Guangzhou, China - June 2026: International Trail Running brand Kailas FUGA and FUGA Mountain Club - a global community of over 500 competitive runners - have launched a ‘Talent Team’ comprising some of Italy’s strongest female runners. Benedetta Broggi, Enrica Dematteis, Luisa Dematteis, Nicol Guidolin and Alice Minetti are making their names as some of the country’s leading athletes across all race formats.

This May, the runners came together for the team’s first training camp, hosted in San Pellegrino, for three days of training, physiotherapy, nutrition workshops and goal setting before embarking on a comprehensive season of racing ahead.

Luisa & Enrica Dematteis

The Talent Team twins, Luisa recently took first place at the Vibram Trail Mottarone 60km at the beginning of May, whilst her sister Enrica came third female in the 100km at Istria 100 by UTMB. The twins also share the same profession as nurses. Although often working 12 hour shifts, they nonetheless prefer longer and technical races, both of them taking on 100km challenges all across Europe. Both Luisa and Enrica will line up for the UTMB 100M in Chamonix this August, putting their love of ultra distances to the test.

Nicol Guidolin

Joining the twins on the start line of UTMB Finals 100M is Nicol who came third at the World Masters Mountain Running Championships - Long Distance in 2025. She migrated from mountain biking to mountain running at the beginning of the pandemic, craving a more nurturing community that celebrated participation and nature. Nicol began racing short distances, but rapidly progressed to 100km events, finishing second at her very first time of trying at the Ultra Trail Vipava Valley - just one year after giving birth to her first child. Her growing family has not slowed down her passion for the trail, which she shares instead with her family who support her on course and can often be found joining her at the start line.

Benedetta Broggi

Benedetta won the Skymarathon Sentiere 4 Luglio - Vertical, and is just weeks away from the Uphill race at the European Championships in Slovenia. Besides being a rocket on the ascents, Benedetta is also a full-time doctor, living just outside of Milan. Despite a busy work schedule and a lack of hilly terrain locally, she still diligently makes time to train, often squeezing in uphill treadmill sessions at the end of a long working day. Her goal this year is to carve out a name for herself as one of the fastest runners in Vertical, across some of Europe’s most competitive trails.

Alice Minetti

Having previously ranked ninth in the 2025 Golden Trail series, Alice has set her sights on once again competing on this challenging and competitive circuit. Alice just recently left her job as a full-time teacher to dedicate herself to the trails as a runner and coach - a dream of hers since she was a young girl. She remains motivated by helping runners to achieve their goals, whatever they may be. She currently trains 100 athletes and has created a community of around 400 runners, coordinating four training sessions every week and working closely with her local tourism board.

Pippa Ebel, who leads the FUGA Mountain Club in Europe, stated, “The Kailas FUGA Talent Team is an initiative very close to my heart. The five Italian women are incredibly inspiring role models, not just because they are brilliant athletes but because they manage to be so alongside being mothers, wives, doctors and nurses. They show what is possible with passion and dedication. I hope that they will encourage more women - runners or not - to find their own joy on the trails”.

The launch of the team is one of the key steps in Kailas FUGA’s efforts to dedicate more resources towards supporting women in trail and promoting change within the industry. It follows the signing of two all-female races: the Dolomiti Women’s Trail which took place on May 16th and Swiss Canyon Women’s Trail hosted on September 11th, 2026. These two races which are sponsored by the FUGA Mountain Club are ground breaking initiatives, setting new standards for women’s races in Italy and Switzerland respectively.

FUGA Mountain Club, which is a fast growing community of runners competing at a high level, was launched in China in 2018. Community and public service is central to the club’s ethos which engages with new and enthusiastic trail runners through free training sessions and coach-led workshops. Since its foundation, promoting women in trail has been a key goal.

Every year, FUGA hosts its women-only race series Alice in Wondertrail and provides over 50 free female-coach led workshops across the country. Today, its key ambition is to drive change at an industry level by offering more financial support to talented female athletes and partnering with world class event organizers to provide women with a safe and inclusive racing environment.

A selection of lifestyle / action imagery of the Talent Team can be downloaded here.

For more information or a request to interview, please contact:

Tom Copeland

Founder & Director

• tom@paceupmedia.com
• +44 (0) 7761 537175

About Kailas FUGA

Kailas, founded in 2003, is one of the leaders in high-quality technical equipment for outdoor sports. Its FUGA series, dedicated to innovative professional trail gear, is breaking new ground in the sport. Its focus on grip and comfort has made it a favourite brand among ultra-distance runners looking for durable and stable gear.