The Grandfondo Dobbiaco-Cortina changes date

New date for the ski marathon: Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 January 2026

With the forthcoming 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games taking place in Italy, the safety bar is inevitably raised and, in line with the provisions of the Government Commissioner, the area where the Dobbiaco-Cortina ski marathon takes place, habitually at the beginning of February, falls into the so-called “red zone” more precisely in the period between January 26th and February 24th. This means that it is impossible to organise any sporting events in the weeks concerned.

Registration will reopen on Sunday, April 20th and will be available online. The special ‘early bird’ registration fee will be valid for a whole month until Tuesday, May 20, at the special price of €60 for each race and €120 for the combined, which, among other things, entitles the holder to an additional high-quality gadget. Those who have already secured a bib number can apply to have their registration moved to the new date or for a full refund of 100% of the registration fee.

Folie wins 31km Skating. Race and combined goes to Lauri Lepistö

The curtain falls on the 48th edition of the Ski Classics Challengers event. Folie (ITA) and Lepistö (FIN) win the 31 km in free technique. Great satisfaction for volunteers and the Toblach-Cortina ski-marathon OC. Sunshine at the finish in Fiames and the usual cheerfulness to greet another successful edition

At the Toblach-Cortina Ski-marathon, the course of the 31 km free technique race, much like the one that had provided a long, balanced and uncertain opening race yesterday in classic technique, was speeded up thanks to the sun, which had returned to peep through and illuminate the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites. Around 10 am, starting time at the Nordic Arena in Toblach, yesterday’s thick snow seemed to be just a distant and happy memory. It will certainly be so for Ylvie Folie (ITA) and Lauri Lepistö (FIN), who were first across the finish line in Fiames and did well to inscribe their names in the already rich roll of honour.

The course after the start in the Nordic Arena ‘crossed’ Lake Toblach, the War Cemetery and Lake Landro covered by a light blanket of fog, where quite a bit of selection had already been made in the men’s race. At the transit through the Three Peaks National Park in front there were only seven left. Once they had reached Valfonda and Cimabanche, the sun was already shining again! The breakaway group then sped down the descent, with the characteristic passage through tunnels carved into the rock. By this time, the Italian Paolo Fanton, Lepistö, the Swedish Ekloef and Estonian Alev had left. The finish line in Fiames, a stone’s throw from Cortina, once again added that pinch of spice to the challenge, and again provided a spectacle. Lepistö and Alev, particularly the former, had more to offer than Fanton and Ekloef, who battled it out for third place. However, the best in the sprint was Lepistö, already third yesterday in the 31 km CT.

The women’s race smiled on Italy, especially South Tyrol, which celebrated the success of Ylvie Folie and gave a colourful one-two with Julia Kuen. The two, about a minute apart at the finish, exploded with joy for each other. In the women’s race the selection was made very early, around 3 km there were already five left: together with the two Italian women were Bepoix (3rd), Hutter and Koenig. When Folie decided to pick up the pace, namely in the section from the Three Peaks National Park to Cimabanche, no one was able to keep up with her, thanks also to the help of a male athlete, and she built up a 35’ gap at the downhill attack.

The combined classification of the weekend awards today’s winner Lauri Lepistö (FIN) ahead of Eklöf (SWE) and Rinner (ITA). In the women’s event, Hilda Löf (SWE) won over Anna Happ (GER) and Nicole Donzallaz (SUI).

The Toblach-Cortina Ski-marathon Organising committee, thanks to the work of the many volunteers led by president Herbert Santer and the vice president Igor Gombac, closed another successful edition: the forty-eighth. Almost 200 people put their heart and spirit into ensuring supplies, clothing transport and the perfect preparation of the track. All that remains is to renew the appointment for 2026!

Nygaard & Börjesjö: and who else?

The Ski Classics Challengers circuit event started from Toblach, Nygaard (NOR) and Börjesjö (SWE) won the 31 km in classic technique.

