Created primarily to showcase a still-unknown region, the Pompegnino Vertical Trail and the Tre Campanili Half Marathon have now become two must-attend events for mountain running enthusiasts, who will gather in Vestone and Vobarno between June and July.

(Vestone Bs) – Between June and July, Valle Sabbia will host two of the most exciting and well-attended mountain races in the Brescia Pre-Alps: the Pompegnino Vertical Trail, a 10k mountain race with 700 meters of elevation gain, and the Tre Campanili Half Marathon, a 21k race with a 1,000-meter elevation gain that will celebrate its tenth edition this year: two races that, year after year, have continued to grow in terms of registered athletes, attracting top runners such as Said Boudalia, Valeria Straneo, and Giorgio Calcaterra. This success is due to a unique and fascinating region, impeccable organization, partners of the caliber of Oxyburn, and a smart “low-price policy.” We spoke with Paolo Salvadori, President of Atletica Libertas Vallesabbia and organizer of the two running events.

Paolo, what is the Pompegnino Vertical Trail?
“This is a 10k mountain race featuring both uphill and downhill sections with a total elevation gain of 700 meters, now in its fourth edition. This year’s race will take place on June 12: We started in 2013 with 250 finishers, reached 370 last year, and this year we’re aiming for 500! Of course, this is an international mountain race, with timing provided by Timing Data Service.”

While the Tre Campanili Half Marathon will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2016…
“Yes, on July 3, to be exact. We started in 2007 with 180 participants; in 2015, we reached 820, which is an excellent result for an international mountain race with 1,000 meters of elevation gain. So much so that Vestone, with the Tre Campanili Half Marathon, has surpassed the once-more-prestigious StraLivigno in terms of participant numbers.”

What do these two races mean for your region, Vallesabbia?
“We live in an enchanting area that is still largely unknown: our goal is to introduce it to people who, in fact, often come back after visiting us to run! Furthermore, during the Tre Campanili race, most of the valley’s lodging facilities are fully booked, and this is an excellent outcome for both tourism and the local economy.”

Among the most striking features of the two races—aside from the scenery and the routes—are the extremely low prices: why this pricing strategy?
“We know that many organizers aren’t very fond of this kind of policy, but we intend to continue this way. Both the Pompegnino Vertical Trail and the Tre Campanili Half Marathon are sporting events created not to make a profit, but to promote the local area, and therefore we believe it is right to organize them with our own funds, not with the athletes’ money. Furthermore, the Municipality of Vestone supports us 100%, as our main partner, both financially and organizationally.”

Let’s talk about the Pompegnino Vertical Trail race pack…
We’ve decided to give all registrants a free technical event T-shirt and, most importantly, a pair of graduated compression socks from Oxyburn , our long-time partner. Along with the clothing, a bottle of Maniva Tea.

And the one for the Tre Campanili Half Marathon…
“In this case as well, in addition to some food and wine products and The Maniva, the race packet will contain the usual technical shirt, plus wristbands and medium-compression socks, all bearing the Oxyburn brand .”

Has Giorgio Calcaterra’s fourth consecutive appearance at the Tre Campanili been confirmed?
“It’s definitely confirmed—in fact, he’ll be in Vestone as early as Friday, where he’ll present his new book. On this occasion, we’ll also be promoting thePurosangue Association’s project—a nonprofit organization working in Africa to help young people participate in sports. For this reason, we’ll be collecting used running shoes to donate to the Association. It’s always a pleasure when a world-class champion of his caliber wants to come run on our trails.”

A reason to run the Pompegnino Vertical Trail?
“For its unspoiled natural beauty and breathtaking views, which take in much of Lake Garda.”

And what about Tre Campanili?
“Because it’s undoubtedly an extremely demanding race, one that should be seen as excellent preparation for the rest of the season. And then there’s our motto, which says it all: Tough, beautiful, fascinating, poignant.”

We were intrigued by your new promotional video—can you tell us about it?
“The machine shop is the symbol of Vallesabbia: in the video, we wanted to highlight this connection between the professional runner and the working-class runner—the amateur—which comes to life during our two races. Even though the level of competition is very high, we want everyone to be able to participate in our events.”