La Sportiva Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB
La Sportiva Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB – Lavaredo 80K
Val Marzon Auronzo di Cadore → Cortina D'Ampezzo
Race guide
Updated 19 July 2026
The La Sportiva Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB – Lavaredo 80K is a full-scale Dolomite ultra, running 80 km point-to-point from Val Marzon near Auronzo di Cadore to Cortina d'Ampezzo with 4216 m of vertical gain and a high point of 2459 m. It links a chain of iconic mountain waypoints — Cimabanche, Malga Ra Stua, Malga Travenanzes, Col Gallina, Rifugio Averau and Passo Giau — before the long descent into Cortina. With more than four vertical kilometres of climbing and an overnight window, this is a demanding high-mountain race that spends a lot of time above 2000 m. It rewards runners with the endurance to keep climbing deep into the night and the resilience to handle repeated technical descents. This guide breaks down the course shape, the decisive climbs, and how to pace and fuel it against the cut-offs.
The Course: Val Marzon to Cortina d'Ampezzo
The race sets off from Val Marzon (Auronzo) at 1000 m — the lowest point on the course — and finishes in Cortina d'Ampezzo at 1221 m after 80 km. The early kilometres climb toward Cimabanche at 26 km (1533 m), followed by Malga Ra Stua at 35.6 km (1701 m). The route then works up onto sustained high ground: Malga Travenanzes at 49.1 km (1987 m), Col Gallina at 56.2 km (2056 m), Rifugio Averau at 60.4 km (2418 m, near the 2459 m high point) and Passo Giau at 63.8 km (2245 m). The closing quarter is a long descent from the high passes: Rifugio Croda da Lago at 71.4 km (2070 m), a steep drop to Mortisa at 78.9 km (1257 m), and the final approach to the Cortina finish. Underfoot it is quintessential Dolomite terrain — rocky alpine trails, high pass crossings and technical downhills — with the most dramatic scenery concentrated on the Averau-Giau section.
Where the Race Is Decided: The High Chain from Travenanzes to Giau
The crux of the 80K is the sustained high section in the second half. After the long approach through Cimabanche and Malga Ra Stua, the real climbing bites: from Malga Ra Stua (1701 m at 35.6 km) the course grinds up to Malga Travenanzes (1987 m), Col Gallina (2056 m), and then to Rifugio Averau at 60.4 km — 2418 m, right below the 2459 m high point — before Passo Giau at 63.8 km. Reaching this chain of passes with legs and stomach still working is what separates a finish from a struggle. The race is then decided on the descent. From Passo Giau and Rifugio Croda da Lago (2070 m at 71.4 km) the trail loses more than 800 m to Mortisa (1257 m at 78.9 km) in the final kilometres. After 60-plus km and thousands of metres of climbing, this steep, technical drop is brutal on fatigued quads. Runners who bank the passes conservatively and keep something in reserve for the descent will move past those who emptied themselves reaching Averau.
Pacing and Fuelling Against the Cut-offs
The cut-offs stage the race clearly: Cimabanche at Sat 13:30, Malga Ra Stua at Sat 15:30, Col Gallina at Sat 21:30, Passo Giau at Sat 23:59, and the Cortina finish at Sun 05:00. The gap from Col Gallina (56.2 km, 21:30) to Passo Giau (63.8 km, 23:59) is tight given the altitude and terrain, so protect time on the earlier, more runnable kilometres to Cimabanche rather than losing it there. Cimabanche (26 km), Col Gallina (56.2 km) and the finish are crew points, giving natural places to resupply and reset. With aid stations spaced across long mountain segments — including the demanding stretch from Malga Ra Stua to Travenanzes (nearly 14 km) and from Croda da Lago through the big descent to the finish — plan to carry enough between checkpoints. Fuel consistently on the lower approach so you arrive at the high chain well stocked, because the passes above 2000 m are the worst place to run low. Use the Col Gallina crew point to top up fully before committing to the Averau-Giau high point and the long descent that closes the race.
Conditions to Expect: Altitude and Night in the Dolomites
This is a high, long race: the course tops out at 2459 m and holds above 2000 m from Travenanzes through Averau and Giau. At those altitudes Dolomite weather is volatile, and with a finish cut-off of Sun 05:00 much of the high-mountain section is run through the night. Cold, wind and rapidly changing conditions on the exposed passes are the norm, and darkness compounds the difficulty of already technical footing. Prepare for a genuine overnight mountain effort: reliable lighting, warm and protective layers for the exposed high chain, and shoes that grip on both rocky pass crossings and the steep descent to Mortisa. Temperatures that feel mild at the Val Marzon start will drop sharply once you are high and the sun is gone. Packing for the coldest, windiest point on the course — the ground around Rifugio Averau and Passo Giau in the dark — is the safe approach.
Who This Race Suits
The Lavaredo 80K is a race for seasoned ultra runners ready for a long, high, overnight day in the Dolomites. With 4216 m of gain across 80 km, a 2459 m high point and repeated technical descents, it demands climbing endurance, comfort at altitude and durable legs late in the race. It is a strong goal for runners stepping up from a mountain 50K who want the full Val Marzon-to-Cortina traverse and the celebrated Averau-Giau section, and a serious challenge in its own right for those drawn to big Dolomite ultras. If you can climb steadily through the night, manage your fuelling across long mountain segments, and still control a steep descent into Cortina d'Ampezzo, this course will reward you.
Race La Sportiva Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB – Lavaredo 80K with Crux
Get the strategy, fuelling and crew plan dialled for this exact course — built from the real route, climbs and cut-offs. Your first race is free.
Plan this race — freeCourse profile
Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 1000 m · —
26 km · 1533 m · Sat 13:30
35.6 km · 1701 m · Sat 15:30
49.1 km · 1987 m · —
56.2 km · 2056 m · Sat 21:30
60.4 km · 2418 m · —
63.8 km · 2245 m · Sat 23:59
71.4 km · 2070 m · —
78.9 km · 1257 m · —
80 km · 1221 m · Sun 05:00
More races
More UTMB World Series
Similar distance (100 km–100 miles)
Racing La Sportiva Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB – Lavaredo 80K?
Get a complete race strategy — pacing, fuelling, crew plan and the crux moments — built on this exact course.
Plan your race in Crux →Strava is your training. Crux is your races.