OC Toblach-Cortina Ski-marathon celebrates the opening under the snow, big party at the finish of Fiames-Cortina d’Ampezzo, tomorrow the 31 km FT.

An old-fashioned spectacle! Perhaps this is how one can describe what was seen on the opening day of the 48th Toblach-Cortina Ski-marathon. The 31-kilometre course, with the start in the Nordic Arena in Toblach, passed through the most fascinating places in Hochpustertal and Ampezzo, as well as through the tunnels of the former Dolomite railway: a spectacle made even more impressive by the snowfall. The snowfall had been falling since the hours before the 10 o’clock start and had whitened the trees and surroundings, but also made the course very hard, which in the end crowned Andreas Nygaard (NOR) and Malin Börjesjö (SWE) as winners.

A slow pace characterised the men’s race, given the heavy snowfall in Hochpustertal and especially in the Ampezzo region. When the snow is slow and sloppy, the ideal habitat of the cross-country skier is… the wake of another cross-country skier. The only Swede Ekloef (6th) tried to make a difference on the hard, near the Three Peaks National Park, but failed to get away. A group of 19 athletes then formed with all the best skiers. At the pass at Passo Cimabanche 13 of them managed to dig a small gap of 12” on the pursuers. They then faced the downhill stretch towards the finish line in Fiames, where some athletes managed to pull back, thanks to the very slow snow found by the outriders. The final solution could only be the sprint, where Andreas Nygaard again showed all his strength. The fresh Marcialonga champion crossed the finish ahead of everyone, winning the sprint over Francesco Ferrari and the Finnish Lauri Lepistö, who preceded the Italian favourite Dietmar Noeckler at the photo finish.

A lot of selection was made in the women’s race, which saw, after the first 3 km section, already six athletes taking the lead. The Swedish Börjesjö made things clear on the slightly uphill sections, thanks also to her excellent equipment, as she admitted at the end of the race. Arriving at the Cimabanche Pass (21st km), Börjesjö had a 34-second margin over the closest pursuer Oda Nerdrum (NOR). At that point, with only 10 km downhill to go and in the company of male athletes, it was done for the Swede. The defending champion Heli Heiskanen (FIN), in the company of Anna Schmidhofer (AUT), narrowly missed out on the Norwegian Nerdrum, who nevertheless defended her place of honour.

Awaiting all ‘finishers’, those who made their way along the Lake of Toblach, the War Cemetery, Landro, Valfonda and Cimabanche and then into the galleries towards Fiames, were the metal medals with personalised high-relief.

The organising committee led by Herbert Santer said to be delighted with the setting, which was made even more beautiful by the snow. A big applause also goes to the many volunteers from Toblach and Cortina, who have been working for weeks to ensure the success of one of the most popular races of the circuit.

Tomorrow, however, it will still be track time with another 31 km to run, this time in free technique. The course is the same as today: appointment at 10:00 a.m. with the start from the Nordic Arena.

What a success for the press conference of the great cross-country skiing events in Dobbiaco.

The opening was embellished by telephone greetings from FISI President Roda and by the speeches of FISIP President Paolo Tavian and FISI Deputy Vice President, as well as President of Fondazione Cortina, Stefano Longo.

Tour de Ski, 3 Zinnen Ski-Marathon and Granfondo Dobbiaco-Cortina were told through the words of the organizers and the beautiful images on the screen.

Last but not least, the first edition of the PARA Cross-Country Skiing World Championships in Italy was presented, with guests of honour being the coordinator of the Italian national PARA cross-country skiing team Paolo Marchetti and the World Cup athlete Giuseppe Spatola – who arrived a few hours earlier from Norway.

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Registrations open on Saturday, 1 June, with special “early bird” fees.

Ten personalised “backpack & towel” sets will be up for grabs for the first 100 registered participants.

The magic of the Granfondo Dobbiaco-Cortina is set to continue as it prepares for its 48th edition on the weekend of 1 and 2 February 2025.

