COMMONWEALTH WAR CEMETERIES TRAIL RUN

The first edition of the “Commonwealth War Cemeteries Trail Run,” a sporting event that combines a passion for mountain running with the duty of historical remembrance, is born. The route is inspired by the historic Green March and, more recently, the ANA National Championships, offering two distances: 30 km and 15 km. The courses wind along the southern slopes of the Asiago Plateau, crossing places that were the scene of extremely harsh fighting during World War I. Participants will run alongside five British war cemeteries, now managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). These sacred sites, set in a landscape of extraordinary beauty, tell the story of the sacrifice of thousands of young soldiers who fell during the so-called Battle of the Highlands (known in Italy as the StrafeXpedition, May-July 1916).
British contribution on the Italian front The presence of the British Army on the Plateau began in November 1917, after the defeat at Caporetto. The XIV Corps of the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.) was deployed between Asiago and Canove to support the exhausted Italian troops. On June 15, 1918, during the last Austrian offensive toward the Venetian plain, British soldiers suffered more than 1,400 casualties including dead, wounded and missing, despite the fact that their role was officially defensive. A memory to be honored. In the postwar period, and especially during the 20-year Fascist period, the British contribution was largely forgotten, complicit in the changing international balance. Even today, this sacrifice is rarely remembered as it deserves to be, both in Italy and on the Plateau of the Seven Municipalities.

The “Commonwealth War Cemeteries Trail Run” is in the vein of events such as the StrafeXpedition Trail and the Loch Trail Cup, with the goal of honoring historical memory through sport. Running on these trails means not only traversing breathtaking landscapes, but also rediscovering and enhancing places marked by History, with a concrete commitment to fixing, restoring, cleaning and preserving what has been tragically handed over to us. The Plateau of the Seven Municipalities has been many things over time. Today, more than ever, it is a symbol of memory, resilience and gratitude. And this event aims to bear witness to that.