An amazing journey through the history and vineyards of Chianti. The race leaves Radda in Chianti at four in the morning and the first 40 kilometres run through the hills of the Sienese Chianti among the vineyards. The second half climbs Monte Luco and then Monte San Michele, where the ground gets rougher, and 25 castles of the Ancient League of Chianti stand along the way back to Radda. The top two men and the top two women each take a Golden Ticket to the Western States Endurance Run.
The first 40 kilometres are fast and runnable. The hardest climbing waits until the second half, on Monte Luco and then Monte San Michele, and the last aid station at Villa San Michele sits at the top of the final major climb with about 15 kilometres left to run. The race's own profile puts the high point at 901 metres and the low point at 289 metres.
Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB is run every March in the Tuscan hills, out of the medieval village of Radda in Chianti. The courses cross vineyards, castles and the white gravel roads of the Chianti Senese, and they save the hardest climbing, Monte Luco and Monte San Michele, for the second half. Three races leave the same start line on Piazza Francesco Ferrucci in Radda: the 123 km Ultra Trail Chianti Castles, which passes 25 castles of the Ancient League of Chianti and carries two Golden Tickets to the Western States Endurance Run in each of the men's and women's races, the 73 km Chianti Ultra Trail, and the 10 km Chianti Wine Run.
The first Chianti Ultra Trail was run over 73 kilometres on 24 March 2018, and 197 runners finished it. A longer race, the Ultra Trail Chianti Castles, was added in 2022. The event joined the UTMB World Series after five editions, and the organisers say it has sold out every year since the first.
| Mile | Station | Cutoff | Crew access | Bag | Pacer | Med | To next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 |
Radda in Chianti
1,745 ft
|
? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 7.34 |
| 7.34 |
Arillo Terrabianca
1,362 ft
|
? | · | · | ? | · | 7.42 |
| 14.76 |
Poggio San Polo
1,650 ft
|
8:00am | · | · | ? | ● | 8.59 |
| 23.35 |
Castello di Brolio
1,463 ft
|
? | ● | · | ? | ● | 8.76 |
| 32.11 |
Monteluco
2,608 ft
|
1:25pm | ● | · | ? | ● | 6.74 |
| 38.85 |
Cantalici
1,673 ft
|
? | ● | · | ? | ● | 9.50 |
| 48.35 |
Gaiole in Chianti
1,175 ft
|
6:00pm | ● | ● | ? | ● | 2.35 |
| 50.70 |
Castello di Meleto
1,089 ft
|
? | · | · | ? | · | 5.52 |
| 56.22 |
Tenuta Perano
1,696 ft
|
8:30pm | · | · | ? | ● | 6.17 |
| 62.39 |
Castello di Albola
2,008 ft
|
12:00am | ● | · | ? | ● | 5.30 |
| 67.69 |
Villa San Michele
2,779 ft
|
2:45am | ● | · | ? | ● | 9.39 |
| 77.08 |
Radda in Chianti
1,745 ft
|
6:00am | ? | ? | ? | ● | ? |
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