Today, Saturday, September 26th, the 170 km delivered two tales worth remembering: Andrea Zanconato ran it home alone, while Cristina Filippini set a new women’s course record and finished fifth overall. Moreno Sala and Eleonora Corazza won the 100 km, Marta Cassai the women’s 60 km, and Sergio Bonaldi the 35 km. Latest finishers and the awards ceremonies close the day in Vezza d’Oglio. Final celebrations follow tomorrow
Day 2 of Adamello Ultra Trail 2026, on Saturday, September 26th, brought the new 170 km winners, with both athletes triumphing after more than a day and a night on the mountains.
Andrea Zanconato won the men’s race in 27 hours, 20 minutes and 50 seconds, taking the lead late after a long chase and running alone over the final stretch of a course with 11,500 m of climbing. In the women’s race, Cristina Filippini stopped the clock at 31:15:07 – a remarkable fifth place overall and a new women’s course record that takes almost three hours off the previous one, set in 2019.
ZANCONATO BREAKS CLEAR ON PASSO DEI CONTRABBANDIERI
Fifth in the 100 km in 2025, Zanconato went into the longest distance planning to build through the race. He set off alongside Peter Kienzl and let Daniele Nava and Luca Brambilla, quickest over the opening section, make the way.
Running strongly despite knee trouble, Nava dropped Brambilla and went clear on his own, with Zanconato closing steadily behind. Zanconato caught him at Rifugio Bozzi and went past on the ramps of Passo dei Contrabbandieri late on Friday afternoon. From there he never looked back, finishing around half an hour ahead. Nava took second in 27:48:27 – his third consecutive runner-up finish here, after the win in 2023. Switzerland’s Michael Furrer was third in 30:03:24.
“I’m delighted, because this was a win I went after and really wanted,” Zanconato said at the finish. “Last year’s 100 km was cut short by bad weather and left me with a bitter taste. I wanted to come back to the 100-mile distance, which suits me better. Beating athletes of this calibre is something to be proud of. Thanks to the faultless organisation, and to all the aid station volunteers – you can feel this is a proper event, one the whole community lives and breathes.”
Nava also expressed his satisfaction: “The real achievement was being here at all after such a difficult summer physically. I had to give up a lot of races, but this is the one closest to my heart. Even in good shape I wouldn’t have caught Andrea – credit to him. I seem to have a season ticket for second place.”
FILIPPINI REWRITES THE WOMEN’S 170 KM
The women’s race was Filippini’s from early on. Her attack was followed by the race’s first major twist: defending champion and pre-race favourite Kristína Kmeťová was forced to withdraw with a physical problem.
The pace proved unsustainable for almost all her rivals. Aid station after aid station, Filippini moved up through the overall standings, passing a long list of men on her way to fifth place. Behind her, Switzerland’s Denise Zimmermann, 2021 winner and currently second, and Slovenia’s Tjaša Seliskar are expected to finish during the evening.
“An incredible win, in front of my own people,” Filippini said. “I couldn’t have imagined a race or a result like this even in my wildest dreams. There was so much support out on the course, and that’s what gave me the energy to keep going.”
SALA AND CORAZZA TAKE THE 100 KM
The 100 km, with 6,050 m of climbing, finished on Friday evening. Moreno Sala marked his 39th birthday with the win, spending most of the race in second place behind Stefano Butti, until the latter was forced out. Once again Passo dei Contrabbandieri, the highest point on the course, proved the turning point: Sala took the lead at Vescasa, despite stomach problems about halfway through the race, and held it to the line at 13:15:35. Carmine Fraioli and Matteo Dovana, side by side for many kilometres, chose to cross the line together in 13:23:12.
“I had stomach problems at one point, but I recovered and held on,” Sala said. “Thanks to everyone out on the course – they kept supporting me and telling me the gap, so by the end I knew I could manage it.”
Eleonora Corazza dominated the women’s race, setting the pace from the start and running alone to the finish in 16:23:24, ahead of Luisa Gasparini (16:58:29) and Germany’s Stephanie Gil (17:31:07). The win carried a personal meaning: Corazza dedicated it to her partner, who died recently.
“A wonderful day on a beautiful course, full of love from the volunteers,” she said. “I’m dedicating this win to my partner, who always talked about Adamello Ultra Trail. He passed away not long ago and I decided to run for him too. Now I understand why this race had such a hold on him.”
CASSAI WINS THE 60 KM
After Giuseppe Pedretti led an all-Brescia men’s podium ahead of Zenoni and Albrici, the women’s 60 km went to Marta Cassai in 09:11:12, ahead of Spain’s Estelita Fernández Santín (09:37:46) and Sara Patricia Andreotta (09:51:50).
“What a beautiful race, brilliantly organised and marked,” Cassai said. “The section through the trenches is really striking, and I was also impressed by the Valle delle Messi and by how kind the volunteers were. The 170 km is the goal, but I’ve only recently started, so I want to take it one step at a time.”
BONALDI THE FASTEST ON THE 35 KM
Bergamo’s Sergio Bonaldi won the 35 km (2,200 m of climbing) in 3:26:19.
The remaining 35 km and 170 km finishers are expected in Vezza d’Oglio during the evening, followed by the awards ceremonies at the Centro Eventi.
