On Sunday 6 September 2026 the Zoldo Valley hosts the second edition of the Transpelmo Sprint, an 8.5-kilometre trail and mountain running race starting and finishing at Pècol di Zoldo, at the foot of Monte Pelmo and Pelmetto.
This is the short, runnable version of the well-known Transpelmo: the most technical rocky sections are deliberately left out, so that runners who prefer fast trail terrain can also experience mountain racing here. The course runs through the core zone of the UNESCO Dolomites in the Zoldo Valley.
No skyrace this year
The Transpelmo Sprint is the only competitive event of 2026. The organising committee, led by Eris Costa and Andrea Cero, has cancelled the 19.5-kilometre skyrace around Monte Pelmo: redevelopment work in Pècol will continue until late autumn and leaves the event without its logistics areas, from the awards marquee to the showers and the car parks, for the roughly one thousand athletes who usually take part. The long race returns on 5 September 2027.
The Sprint, introduced last year, goes ahead as planned with a limited number of entries.
The course
The race starts at 10:00 among the traditional tabià, the old hay barns in the centre of Pècol. The first kilometre is on tarmac, a gentle warm-up; once across the wooden bridge over the Rio Canedo the real climb begins, roughly 2 kilometres for 500 metres of ascent, up to the base of Monte Pelmetto.
A panoramic, rolling and very runnable kilometre follows, with the bulk of the Pelmetto overhead and the Civetta opening up on the left. Then come two kilometres of fast descent through pastures and woodland down to Palafavera. One last short climb, the one that can make the difference, comes before the final plunge back to the finish in Pècol.
There are two aid stations: at kilometre 4, after the first climb, and at the finish. There are no intermediate cut-offs, only a two-hour finish closure. As a benchmark, the organisers suggest finishing within an hour and a half of the start.
Race data
- Distance: 8.5 km
- Ascent: 650 m
- Descent: 650 m
- Highest point: 1,900 m — lowest point: 1,380 m
- Terrain: 1 km tarmac, 6 km trail on grass, soil and roots, 1.5 km gravel and rock
- Start: 10:00 — finish closure: 12:00
Programme for Sunday 6 September
- 7:00 – 9:30 race number collection at the Service Zone
- 9:30 runners called to the start
- 10:00 Transpelmo Sprint start
- 12:00 finish closure and opening of the marquee for lunch
- around 12:30 party with the DJ set by “I Limpidi”, in the little square among the tabià of old Pècol
- around 14:00 prize giving
The day is not for adults only: alongside the race there are Transpelmo Junior and Zoldino Run, designed to introduce children and teenagers to mountain running.
Getting there and parking
Pècol is reached by driving up the Zoldo Valley; from Selva di Cadore and the Val Fiorentina you come over the Passo Staulanza instead. The organisers ask everyone to arrive in Pècol well in advance and to follow the parking marshals closely: available space is limited precisely because of the works in the village.
Running between Pelmo, Pelmetto and Civetta
The Transpelmo Sprint is also a chance to discover one of the most spectacular corners of the Belluno Dolomites. Pècol and Palafavera lie in the heart of the Zoldo Valley, between the mass of Monte Pelmo and the walls of the Civetta, not far from the Passo Staulanza: anyone coming to the valley for the race can easily turn the day into an opportunity to get to know this territory. Other outdoor activities across the province are gathered in our sport section.
Information and entries
The event is organised by Associazione Pro Loco Zoldo Alto. For rules, entries, updates and official announcements always refer to the official Transpelmo website.