Maratona dles Dolomites: Course, Elevation & Route Profile

Course & Elevation

Held since 1987, the Maratona dles Dolomites is one of Europe's defining granfondos, and the full course is its benchmark: 138 kilometres and 4,230 metres of climbing over seven Dolomite passes, on fully closed roads through UNESCO World Heritage scenery, starting in La Villa and finishing in Corvara.

The first half traces the classic Sellaronda around the Sella massif: Campolongo from kilometre 3.5, then the Pordoi at 7.2 kilometres and just over 500 metres of gain, followed by Sella and Gardena, before the route crosses Campolongo a second time from kilometre 55. To this point the Maratona is a rhythmic sequence of pass and descent, with only 6.5 percent of the course on flat roads.

The verdict is delivered on the Passo Giau. From kilometre 88 the road climbs for 9.8 kilometres at an average of 9.3 percent, 912 vertical metres with no meaningful respite, by far the hardest ascent of the day. Survive the Giau and one task remains: the longer, steadier haul over Falzarego and Valparola from kilometre 111, 7.7 kilometres at 6.4 percent, before the drop to Corvara opens the finale. A course for riders who can ration themselves over many hours and still want to climb at the end.

Pacing Strategy

The queen route is decided not on the first four passes but at kilometre 88, where the hardest climb of the day begins: nearly ten kilometres averaging 9.3 percent with ramps to 26 percent. Everything before it is preparation. Ride the four passes of the opening sixty kilometres (each five to seven kilometres at six to seven percent) deliberately under threshold; the biggest trap is going with faster groups while you're fresh and burning matches you'll need on the final wall.

With over 17 percent of the route steep both up and down, the loop is a constant swap of climbing and technical descending; eat and drink religiously on the way down. After the main climb two more passes wait to kilometre 119; ride the key climb wisely and you gain time here, overcook it and you lose it.

Training plan for Maratona dles Dolomites: 12-week build

Plan on six to ten hours of riding for the full Maratona course, an exceptionally long, predominantly aerobic effort in which roughly 4,230 metres of climbing are distributed across seven passes. Unlike rolling races, the work arrives in clearly separated blocks: 20 to 60 minutes of climbing, then long descents, with almost no flat road for sheltered recovery.

The race-deciding phase is the Passo Giau from kilometre 88: 912 metres of gain at 9.3 percent, tackled with five passes already in your legs. That is what you must train for, not the first climb of the day. Long rides of four to six hours over several climbs, with the hardest climbing deliberately placed at the end, are the single most valuable session in your build-up.

Beyond that, set three emphases. First, climbing strength endurance: steady ascents of 30 to 60 minutes around threshold, because Pordoi, Giau and Valparola are long, constant gradients with nowhere to hide. Second, descending competence, since seven passes mean seven descents, and confident cornering turns them into recovery instead of stress. Third, a robust fuelling strategy: over six or more hours, the energy you take in during the first half decides whether you can still race the Giau or merely survive it.

Finally, rehearse pacing discipline. The Sellaronda passes of the opening half invite fast riding in a big field, and every excess watt spent there is paid back twice on the Giau.