Martina Cumerlato stepped away from a professional football career in Italy at age 17 to pursue mountain running, eventually competing internationally and joining the Italian national trail running selection, elmundo.es reported in October 2026. The transition brought her from the Serie B club Pro San Bonifacio to elite mountain races across Europe.
Early Football Ambitions and the Turning Point in Verona
For Cumerlato, soccer defined her daily routine from the age of four. Training three days a week, Sunday matches, and kickabouts filled her schedule until she reached the brink of professional play with Pro San Bonifacio near Verona, alongside appearances for Italy’s under-17 national team.
The motivation eventually evaporated. “I lost the stimuli,” Cumerlato said in an interview with elmundo.es. “I was no longer happy when I played. Football suddenly became more of a burden and a sacrifice than something that gave me joy.” She recalled the hour-and-a-half drives from her home in Bolzano, near the Dolomites, to training sessions in San Bonifacio, alongside tedious tactical video analysis sessions that eroded her passion for the game.
Discovering Freedom on the Trails of Val di Non
Seeking an escape from structured competition, Cumerlato began running through the mountains during a summer break. Accompanied initially by friends before venturing out alone, she explored the trails of Val di Non without timetables, driving, or tactical instructions. The shift offered immediate relief from the pressures of team sports.
A brief attempt to return to football months later with a local, lower-division club lasted only a month before she realized the dissatisfaction remained. She abandoned the pitch permanently to focus on trail running, finding a balance that suited her temperament.
Progression Through Italian and International Skyraces
Entering her first races in Italy in 2020, Cumerlato immediately secured podium finishes. Her rise continued in 2021 with a victory at the Cima d’Asta Skyrace, opening doors to international competitions including Spain’s Zegama-Aizkorri and the Tre Cime di Lavaredo in Italy.
By 2025, she broke into the global elite by placing tenth in the ETC—the shortest race format of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) festival. “I am ambitious, stubborn, and tenascious,” Cumerlato told elmundo.es.
Balancing Elite Trail Running with Software Development
Today, Cumerlato balances her athletic career with a job as a web developer while competing for the Italian national team and representing the trail running brand Altra. She recently competed at the Trail del Bisaura in Catalonia, continuing a competitive circuit that includes close friendships with top international runners such as Spain’s Malen Osa.
Maintaining employment outside of athletics remains a deliberate choice. “Having something else to think about helps me immensely as an athlete and in my personal growth,” she said, acknowledging that sports careers have finite lifespans.
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