Sassi of Matera hosts a 145-kilometre race on 23 October
Published on 10/18/2026 at 08:35 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
A 145-kilometre trail race will start in the Sassi of Matera (Sassi di Matera) on 23 October 2026, bringing a long-distance sporting event to Matera in southern Italy. The route links the cave districts with the Gravine landscape between Basilicata and Puglia.
A 145-kilometre race starts in Matera on 23 October
The race is part of Puglia by UTMB and is listed by the organiser as a 145-kilometre course. Its start date is Friday 23 October 2026, with the start in Matera at 9pm and a stated elevation gain of 3,500 metres. The organiser gives a maximum allowed race time of 27 hours.
The event page describes the course as running across the Gravine of Puglia. It continues from Matera through the Terra delle Gravine and towards Castellaneta Marina on the Ionian coast. The organiser's race details identify Matera as the starting point and provide the date, distance and route information.
The race follows the Sassi into a limestone landscape
The route begins in a place shaped by excavation and settlement. UNESCO describes the Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches as a complex of houses, churches, monasteries and hermitages built into the natural caves of the Murgia, a limestone plateau cut by ravines and fissures.
The World Heritage property includes the ancient districts and the plateau on the opposite side of the ravine. Its rock-cut settlement shows human occupation from the Palaeolithic period and continuity through several millennia. That history gives the 23 October race a particular setting: runners leave a living cave district and enter the same ravine system that shaped its buildings and paths. UNESCO's site description records the property's landscape, history and World Heritage status.
Hypogea and rock churches form part of the course setting
The organiser says the course passes hypogea and rock churches that preserve Byzantine frescoes, as well as limestone terrain and olive trees. The route then moves between Basilicata and Puglia, with the landscape changing from the white stone of the Murgia to Mediterranean scrub and, near its final kilometres, the coast at Castellaneta Marina.
These details matter for visitors because the race is not confined to an urban start line. It uses the wider terrain associated with Matera, including ravines, rock formations and historic subterranean spaces. The Sassi therefore function as both the event's named starting place and the first section of a much longer landscape route.
Visiting Sassi of Matera: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The race starts in Matera on 23 October 2026 at 9pm. The organiser lists the course distance as 145 kilometres and the elevation gain as 3,500 metres.
- This is a long-distance trail race, not a general special opening of the historic districts. The organiser's information sets out runner requirements, including mandatory equipment and medical certification for validated registrations.
- The route leaves the Sassi for the Terra delle Gravine and continues towards Castellaneta Marina. Travellers should therefore distinguish the urban cave districts from the wider race course.
- The terrain includes limestone ravines, rock churches, hypogea and uneven outdoor trails. The route description also identifies the Murgia plateau, Mediterranean scrub and olive groves.
- Italian is the official language of Italy, and the national currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Sassi of Matera
When does the 145-kilometre trail race take place at Sassi of Matera?
The race starts on 23 October 2026 at 9pm in Matera. The organiser lists a 145-kilometre course with 3,500 metres of elevation gain.
Where is Sassi of Matera and how do you get there?
The site is in Matera, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. The race route continues from Matera through the Gravine landscape towards Castellaneta Marina.
What is Sassi of Matera?
It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage property comprising cave-built districts and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches. The site includes houses, churches, monasteries and hermitages integrated into the Murgia landscape.
