In every runner’s stride lies an individual choice, yet also a collective dimension—shaped by creativity, expertise, progress, and aesthetics applied to the world’s oldest, yet ever-evolving, sport. Athleta Magazine and Runaway shine a light on the figures who embody the unique multidimensionality of running: the ‘RunMakers’—those who have discovered far more than a mere pastime in this discipline, but rather a platform to affirm and evolve their visions, even from a professional standpoint. They are key players in an industry that, for each ‘RunMaker’, is synonymous with passion, expertise, and philosophy.

We explore this mindset with our latest guest: one of the most refined minds and sensibilities in the Italian running world, especially in the mountain and trail scene, Francesco Puppi. An elite HOKA athlete, Puppi has recently dominated one of the sport’s most sacred stages, the UTMB CCC. Yet what sets him apart is his deeply personal approach to the sport: rooted in analysis, study, and a profound understanding of what running means. The photo gallery accompanying this conversation is the work of Daniele Molineris.

A few years ago, in an interview with Athleta Magazine, you described yourself as a running nerd — someone deeply passionate about the sport and a devourer of books and race broadcasts. Now that you’re an established figure on the global stage, does that more ‘romantic’ side of your relationship with running still hold up?

“Yes, it’s still there, though I do find it increasingly difficult to come across things, especially projects or content, that truly spark my interest. I’ve stopped romanticizing certain aspects of running, mainly because it’s now my job and it consumes the majority of my time and energy. That’s just a natural shift. That said, I still follow the sport closely: the races, the athletes, the behind-the-scenes dynamics. I’m fascinated by the decisions made by high-level runners and by the people building meaningful projects around the sport. That’s the part that keeps me inspired and connected to the more ‘romantic’ side of running.

What I find harder to enjoy these days is the overwhelming amount of superficial content and opinions circulating online. It often feels like people speak more out of a need to be seen than from a place of genuine insight or reflection. I wouldn’t say my passion has diminished, if anything, it’s more alive than ever. It’s just evolved. I experience it in a more ‘professional’ way now. A few years ago, I felt this pressure to stay on top of everything. Now, not as much, maybe because I’ve moved past that sense of FOMO, the fear of missing out. 

Still, I follow the sport as a fan: I watched every session of the World Championships in Tokyo, I listen to tons of podcasts, I read, I try to stay informed… but there’s less and less time, and more and more to keep up with. So yes, the nerdy or romantic relationship with running has definitely changed, but it remains a central part of my life.”

You’ve become a point of reference for many mountain runners, not just for your results but for the clarity of your voice in the running world. When did you realize that beyond training and racing, it was time to speak up, to write and share your thoughts about the broader running culture?

“There wasn’t a specific moment. It wasn’t a conscious decision. I’ve always been a curious person with a fairly clear perspective, even if, in the beginning, it didn’t have much of an audience. I didn’t do much communication work, mostly because I didn’t have time, or because I didn’t think my opinion was relevant or interesting enough to share. Then, as I grew in my career, I started to feel that it made sense to share more thoughts. Not everything that crosses my mind is worth saying publicly—far from it—but there are certain issues where I feel compelled to speak. For example, a few weeks ago there was a major doping case in our sport. I read a lot of superficial commentary, opinions not backed by data, and I felt the urge to write an article. I wanted to clarify a few things, provide some context, share how I see the issue. I think that too is part of my journey.”

Let’s address this difficult subject. In light of recent events, do you think the trail running community needs to speak more openly about doping, or does that risk damaging the image of the sport itself?

“I think it’s right to talk about it, but only if we do it with real understanding. That’s something that, nowadays, doesn’t happen often: not just in sport, but in many areas of public debate. Social media fuels this tendency: everything gets polarized, oversimplified, reduced to headlines or slogans. But doping is a complex, thorny topic. It requires careful analysis, not knee-jerk reactions. Even among athletes, we often talk about it superficially, so imagine how it is for fans or casual observers. For instance, very few people actually know how many anti-doping tests are conducted in the major international circuits. After I published a recent article about it, a lot of readers were surprised by the data. The problem is that this kind of information doesn’t circulate: it’s not being clearly communicated or explained.

