The first loop starts and finishes at Malga Poccet, at an altitude of 1367 metres. It is reached by an old, narrow military road, in some sections without a guardrail: for this reason, it is recommended to tackle it only if you are accustomed to driving in the mountains and, ideally, with a car that is not too large.

Once parked at Malga Poccet, you start to gradually climb towards the Forcella del Clap Jovel, at an altitude of 1817 metres. These are the first 500 metres of positive altitude gain, on a dirt road and a very easy path.

Upon reaching the fork, around km 2.8, you enter a section that corresponds, in the opposite direction, to part of the race route towards Monte Schenone. The loop does not include climbing to the summit, but we strongly recommend adding it: it involves approximately 100 metres of extra elevation gain, up to an altitude of 1949 metres, rewarded by a splendid view of the Montasio group, Monte Manca, Jôf di Dogna, and the Julian Alps.

From the top, you retrace your steps along the same short stretch, before descending into a very steep grassy gully, which will actually be tackled uphill during the race. You then arrive at a fork leading to a war tunnel, not included in the race route, and continue along a traverse lower than the one taken on the way out: a stretch across wide meadows, very scenic and truly evocative.

Towards the end of the amphitheatre between Clap Jovel and Monte Schenone, you enter an area of mountain pines. The path is passable, although in some places the vegetation is encroaching and a clean-up of the trail would be useful, which will probably be carried out in view of future editions. It is not, however, an impassable stretch: you just need to be careful of the branches.

At this point, you need to watch out for the turn-off to the right, which leads down through meadows and woodland. It is not a dangerous section, but it is not always obvious: the descent is quite steep, almost vertical, down to Sella Bieliga. Here, trail GPS is essential.

From the Bieliga Saddle, a beautiful unpaved forest road is taken, in the opposite direction to the race, until Malga San Leopoldo is reached. Here there is a closed fountain covered with sheet metal, but a little further up there is a usable spring: we tested it directly and it will be an important point for water supply during the race as well.

You then continue along the dirt road until you return to Malga Poccet.

Photos from the route

Some sections of the Monte Schenone – Lipnik ring and the water points connected to the new competition logic.

Water management on the race track

The second training ring is very beautiful, unique, and decidedly more challenging than it might seem on paper.

At first glance, it might seem like a simple walk, taking an hour and a half or two hours. In reality, it's not like that: it's a route that can take even three or four hours, especially if taken at a relaxed pace, if you don't know the area well, or if you proceed with caution on the less obvious sections.

The route starts in Dogna and immediately takes you up the climb towards Chiout Pupin. From here, you follow the first major section of the Jôf Trail / Ultra Jôf, all the way to Forcella Mincigos.

These are not particularly exposed or dangerous passages, but they are still paths that have suffered minor collapses or landslides in some places. It therefore remains a challenging training loop, to be approached with caution.

The climb is very intense: in about 4 km, you gain 1132 metres of elevation.

Once you reach Forcella Mincigos, leave the race route and start descending to the left, entering the woods. The first section of the descent is poorly marked, so it is essential to follow trail GPS carefully.

The descent takes you through a wonderful beech forest and offers one of the most beautiful sections of the loop: about 2 km of runnable downhill path, easy, very pleasant and surprisingly smooth. It's a somewhat neglected trail, but still very walkable, truly beautiful to rediscover and run.

Continuing downhill, you reach Mincigos, an isolated and very picturesque village, with old cable cars and abandoned or renovated houses at the foot of Clap Forat.

From here begins a stretch of about 1 km along a less well-defined path. Here too, it is important to follow the GPS route very carefully, as there is a junction between the woodland and the dirt track where it is easy to lose sight of the correct path.

Continue to Prerit di Sopra. From here you have two options: cycle along the cycle path for approximately 1.5 km, paying attention, or descend directly onto the lower road, which runs along the Fella. This second option follows a quiet, dead-end road, allowing for a relaxed return.

• A direct and very intense climb from Dogna towards Forcella Mincigos.
• Trails connected to CAI path 602 and the Clap Forat area.
• Descent into beech wood, fast-flowing and spectacular.
• Passage through the village of Mincigos and return towards Prerit di Sopra.