raced the Marathon Trail and want the full ultra experience of the Chianti hills.
The course and terrain
The loop begins and ends in Radda in Chianti at 533 m, running 73 km with 2428 m of climb and a high point of 900 m. After an early drop to Arillo Terrabianca (11.8 km, 408 m), the course rolls through Poggio San Polo (23.7 km, 484 m) and Tenuta Perano (40.4 km, 516 m) before the elevation steps up in the closing third at Castello di Albola (50.3 km, 615 m) and Villa San Michele (58.8 km, 876 m), then descends back to Radda. This is quintessential Chianti terrain: white gravel strade bianche, vineyard and olive-grove tracks, farm roads and connecting singletrack linking wine estates and medieval villages. The high point of 900 m is reached near Villa San Michele in the final quarter, so the hardest, highest ground comes when the legs are already deep into the day.
Where the race is won or lost
The decisive terrain is the back third of the loop. The first 40 km to Tenuta Perano stays in a relatively low elevation band between roughly 400 and 530 m, lulling runners into a fast rhythm on runnable tracks. The real climbing then arrives late: from Tenuta Perano (516 m) the course rises to Castello di Albola (50.3 km, 615 m) and on to the high point near Villa San Michele (58.8 km, 876 m). That climb toward Villa San Michele, gaining several hundred metres in the second half of the race, is where the day is decided. Runners who spent themselves on the earlier rolling sections will struggle here, while those who paced the opening 40 km conservatively will have the strength to climb steadily and then handle the roughly 14 km descent from Villa San Michele back down to Radda at 533 m.
Pacing and fuelling
Six checkpoints divide the loop, but the legs are long: 11.8 km to Arillo Terrabianca, then close to 12 km to Poggio San Polo, roughly 17 km on to Tenuta Perano, and around 10 km each to Castello di Albola, Villa San Michele and the finish. The 17 km stretch to Tenuta Perano is the longest committed leg, so carry ample fluid and calories and eat steadily from the start rather than chasing time early. Cut-offs progress from Poggio San Polo at Saturday 11:30 to Tenuta Perano 15:00, Castello di Albola 17:30, Villa San Michele 19:45 and the finish at Radda 23:00. Castello di Albola, Villa San Michele and Radda are crew points, so plan your crew support and any kit changes around those later stations. Bank time on the runnable first half, keep aid stops efficient, and save energy for the high, late climbing.
Conditions to expect
Starting in the daytime and finishing as late as 23:00, the Chianti Ultra Trail is a race that runs from Tuscan afternoon heat into the cool of night. That means preparing for two very different sets of conditions: sun and exposure across the open vineyards early on, then darkness and dropping temperatures for the later climbs, so a headtorch and a layer for the night are essential. Underfoot the course is the region's mix of white gravel roads, vineyard tracks and hillside singletrack, fast and free-draining when dry but loose and dusty in the heat or greasy after rain. With aids spaced up to 17 km apart and the biggest climb saved for the tired final third, the runners who manage heat and hydration early and pace the low first 40 km with discipline are the ones who finish strong back in Radda.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 533 m · —
11.8 km · 408 m · —
23.7 km · 484 m · Sat 11:30
40.4 km · 516 m · Sat 15:00
50.3 km · 615 m · Sat 17:30
58.8 km · 876 m · Sat 19:45
73 km · 533 m · Sat 23:00
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