About us

He inherits the running disease in his family, but tries to escape it by engaging in any other sport until he is sucked into the vortex. These are the heroic days of the first Italian ultras, and he relies on whatever advice he can find on forums, magazines, literary cenacles and clandestine tresette meetings. Then he realizes that a scientific approach might perhaps yield some results and returns to the books after the (equally heroic) days of college. An incurable talker, be careful about asking him any question, especially concerning running.

He is the one in charge of coaching and also the one who throws out ideas and hopes someone (else) will make them real.
He, he says, has to run or he doesn’t stay current.

FIDAL (Italian Athletics Federation) Technician Matriculation SV0656
FIPE (Italian Weightlifting Federation) Personal Trainer.

TrainingPeaks

Jack of all trades: skiing, climbing, swimming, biking, running, and thankfully, at least he stopped skating. Common denominator of activities done: whether they are painful and deleterious to mental and/or physical health. He designs, writes and publishes the only real running fanzine that ever existed and organizes the first completely illegal race in Italy (maybe it was better not to write this one).

He coaches and competes with equal enthusiasm, and besides following his athletes, he carelessly drops a million ideas in there. Unlike Coach, he somehow finds a way to implement them all thanks to his determination and the deadly platoon of friends led by Lt. Mirel.

We keep picturing him running, and again, the destination is unknown.
Hello Paco, the music of your footsteps will never stop playing.

UNGHIE ROTTE MANI APERTE

Having always been active in the mountains, she finds herself, despite herself, involved in running by the shady crowd. She demonstrates early on a predilection for very long distances and a deep hatred for climbs-she is still looking for the ultra that has only downhill; if you have information, contact her.

She brings her feminine, rational and ironic (who said cynical?) touch to a group of smoky, messy and fundamentally lost minds. With her Savoyan pragmatism she manages to keep discussions on consonant and productive tracks, sawing off with enviable style the Pindaric flights of the running philosophers she finds herself managing.

He coaches athletes and runners on trail and road, from off-road newbies to some old foxes of the trails, coordinates the organization of Camps and manages the most important part of Destination Unknown: the financial part.

FIDAL (Italian Athletics Federation) Technician Matricula GE1307

Known in Vicenza and California ultrarunning circles as “The Bocia,” he began his running career with the express purpose of finding an excuse not to study. His young age soon led him into bad company, and from that moment he began his descent into the underworld of distance running.

After suffering the anguish of Coach Grazielli for years, he decides to rebel and as often happens the victim becomes the torturer: he brings to the group his freshness, a precision at the limits of endurance and a maniacal dedication.

He lives in the province of Vicenza trying to hold his own against his partner in running and in life: one of the few battles in which he regularly succumbs.

FIDAL (Italian Athletics Federation) Technician Matricula VI1490

A leading exponent of DU’s Savoy column, Andrea has been hanging out on trails and mountains for years, with a never-concealed preference for his beloved Aosta Valley.

At ease on technical trails and rocky descents, he has been forced over the years by Coach Grazielli to accept unwelcome workouts on smooth, velvety trails: in the endless discussions of football faith and racing faith, each remains anchored to his original ideas, but they still love each other. Or at least as much as a Genoan and a Juventus fan can love each other.

A founding member of the Turin Crew Running Company, he holds the position of Presidentissimo of Trail Running Torino, being in fact the only reliable and willing person on the board. If you happen to be in the area, don’t miss their Wednesday hill runs.

FIDAL (Italian Athletics Federation) Technician Matricula TO383

Andrea brings to Destination Unknown a breath of fresh air and a fresh approach to running and coaching.

After years of high-level climbing, she discovered a passion for running in nature, and in the long hours on ridges and trails she found a new dimension. He prefers rough trails, technicality and elevation gain, but watch out for him on the run, because he knows how to get the legs turning.

You’ll find him in the parking lots of Europe’s most beautiful crags and trails, sharing his van with Aska, the world’s best-behaved dog: he returns to base in the deep Northeast from time to time, but the call of the road invariably comes urgently.

Our first Coach from abroad comes from England and his name is Adam.

Adam lives close to Guilford and, most of all, close to his beloved North Downs Way, in one of the most scenic places of the South. He’s been running local trails for years, but he likes to travel and tackle new challenges in the Alps or the desert.

Married and father of three, he brings to DU his calm approach, his curiosity for new methods and his expertise in all aspects of running and racing. Check out his YouTube channel Ultra Runner Adam it’s stacked with cool stuff.

Adam has a Leadership in Running Fitness (LiRF) certification from England Athletics.

It was hard for us to pass up a guy who, with his first marathon in mind, goes to Transgrancanaria to see what the trail is like: “fits the bill” as the Americans say, he fits in well with the group.

Trevigiano by origin, then Milanese by passage, now Swiss from Zurich, where unlike Milan, he finds suitable terrain for grinding out miles.

Would you have guessed that he is a former rugby player? No, neither did we. But watching him run, you can tell his speed came in handy in the wide field.

Davide comes from triathlon, where in addition to being an excellent athlete, he also started his coaching career.
Caught on the bug of running long distances, he brings to DU his “manic with flair” approach that distinguishes him in all fields, from running to cooking. When he is not AWOL in the mountains, you will find him in Milan grinding out kilometres and training plans by day, at the Linearetta by night.
Some say you can’t even tell that he is an engineer by training. Evidently someone who does not know him.

After eating our liver too many times for athletes who have instead ruined their stomachs, DU coaches have finally found the right person: it is the young Sara who is now in charge of rescuing coaches and athletes by guiding the lost sheep in the delicate world of nutrition. A Biologist Nutritionist, but above all an excellent Mountain Runner, she divides her time between her studio, training and trying to educate DU athletes.
The coaches are grateful, to the extent that we will never hold her Spartan/Obstacle racer past against her again. At least until next time.