Within the Pro Trail Runners Association (PTRA), we talk about it a lot. We don’t have much decision-making power, but we can apply pressure, provide feedback, push for more testing, more transparency. And something is starting to move, partly thanks to these conversations. Of course, progress isn’t always linear. Take the 2023 Angermund case, for example: it created a lot of confusion. Many people continued to believe in his innocence, even after the ruling. That kind of response breeds skepticism toward anti-doping institutions, and that’s dangerous, because right now, we don’t have a better alternative. Yes, we can and should criticize where appropriate, but if we undermine people’s trust in the system altogether, we risk destabilizing the entire foundation our sport is built on. And that kind of reasoning has much wider implications.”

In our last conversation, we talked about your first symbolic half marathon in Switzerland at just 13. And we reflected on the idea that certain victories or podiums can dramatically shift the course of a career. You told us that this wasn’t your case: that your path has been defined by gradual, step-by-step progress. Does winning the UTMB CCC still fall into that category, or was it something different? And how does it feel to have added a new chapter to Italian trail running history?

“For as big a race as the CCC is, arguably one of the top five trail races in the world, it wasn’t a sharp turning point in my journey. Of course, it was a beautiful achievement, a meaningful recognition. And maybe you could see it as a catalyst: something that’s sped up a lot of processes that were already underway, and that normally would’ve taken much longer to unfold. But no, it didn’t radically change the direction of my career. It’s part of a broader path, a deeper trajectory, both as an athlete and as a person. I see that result as the product of many years of work that led me to that day. And yes, races are often about circumstances, moments. Winning is never a given. 

As an Italian, winning the CCC is an honor. I really see myself as the product of the people and athletes from my country who came before me: those who shaped a certain mindset, a certain vision of the sport. I’m just trying to carry that forward in my own way. I’m not the first Italian to win at UTMB — Marco Olmo and Francesca Canepa did it before me, well before the UTMB World Series era. So I’m part of a lineage: not starting something new, but adding to something ongoing.”

Given your deep awareness of the role you now play: as an athlete, a communicator, and a symbol of Italian trail and mountain running (and increasingly, an international icon)—what meaning does your partnership with a brand like HOKA hold for you? And how important is it to have a platform like this to share your personal, thoughtful approach to running, as seen in recent initiatives like the social series ‘Ascender’?

“HOKA is definitely a brand where I feel like I have space to speak, and real support: especially when it comes to communication. ‘Ascender’ was a project developed by HOKA Italy to document Alberto Ferretto’s journey toward UTMB. He works at HOKA, and is also a close friend of mine. I joined the project as a mentor and training partner. It all came together in a short film that was released recently. 

At the same time, another project has been really meaningful for me: through my collaboration with my manager Filippo Solaro and Damiano Levati — a filmmaker and respected voice in the outdoor world — I’ve started producing short videos connected to my racing and training. After the first self-produced film, which was about The Canyons race, we received a lot of positive feedback. From there, we reached out to HOKA to ask for support in creating more content. The next video, focused on my CCC experience, will be released soon.”

How has it felt to explore this new, more personal dimension, trying to tell your story on camera? What kind of reflections has that prompted?

“In the beginning, it was all very DIY: we shot with my iPhone, mostly. Over time, we’ve tried to raise the bar a little, especially in terms of image quality. Of course, filming a race properly requires someone to be there, on the ground, following you, and that brings a different level of organization. What surprised me was how much effort it takes to tell the story of everyday life. It’s not just about the technical side, it’s about understanding what’s worth documenting, and which moments might actually resonate with people watching. When I filmed the video about The Canyons, I was in the U.S. for a training camp: it was all new, exciting, almost cinematic. Preparing for the CCC was a different story. The rhythm of daily life was more familiar, more routine. It was harder to find the motivation to say, ‘Okay, I’m going to film this.’

But through that process, I realized something: what feels ordinary to me can be meaningful to others. There’s a real interest in the behind-the-scenes, in the process, in the details that shape a race long before it starts. I’d say this video project has been the most engaging new challenge of the year. It took time, energy, and a bit of vulnerability, but I didn’t find it burdensome. On the contrary, I think having a platform to show what it truly means to prepare for a race, or just to live a sporting life day by day, is a valuable thing. For me, and for the people who follow me.”

Golden Ticket: you said yes to Western States. Can you walk us through your decision-making process? Was it a tough call, full of careful reflection, or more of a gut instinct?