The 2025 edition will follow the much-loved format: on Saturday, 1 February, enthusiasts of the classical technique will tackle the 42 km TC race, while on Sunday, 2 February, fans of the free technique will take on the 35 km track. Both races start from the military airport in Dobbiaco and finish in Fiames, Cortina d’Ampezzo, against the stunning backdrop of the Pomagagnon mountains. The route includes iconic passages by the picturesque Landro and Dobbiaco lakes, the unparalleled Tre Cime view, and the Mountain Grand Prix at the Cimabanche Pass (1529 m).

Registrations for the 48th Granfondo Dobbiaco-Cortina open on Saturday, 1 June. Participants can register online and take advantage of the special “early bird” rates available throughout June: €65 for the classical technique race, €50 for the free technique race, and €115 for both. All registered participants will receive a special gift. The event also supports young skiers with the “30 for U23” programme, offering reduced registration fees of €30 (€60 for both races) for those under 23.

OK Biathletes at the Toblach-Cortina: Montello and Sanfilippo centre the point

Day to be framed in Toblach, with French attacking. Former biathletes “converted” to cross-country skiing Montello and Sanfilippo win. All foreign the combined: Bing (GER) and Heiskanen (FIN) win

Another wonderful day in Toblach, where today took place the second and final race of one of the most eagerly awaited and most traditional granfondo races not only in Italy. The Granfondo Toblach-Cortina is part of the “Challengers” category of Ski Classics, with almost 700 athletes that today have kicked off from the Air Force Base in Toblach for the 35 km in free technique, and to stand out were the names of Federica Sanfilippo for the women and of Giuseppe Montello for men. Two former biathletes literally “surrounded” by the French rivals.

The locality in Pustertal practically had to organise a “Toblach…Toblach”, seen the problems that came up in Cortina because of the high temperatures that made impossible the preparation of the traditional second part of the course. Great work, therefore, on the part of the organizing committee, which deserves credit for not giving up, as is happening at major international events.

Today there was a big selection from the first kilometres. At the passage on the “monumental” overpass of the Nordic Arena, in fact, a group of 20 athletes already had several metres of advantage on the first chasers. Giuseppe Montello and the French Gerard Agnellet attempted a breakaway, outdistancing the other transalpine Victor Lovera by about thirty seconds. The two then tackled the descent in pair, which they said was crucial. Once they returned at the Nordic Arena where the finish line was placed, the Italian was able to anticipate the sprint time, as per manual in Toblach, concluding the race in 1h21’54”. The Frenchman then made a comeback in the very last metres, ending up just a few centimetres away from victory. A great success for Montello, a former biathlete, who managed to put his tactic into practice: to make as much selection as possible. However, Lovera managed to contain Thomas Bing’s comeback, placing 3rd at 2’14”, with the German 4th at +2’17”. No other Italians in the top nine, a sign of a high level foreign presence; 10th was Paolo Fanton.

In the women’s race another sprint won by an Italian, also a former biathlete! The goal of the athlete from Val Ridanna Federica Sanfilippo was the same as Montello, to make a selection; however, when it was no longer possible to make more, she pulled the oars in the boat and prepared for the sprint. Sanfilippo was also very adept at fine-tuning the ‘Toblach tactic’, attacking on the penultimate climb, leading the final descent and crossing the finish line in first position (1h32’29″3) with a 4/10 lead over Felicie Chappaz (FRA) and 5/10 lead over Coralie Bentz (FRA).

A day tinted with the Italian colours then in Toblach, with two Italian win but also 4 French on the podium. Worth mentioning is that Chappaz, second today, is the little sister of Jules that precisely this season obtained his first podium in the World Cup, after having placed a heavy bronze medal around his neck at the World Championships in Planica 2023.

It was also expected the combined ranking, with the sum of the times of both days, yesterday in classic and today in skating, in which Thomas Bing (GER) dominated with a total time of 3h9’54”6 over Alfred Buskqvist (SWE) and Johannes Ekloef (SWE). Among women, Heli Heiskanen (FIN) won with a total time of 3h38’25” over Franziska Mueller (GER) and Nicole Donzallaz (SUI).

