Puglia by UTMB
Puglia by UTMB – I Sassi di Matera
Matera → Castellaneta Marina
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
I Sassi di Matera is the marquee 144 km distance at Puglia by UTMB, a long point-to-point journey that starts in the ancient cave city of Matera and finishes on the Ionian coast at Castellaneta Marina. Over its 144 km it climbs 2940 m with a high point of only 504 m — proof that this is a distance race rather than a mountain race, where the sheer length, the heat of southern Italy, and a long night on your feet do the damage that altitude would elsewhere. The course threads together some of the most striking landscape in the region: the Sassi and the Murgia Materana above Matera, the towns of Montescaglioso, Ginosa, Laterza and Castellaneta, and the gravine (deep ravines) that cut through the terrain before the final descent to the sea. With relentless rolling terrain and generous but real cut-offs, finishing rewards patient pacing and a plan that carries you through the dark hours.
The course: Matera to the Ionian coast
From the start in Matera at 393 m, the route climbs quickly onto the Murgia Materana plateau at 14.2 km (490 m) — close to the course high point of 504 m — before beginning its long, undulating drop toward the sea. It passes Montescaglioso (31.5 km, 343 m), the crew point at Ginosa (45.4 km, 212 m), Laterza (56.1 km, 336 m), Giacoia (70.5 km, 111 m) and Il Casone (76.3 km, 299 m) before reaching the crew point at Castellaneta at 84.9 km (218 m). The second half continues through Palagianello (94.8 km, 153 m), Grotte di Sileno (107.2 km, 134 m), Relais San Giovanni (118.7 km, 98 m) and the crew point at Nafoura (131.7 km, 5 m) before the final run to Castellaneta Marina at 144 km (6 m). Despite 2940 m of climb, no single ascent is large — the vertical is spread across the whole route in short rises and dips, so this reads as a long, rolling course rather than one with a defining climb.
Where the race is decided
The most concentrated climbing comes at the very start, onto the Murgia Materana plateau in the first 14 km. This is where discipline matters most: on fresh legs and in the excitement of leaving Matera, it is easy to burn matches you will badly want after 100 km. From the plateau onward the profile trends downward but rolls constantly, so the challenge is cumulative fatigue over the many small climbs between Montescaglioso, Laterza and Il Casone. The decisive phase is the long second half after the Castellaneta crew point at 84.9 km. From there the course grinds down toward sea level through Palagianello, Grotte di Sileno and Relais San Giovanni, much of it likely in darkness. By Nafoura (5 m at 131.7 km) there is almost no elevation left to lose, and the final 12 km to Castellaneta Marina are flat coastal running on deeply tired legs — a stretch where mental resolve and steady fuelling, not the terrain, determine who finishes strong.
Pacing, cut-offs and crew strategy
The cut-offs are spread across the route and tighten as you go: Ginosa by Sat 05:00, Il Casone by Sat 10:45, Castellaneta by Sat 12:30, Grotte di Sileno by Sat 17:00, Nafoura by Sat 22:00, and Castellaneta Marina by Sat 23:59. The early Ginosa cut-off at 45.4 km sets the tone — you cannot afford to dawdle through the first quarter even though the finish window is long overall. Crew points fall at Ginosa (45.4 km), Castellaneta (84.9 km), Palagianello (94.8 km) and Nafoura (131.7 km), so build your race around those hubs: stage bottles, warm kit for the night, headtorch batteries and food there. The longest carries between points sit in the 12–17 km range, so a two-bottle or vest setup with capacity for the warm daytime legs is sensible. Aim to reach the Castellaneta crew point (84.9 km) with reserves intact — that is the gateway to the hard, dark second half.
Fuelling a long day and night
At 144 km with a likely finish deep into the night, this is a race where fuelling strategy is as important as fitness. The rolling, runnable profile means you keep moving continuously rather than getting the hiking breaks a steep mountain race provides, so plan for a high, steady carbohydrate intake from the early kilometres and do not let a deficit build. Use the crew points at Ginosa, Castellaneta, Palagianello and Nafoura to reset with real food and to top up fluids. The long gap to the Ginosa cut-off and the exposed daytime stretches across the Murgia make heat management critical in the first half; the second half brings the different demands of night running near sea level — cooler air but many hours awake. Carry a headtorch and spare batteries for the section beyond Castellaneta, keep electrolytes flowing to match the sweat losses of a hot southern-Italian day, and pace the opening plateau conservatively so you have the stomach and legs to keep eating all the way to the Marina.
Conditions to expect
Puglia and Matera sit in the hot, dry south of Italy, and this course never climbs high enough to escape the heat — the high point is only 504 m. Expect strong sun and open, exposed terrain across the Murgia plateau and the farmland between the towns, with little natural shade during the daytime hours. Preparing for heat and managing hydration are the single biggest environmental factors in the first half of the race. Underfoot the route mixes plateau tracks, farm and forest trails, and the ground around the gravine, generally dry and firm. As the course descends toward Nafoura and Castellaneta Marina it flattens to sea level along the Ionian coast, where humidity can build even as temperatures drop overnight. Plan for a wide temperature swing between the exposed daytime plateau and the coastal night, and pack accordingly.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 393 m · —
14.2 km · 490 m · —
31.5 km · 343 m · —
45.4 km · 212 m · Sat 05:00
56.1 km · 336 m · —
70.5 km · 111 m · —
76.3 km · 299 m · Sat 10:45
84.9 km · 218 m · Sat 12:30
94.8 km · 153 m · —
107.2 km · 134 m · Sat 17:00
118.7 km · 98 m · —
131.7 km · 5 m · Sat 22:00
144 km · 6 m · Sat 23:59
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