The Forcella Pordoi Refuge is a mobile disco at almost 3,000 meters, the unreachable party. Two kilometers of Zetas, with an average gradient of over 30%, form a perpetual corridor line in the bare mountain, devoid of vegetation, hiding the universe that separates the beginning of the ramp from the relief of the speakers. It is the stamp of the Dolomyths Skyrace, one of the monuments of the path that celebrated its 25th anniversary this Saturday. So some of the runners take a breather, whipping out their phones and snapping photos of the scene before pushing their lower backs to the limit. It is the abyss of hell, the name of the war of a test of the Golden Trail Series – the elite route of this sport – with 22 kilometers and 1,800 meters in altitude
Such a short and wild route promised surprises. Manuel Merillas, who was the race leader after the first two Tests, lost too much time on the climb to make up for it on the descent, his specialty. The abyss back to Canzei – start and finish line – combines sections without a clear layout, forcing the runner to design his own route. In one of the most complex areas this sport has to offer, experience counts. Elhousine Elazzaoui, the Moroccan who fended off the Spaniard at Zegama until the last lap, held his ground – he had two podiums – and took the most important win of his career. The man from Leon, on the other hand, had not driven here since 2015.
The smile left by Elazzaoui, a Berber who never misses an opportunity to explain his culture, turned into a killer instinct when, after such a technical last kilometer, he reached the summit of Piz Boè (3,152 meters) reached .that forces you to lean on metal steps and where sticks are forbidden for safety reasons. The Moroccan accelerated past a danger sign that would force mere mortals to stop, outpacing the Norwegian and dodging some dangerous wooden stairs. His top speed as the descent flattened out made him uncatchable and he won in a time of 2 hours 04 minutes and 39 minutes, a far cry from Kilian Jornet’s record (2 hours 00 minutes and 11 seconds) set in 2013, one of his four Victories in the Dolomites.
Merillas’ number 1 jersey was twelfth, three minutes behind the leader. His comeback took him to sixth place, but he narrowly beat Elazzaoui, who surpassed him by 2:37, and ended up suffering a spectacular sprain that put his mountaineering plans in jeopardy for the summer. He warned in the preview that this is not his paradise in the Picos de Europa as it is more of a challenge on the slope than on the surface. Switzerland’s Roberto Delorenzi was second, 54 seconds, and France’s Frederic Tranchard completed a surprising podium, a minute back. Jan Margarit (12th), Marcos Villamuera (21st) and Álex García (22nd) led the Spanish involvement.
Judith Wyder summarizes the rigors of a test she has won for the third time in three attempts. “I don’t know of any other race where you climb 1,800 meters and suddenly drop it again. You have to find balance and be smart enough not to tire your legs on the climb because you need them fresh on the descent to pull and jump.” To the music of Forcella Pordoi, the runners pant for another two kilometers to the summit Snow, big stones and encouraging calls in almost every language. The fact that there are three shelters within a radius of just a few kilometers that serve as a supply indicates the danger that also exists in a barren area in summer.
The Swiss has returned to the Goldens in the best possible way after her recent injury history. His time (2h24m24s) beat that of American skier Sophia Laukli by more than two minutes. The surprise came from the Mexican Karina Carsolio, who completed the podium in front of Malen Osa. The Spaniard caused a stir with her best international performance: this promising 20-year-old athlete is already among the chosen few. She was fourth at the front and fourth at the finish, three minutes from the podium. International player Julia Font finished eighth and Spain brought two more women into the top 20: Mayi Mujica (16th) and Anya Tarasova (20th).
Paint Osa during the Dolomyths Skyrace, this Saturday. Martina Valmassoi
They were the tip of the iceberg of an outing that brought 1,100 athletes from 26 nationalities, whose personal struggles to complete one of the world’s toughest half marathons were all in one bag. The public knows this and uses the fact that runners are walking slowly to read the race number and personalize the mood. The organizers extended the finish time by half an hour (5h30m) so that everyone could return safely. The recipe was to start slow and end strong. Don’t waste your energy on the treacherous ski slopes at the beginning – the layout is so obvious you forget that some slopes are substantial – and empty your tank on the easy slopes at the end. The price of getting a glimpse of Hell without falling into it.
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