“It was certainly a success, given the more than 1500 athletes at the start over the two days. The traditional course, due to the high temperatures, would not have been up to such a large number of competitors, but we are confident that in the future we will be able to resolve this issue by tackling it differently. The main objective is to be able to offer these athletes what they deserve. This year absolutely must serve as a lesson for the future,” said Igor Gombac, vice-president of the organising committee and coordinator of the Cortina area.

Riege at the photo finish, cross country skiers and Heiskanen taking of at the airport

Men’s race in a sprint: Riege, same time as Nygaard, Ferrari 3rd. Among women 2nd place for Stefania Corradini in the Heiskanen’s race

A sunny Toblach, in South Tyrol, hosted the first day of races of the historic 47th Granfondo Toblach-Cortina. Due to unfavourable weather conditions, they had to turn around at the last minute by setting the race finish line in Toblach, thus not descending to Cortina, with the Nordic Arena that saw almost 1000 cross-country skiers cut the finish line. An authentic mix between professionals and amateurs. The “Challengers” events of the Ski Classics circuit, in fact, let everyone experience the dream of competing with the best long distance skiers, regardless of age or category.

Today the race on the distance of 42 km in classic technique was scheduled, while tomorrow it will be the time for the 35 km race in skating. The Toblach-Cortina took off, in the literal sense of the word given the start at the airport, from Toblach as per tradition. Among men, the group remained compact during the whole competition despite the initial attempt of escape of Heinrick Hau (GER). The top group at around 15 kilometres caught the latter, and from there no one was able to make the difference anymore, also due to the speed of the course, brilliantly prepared by the organizing committee led by Herbert Santer. It then continued in a group until the arrival at the Nordic Arena, where the two Norwegians Andreas Nygaard and Amund Riege went wild, approaching the sprint at full speed. The photo finish between the two ruled in favour of Riege (Team Ramudden) by a nose, with the compatriot Nygaard (Team Ragde Charge) resulting second. “I was in front before the last climb, I knew that approaching the straightaway in front was fundamental since it is quite short here. So I tried to select, the last ascent was fundamental as always here in Toblach. You have to come down fast and keep the leadership until the last curve and then push with all you got in the straightaway. I heard I arrived before Andreas in the photo finish and I am very happy!” these are the words of the winner. Third is a brilliant Francesco Ferrari. The Italian of the Internorm Alpenplus Trentino Team put together a first-class last kilometre, holding up Riege’s shock on the final climb and keeping the throttle wide open all the way to the finish. After the race, he said he was very satisfied to have arrived just few meters away from such a prestigious win. A positive 4th place also for the other Italian who stayed strong in the top group Lorenzo Busin, teammate of Ferrari. Only 6th place for one of today’s favourites, Thomas Bing (GER) who usually pays the price in sprint finishes.

Regarding the women’s race, Italy was once again a big protagonist. The success went to Heli Heiskanen (FIN) of the Internorm Alpenplus Trentino Team, who literally “killed” competition even before reaching the halfway point. At the tracking of the 22nd kilometre, the Finnish had, in fact, an advantage of 1’54” on the Italian Stefania Corradini. The latter keep up well until the end, cutting the finish line with the same gap she had at the halfway point and with around 1’30” on the third placed, Oda Nerdrum (NOR). “Today it was too fun! The atmospheric conditions and the course were perfect. Here it is always a pleasure to compete, not only because I won, but the conditions are always perfect.” Declared at the finish line the winner Heiskanen. Eighth place for the second Italian, Anna Giordan. At the end of the competition, under a sun that almost took away the regret for the cancellation of the ‘Veneto’ part of the race, the prize-giving ceremony took place. The athletes remarked how a great job had been done in putting on an event that just could not be skipped, given its history.

UPDATE: Finish in Dobbiaco

Attention, new route modification: Due to the warm temperatures of the last few days and the lack of snow, we are moving the finish line to Dobbiaco! We apologise for the inconvenience.

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