Mădălina Florea on the podium at Ledro Sky
WORDS → Valentina Vottero
DATE → 2026-05-26
The Scott Running team athlete opens her 2026 season with an excellent silver medal in Trentino, confirming herself among the absolute stars of world trail running in an extremely tough race featuring heat, severe gradients, and exposed ridges.
GIVISIEZ (SWITZERLAND) – The hunt for the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) title is officially open for Mădălina Florea, and it couldn’t have started under better auspices. The Scott Running team’s leading athlete claimed a splendid second place at Ledro Sky Trentino, delivering a top-level season debut.
For the Romanian champion, this was a special return: in this very location last year, she celebrated winning the series’ overall title. Returning to the Trentino trails for her first competitive appearance of 2026 meant taking on an important challenge, which she met with an impressively solid and strategically managed performance.
A tactical race in heat and severe gradients
The Ledro Sky course offers no mercy: 21.5 extremely technical kilometers with 1,777 meters of elevation gain, set in the landscapes of Valle di Ledro, a UNESCO-recognized territory. Making the competition even tougher was the weather, characterized by intense heat and humidity that intensified as the morning progressed.
The women’s race started at 8:40 with an extremely competitive lead group that included all the main favorites. Florea showed great tactical maturity, managing her energy during the first and very steep climb from Pieve di Ledro toward Bocca Saval. Staying clear-headed and in full control, the athlete positioned herself solidly in second place.
From that moment on, she made her extraordinary physical and mental strength count: first pushing along the exposed and spectacular ridges of the Senter de le Greste, then tackling the final descent with confidence and determination. Mădălina Florea crossed the finish line in 2:17:52, claiming the silver medal behind Kenyan Caroline Kimutai, the day’s winner.
“Today I focused on staying in control and running my own race,” Florea said after the finish. “I approached it slightly differently, making sure I felt strong in the final stretch, and I’m really happy with how things went. I especially enjoyed the last part of the course and the atmosphere. A huge thanks to the Scott family for their support and for always being by my side!”
Other Team Scott results: Roig and Italian athletes stand out
The Trentino stage brought more good news for Team Scott. In the women’s field, Spanish athlete (based in Switzerland) Estel Roig finished with an excellent 12th place, confirming extraordinary form just one week after the efforts of the previous stage in Zegama (where she secured a top 10 finish in her series debut).
In the men’s race, the spotlight was on the home athletes: Mattia Tanara and Mattia Gianola fought hard on familiar trails, delivering a solid performance and finishing in 15th and 21st place overall, respectively.
With this second round now complete, following the historic and muddy kick-off in the Basque Country at Zegama, the Golden Trail World Series is well and truly underway. And with such a determined Mădălina Florea, the show has only just begun.
