Sport as a way to discover the region
Those who run in the mountains do not simply cross a place. They live it, following trails, valleys, and ridges, coming into direct contact with the landscape. Trail running can therefore become an important driver of outdoor tourism, capable of bringing runners, hikers, and mountain enthusiasts to the Sibillini mountains, even from outside the region.
A race represents an initial point of contact, but its value can extend beyond the day of the event: those who discover these paths may return, traverse them again, stay in the villages, and get to know the local community. Valuing the mountains means, first and foremost, making them known. Bringing more people to the Sibillini, while respecting the environment and its balance, means increasing awareness of their value and contributing to building a stronger and more responsible relationship with this territory.
Tourism that can support local areas
A trail-dedicated event can also become a tool for raising awareness about the role of the Sibillini Mountains National Park and the importance of protecting the mountain environment. Running on these paths means engaging directly with a delicate ecosystem. It means understanding why trail maintenance, respect for flora and fauna, waste management, and a responsible approach to visiting the mountains are fundamental elements. The presence of a sports community can therefore foster a more conscious relationship with the territory. Knowing a place is often the first step toward learning to respect it.
Then there is an economic and social dimension. A trail running event involves much more than just the athletes at the starting line. Runners, companions, families, and staff need to sleep, eat, travel, and experience the area. This means involving accommodation facilities, restaurants, local businesses, and services. In areas characterized by small municipalities and villages, even a temporary flow of visitors can become an opportunity to create new connections and showcase businesses that normally remain outside the main tourist circuits. The idea is to build tourism linked to the mountains, nature, and sport, capable of spreading its presence across the region and moving beyond "hit-and-run" tourism.
Fessura Ultratrail GSR as a starting point
This is the vision underlying the Fessura Ultratrail GSR. The Edition Zero is not meant to be just a race, but the first step toward a project capable of bringing together sport, nature, tourism, and the territory.
In addition to the Sunday races, the program opens on September 26th with a challenge that looks to the future: 5 athletes will set off from Amandola to cover the entire Grande Anello dei Sibillini, approximately 140 km and over 5,000 meters of elevation gain, in complete self-sufficiency. A true field mission to test the route and lay the foundations for a future ultra-marathon in the Sibillini. For two days, Amandola and the Sibillini Mountains thus become a meeting point for runners, mountain lovers, sports associations, and running communities, creating a space for sharing that goes beyond competition. Races, walks, training sessions, talks, and meeting opportunities allow people of different experiences and levels to experience the mountains together.
Fessura Ultratrail GSR is also a charity event, supporting ANFFAS Sibillini, because valuing a territory also means supporting the people and organizations that live there every day. Bringing trail running to the Sibillini therefore means creating a reason to arrive, get to know these places, and meet those who live there. But above all, it means creating a reason to return. Because a race lasts one day. A relationship with a territory can last much longer.
