“The fact that the region is protected by a UNESCO designation begs a question: why put on a trail race here at all? It goes without saying that many people want to spend time– and perhaps go trail running – in beautiful places. But at the same time, no matter how carefully it is managed, putting on a race and inviting hundreds of runners into what is undoubtedly a fragile environment could be seen as reckless. Alessandro Bettega says that hosting a race in a UNESCO World Heritage Site certainly presents difficulties: “It is important because it means that there is – and must be – even greater attention and awareness in organising an event in these sites,” he explains. “[These are] uncontaminated places [that]also [have] precarious balances. ”The need to manage protecting the environment while at the same time bringing more tourists to the area is well understood by Franco Nicolini. “No race in the Alps crosses such beautiful and wild places, in the shadow of wonderful peaks,” he says. This is why the race is limited to fewer than 700 runners, although Nicolini adds: “I think every trail runner should run these trails at least once.” ‘Every Place Is First Place Here’ by @SimonbFreeman continues in #LtW34 Photography by @AliceRussolo