ROUTE INFORMATION

This route essentially divides the Valdorcia into three parts: the ‘Valdorcia of Wine’, which climbs up to Montalcino and returns to the base in Castiglione d'Orcia; the ‘Classic Valdorcia’, which passes through San Quirico d'Orcia and Pienza and returns to Castiglione d'Orcia after 53 km; and the ‘Mountain Valdorcia’, which climbs to 1,100 metres above sea level.

DESCRIPTION

It will be a 100-mile dream that will start at 5 p.m., taking in the sunset, night and dawn through woods, vineyards and dirt roads, descending to the Orcia River and heading towards the famous cypress trees of the Triboli Valley (the most photographed in the world) before heading to Torrenieri, an ancient post station on the Via Francigena, climb up to Montalcino, a medieval village famous for its wine “His Majesty the Brunello”, then head towards the Abbey of Sant'Antimo, founded according to legend by Charlemagne, cross Castelnuovo dell'Abate and then cross the Orcia river again and return to Castiglione d'Orcia, where the first base camp will be located at the 60th km. Here begins the Valdorcia that the whole world dreams of, with its colourful valleys and iconic places: you will pass the Rocca di Tentennano (your beacon for the entire race), cross Rocca d'Orcia and descend to the ancient spa town of Bagno Vignoni, famous for its pool in the centre of the village. climb up to San Quirico d'Orcia, a village rich in history located on the Via Francigena where Frederick Barbarossa was crowned Holy Roman Emperor, cross the lands made famous by the film “Gladiator” with its Campi Elisi and the church of the Madonna di Vitaleta, to reach Pienza, the ideal city desired by Pope Pius II and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, more hills and you arrive at Monticchiello, a village rich in history and famous lately for its ‘Teatro Povero’ where all the inhabitants perform, descend along the Via Agogna where you can enjoy a 360° view of the Valdorcia, cross the river again and arrive at Gallina (2nd base camp) and here the real Tuscany Crossing begins....You begin to climb towards Campiglia d'Orcia, a village located around the bell tower that dominates the valley, descend again to Bagni San Filippo, famous for its Balena Bianca, a magnificent limestone formation created by the flow of thermal waters that make the landscape so evocative, You climb for 7 km towards Vivo d'Orcia, the highest point of the race (1050 metres above sea level), and then begin the descent to the last refreshment point at Poggio Rosa, reaching the lowest point of the final stage at 207 metres above sea level. But it's not over yet... a series of ups and downs will take you to the final climb to “conquer the Rocca” and the well-deserved final prize.

The main recommendation for participants is to pace themselves well, pay attention to distances and manage their water and food supplies carefully. The Val d'Orcia is a windy, desert-like area and can easily be deceptive. Remember that this is a semi-autonomous race. There may be several kilometres between refreshment points and it may take some time to reach them, so it is essential to carry all the mandatory equipment with you and leave nothing to chance. Read the race rules carefully, keep your mobile phone switched on (we recommend carrying a power bank) and make sure you have a working torch with spare batteries. Remember that your conduct during the race depends entirely on YOU. The route is marked, but it is advisable to have a GPS tracker or download the map.