Andrea Papi, 26, was attacked by the as yet unidentified brown bear during an evening training run on trails by his home.
Andrea was mauled to death by a bear in the Italian Dolomites after he had tried to fight him off with a broken branch, investigators believe.
Officials said DNA from the bear had been found on injuries sustained by Andrea, to his arms, stomach, head and throat.
They said his bloodied shorts and vest had been found 100m along the trail with a line of blood stretching back to a blind bend where he is thought to have run into the animal.
The incident at Caldes near Trento in the Italian Dolomites is the first fatality by a bear and comes just a month after another man was attacked close by.
A bloodstained broken tree branch was also found at the scene and police and local prosecutors are working on the theory that he used the branch to defend himself.
Wildlife experts say best policy if bears are encountered is to not antagonise and try to walk calmly away and not get aggressive.
Officials said there has been seven attacks in the last 23 years but this was the first deadly one.
Andrea was reported missing on Wednesday afternoon after his girlfriend Alessia Gregori alerted police when he failed to return for dinner with her and his mum.
Police and mountain rescue officials immediately launched a hunt for him and search party with dogs found his body in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Paying tribute on Instagram to Andrea, Alessia posted a picture of herself being hugged by him and added the poignant caption: ’Hold me forever like this.’
