The first-ever XTERRA European Trail Run Championship will be held September 9, 2023 in Molveno, Italy at the majestic Brenta Dolomites mountain range, a UNESCO Heritage site in the northern Italian Alps. 

The half-marathon and full-marathon championship races will award €5,200 in prize money, continental crowns to runners in age group categories ranging from 15-19 to 80+, ITRA points, and 2024 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship qualifying spots to the top finishers in each division. 

Two-person teams, aka “racing duos,” are also eligible for titles and qualifying spots.

As one of the premier races on the XTERRA Trail Run World Series calendar, the XTERRA European Trail Run Championship is expected to lure a high-quality field of runners from the EU and beyond.

Registration opens March 1, 2023 and is expected to sell-out early. The events are capped at 100 runners for the half-marathon championship (21km) and 450 runners for the full-marathon championship (45km). No qualification is necessary to compete in the events. 

Two ITRA points will be awarded for the 45km race, and one ITRA point for the 21K.

The events are held in conjunction with the Dolomiti di Brenta Trail, now in its seventh year of racing around the stunning surroundings of Lake Molveno, which is also home to the XTERRA World Championship off-road triathlon on September 23, 2023.

“It is an honor for myself and my colleagues, who are all trail runners themselves, to host the 2023 XTERRA European Trail Run Championship,” said Alessandro Bettega, President / Molveno Holiday. “It is wonderful to be part of XTERRA and to make history as the first to crown XTERRA European Trail Run champions.”

The course routes offer participants an exceptional journey, starting from Lake Molveno, passing through Andalo, in the group of Cima S. Maria and Cima di Campa, reaching Passo del Grosté and then covering the entire central part of the Brenta at the foot of historic summits such as Cima Brenta, Crozzon di Brenta, Cima Tosa, Campanil Basso, and more.

“What makes the race unique is its pure natural beauty. Once runners depart from Lake Molveno they’ll find no sign of civilization, just the beautiful Brenta Dolomites, our volunteers, and good food and drink stations,” added Bettega. 

Surrounding the racing action is a family-friendly festival for athletes, spectators, destinations, and community members alike featuring live music, two DJ sets, a pasta party, and awards on the beach at Lake Molveno, which has been named the Most Beautiful Lake in Italy seven times by Legambiente and the Italian Touring Club.

“We’re excited to launch the first-ever XTERRA European Trail Run Championship in Molveno, an incredibly beautiful destination with the warmest and most welcoming hosts,”  said J-D Cousens, XTERRA VP of Operations & Global Marketing. “Our goal for the inaugural XTERRA Trail Run World Series was to select events that mixed travel and trail to deliver a running experience like no other to beginner, intermediate, and experienced trail runners alike, and we most certainly will deliver on that promise in Molveno.”

Detailed course description, schedule of events, and registration links can be found on the XTERRA European Trail Run Championship page.

The XTERRA European Trail Run Championship is the last of three continental majors in the 2023 XTERRA Trail Run World Series, joining the XTERRA Asia-Pacific Trail Run Championship on April 16, 2023 in Kenting, Taiwan and the XTERRA Americas Trail Run Championship on May 21, 2023 at Oak Mountain State Park in Shelby County, AL. The 2023 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship will be held October 1, 2023 at Sugarloaf Resort in Carrabassett Valley, Maine.

Visit the XTERRA Trail Run World Series page for the complete schedule of qualifying races, rankings, and more.