“It wasn’t a gut decision, though from the outside, it might’ve looked like one. In reality, it was a considered choice made together with my coach, at a moment in my career when I feel more mature and have a much wider range of options than I did a few years ago. I’m simply in a place where I can now choose from a broader spectrum of races, and Western States fits into that new horizon.

Accepting the Golden Ticket doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll race, but it keeps the door open. And I do think that next year, I could be truly ready for that challenge. The timing of the Trail World Championships made the decision window very tight, but ultimately, there was no pressure involved. No pressure from sponsors, the media, or anyone else. It was a free decision. If I decide to race, it’ll be because I feel ready.”

You still often train alone in the mountains. How do you deal with solitude when you’re out for so many hours? Is it still a source of strength, or has it started to weigh on you over time?

“Solitude can be a resource, and for me, it still is, both emotionally and mentally. Running is something I continue to love deeply. It’s rare for me to not feel like going out for a run, even after a long or exhausting day. Just yesterday, for example, I was busy all day, but by 7 p.m., I still went out to train, without really thinking twice.

Sometimes I train with other athletes, but it’s not always easy to align schedules. Everyone has their own goals, their own rhythm. So I often end up training alone… and I’m okay with that. Switching to HOKA has helped in this regard, too: a couple of times a year I get the chance to attend training camps, where I can work out not just with others from the trail scene, but also with elite athletes from completely different disciplines. That kind of exchange is enriching, it adds depth and perspective to my experience.

That said, when I’m running alone, I still think a lot… but even that part of my relationship with running has evolved. These days, I have less room to let my mind wander freely, because each training session carries more weight, especially from a technical standpoint. That doesn’t mean I have to be hyper-focused all the time. It just means knowing when to let the mind drift, and when to stay locked in.”

You’ve worked with the same coach, Tito Tiberti, since the very beginning. What has it been like to grow and evolve alongside him?

“My coaching setup is a bit more structured now. For strength training, I work with Andrea Meloni, while Tito continues to handle everything related to endurance. They coordinate closely, syncing up their plans to create a unified structure. Of course, there are other supporting figures, but the two of them are my main points of reference.

I’ve been working with Tito for over eleven years: he was my first coach when I moved to Milan. At the time, he wasn’t specialized in mountain or trail running, so we learned together. He came from a background in track and field, which made it easier for him to build from that foundation and then adapt to trail.

Looking back now, I think we’ve both grown a lot, and the results we’ve achieved together speak for themselves. There’s a certain satisfaction in that. It shows that endurance training principles are universal: they can be applied across disciplines. You don’t need to be ‘native’ to a sport to coach it well. What you do need is knowledge, curiosity, and the ability to adapt.”

Now that you’ve reached full athletic maturity, both in terms of performance and life experience, what short-term goals still excite you? And what about long-term thoughts or plans? Is there a book in your future?

“Writing a book? I’d say that’s a no, at least for now. A lot of people ask me that, but I just can’t picture my face and name on a cover. There are already so many running books, so many personal stories out there. I don’t feel like I have something that original to say. Right now, what really gives me satisfaction is continuing to grow through experience — raising the bar a little higher each year. Whether that means increasing my training volume, bringing in new tools or approaches… With Tito, season after season, we’ve managed to take one step forward. That’s where my real fulfillment lies.

Of course, there are still races I’d love to run, or return to, aiming to do better than I did before. At the same time, I’m becoming more aware that I may never win a race like Sierre-Zinal. But maybe I could win something like Western States, which suits my skillset better. What matters most is that I now have greater self-awareness: of who I am, of what I’m capable of, and of where I stand in the sport. That’s something that keeps evolving, but I feel more grounded in my identity now, more confident. And that allows me to approach everything with greater calm, which, in turn, leads to better results.”

Looking back, did you ever imagine you’d reach this level of self-understanding—through running?

“It feels like I’ve found, step by step, the right tools to better understand certain things about myself, and to actually work on them. Before, I had more of an intuition, but I wasn’t always able to turn that into something concrete. Today, it’s different. The work, the experience, and above all, certain people who have played a key role in my personal growth: they’ve helped me take a real leap forward. In particular, I can say that over the last three or four years, one person has truly changed my life.”