The real headline this week in the Veneto isn't just the stifling heat threatening to turn the ascent of Monte Venal into a furnace, but the resurrection of the Troj de le Rive. After years of neglect, the organizers have reclaimed this century-old trail for the first kilometer of the 14^ Alpago Sky Super3, ditching the initial asphalt to launch runners straight into a vertical wall of pure dirt and roots that will set the pace from second one.
This structural change to the flagship course—spanning 20.5 kilometers with a brutal 1,945 meters of elevation gain—forces the favorites to rethink their strategy. There is no longer room for a feeler phase; the verticality of the new route toward San Martino will shatter the pack before heart rates even stabilize. Anyone who fails to manage their lactate levels in this opening sector will pay with a monumental bonk when facing the technical ridge towards the Antànder summit at 2,000 meters.
The event, which continues to honor the memory of the three Monte Cridola mountain rescuers, features unified logistics this year with the start and finish at Piazza Roma in Lamosano. This particularly impacts the 12km 14^ MiniSky3, which will share the first 7.5 km with the long distance, forcing short-course runners to maintain extremely high single track rhythms to avoid getting caught in the traffic of the skyrunning specialists.
The technical descent from Monte Venal, a leg-breaker that offers no respite until the valley floor, will be the ultimate judge. With the ground dry and loose due to the heatwave, traction will be precarious, and downhill technique will be worth just as much as lung capacity on the climb. There is no margin for error in the final kilometer, which now merges with the MiniSky route for a final sprint in the heart of Lamosano.