Trieste – Ethiopian runner Baneta Gemechu Godana and Italian runner Joyce Mattagliano won the tenth edition of the Corsa dei Castelli in Trieste on Sunday, October 18, 2026. Godana beat the previous course record by three seconds on the 10-kilometer route from Miramare Castle to Piazza Unità. According to the organizers, a total of about 5,500 runners participated in the various races.
The men’s race was marked by a thrilling duel at the front. Baneta Gemechu Godana didn’t pull ahead of the young Ugandan Thomas Cheptoyek until the final sprint. With a time of 27:47 minutes, Godana not only set a new course record but also improved his personal best by more than a minute. Cheptoyek followed just one second behind in 27:48 minutes. Third place went to Kenyan Andrew Kiptoo, who finished well behind in 28:40 minutes.
The top runner from Italy was Marco Burello of the Atl. Monfalcone club, who crossed the finish line in sixth place with a time of 31:37 minutes. After the race, the winner, Godana, expressed his delight at his performance and described the race as „beautiful and very fast.“.
In the women’s race, Joyce Mattagliano (Atl. Brugnera PN Friulintagli) dominated the field. The Trieste native, who had already won the race in 2019, claimed a commanding victory in 34:15 minutes. Mattagliano said she was determined to compete in her hometown race despite a difficult week health-wise. Second place went to Aurora Toccaceli (ASD Francesco Francia) in 35:32 minutes, followed by Lucrezia Cesca (Pol. Triveneto Trieste) in third place with a time of 37:09 minutes.
Swiss Victories in the Individual Categories
Held in conjunction with the Corsa dei Castelli was the 4th International Road Race for U23 national teams. In the individual events, both victories went to Switzerland. In the men’s race, Nino Freitag won in 28:22 minutes, narrowly ahead of France’s Gaston Rohmer (28:24 minutes). Last year’s Italian champion, Amorin Gerbeti (Atl. Casone Noceto), finished third in 28:57 minutes.
The women’s race was also a close finish. Fabienne Müller of Switzerland won in 33:36 minutes, ahead of Capucine Rolin of France (33:40 minutes). Müller’s compatriot Vera Schubert rounded out the podium with a time of 33:42 minutes. Laura Ribigini (Atl. Arcs-CUS Perugia) was the top Italian finisher, taking fifth place in 34:01 minutes.
Italy leads in the men's competition; Switzerland leads in the women's
In the team standings of the U23 race, the Italian men’s team secured the gold medal with 14 points. The finishes of Amorin Gerbeti, Abrham Angino Carson Gotti Asado, and Stefano Benzoni were decisive in this victory. Silver went to France (19 points), and bronze to England (27 points).
In the women’s competition, the Swiss team triumphed with 18 points, led by individual champion Fabienne Müller. The Italian team won the silver medal with 22 points, while England took bronze with 25 points. Matteo Redolfi, head of the Italian U23 national team delegation, expressed great satisfaction with the men’s team victory and the women’s second-place finish.
| Place | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Baneta Gemechu Godana (ETH) | 27:47 minutes |
| 2. | Thomas Cheptoyek (UGA) | 27:48 minutes |
| 3. | Andrew Kiptoo (KEN) | 28:40 minutes |
The event, organized by the Asd Promorun association in collaboration with the City of Trieste and the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region, was held in memory of its founder, the late City Councilman Giorgio Rossi. Italian elite runner Nadia Battocletti was present as a special guest and presided over the award ceremony for the U23 race.
Dates, start times, and entry fees are subject to change. The information on the organizer's official website is authoritative.
