The Marmotta Trophy begins in Martell in just under a month. © Sportissimus

A record-breaking Marmotta Trophy

Two days of ski mountaineering at the highest level await the Martell Valley in less than a month: the 20th Marmotta Trophy will take place from March 22 to 17.

25. February 2025

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The event will be the seventh stage of the Ski Mountaineering World Cup and was presented to the press on Tuesday in Kurtatsch, at the headquarters of partner rothoblaas. The organizers announced the program of the event, which this year includes an individual competition (March 20) and the mixed relay (March 22).

The sporting event will open on Thursday, March 20th with the men's and women's individual competitions. Last year, the French ski mountaineers Xavier Gachet and Axelle Gachet Mollaret won both individual races of the Marmotta Trophy, which is co-organized by the local groups of the South Tyrol Alpine Association, the South Tyrol Alpine Association's mountain rescue service and the CNSAS mountain rescue service, as well as the Martell sports club. The first participants in the individual race are the men, who will start at 9.30 a.m. from the former Hotel Paradiso at the end of the Martell valley. The women's race will start at 10.15 a.m., where the finish line will also be located. At the end of the competition, both the flower ceremony and the official award ceremony will take place near the finish. The latter will most likely begin at 12 p.m.

For the 17th time, the best ski mountaineers compete in Martell.

The men's race is 15,1 kilometers long with around 1500 meters of elevation, while the women's race is 14,3 kilometers long with more than 1350 meters of elevation. "This is a very demanding race that requires good preparation. This is precisely why the route will be analyzed in a meeting with the team leaders and athletes on the eve of the individual race. We attach great importance to the safety of the athletes, which is why around 80 experienced volunteers, many of them from the mountain rescue service, will be present along the route, which will be marked with special flags," explains Georg Altstätter, President of the Organizing Committee and Mayor of Martell.

On Saturday the mixed relays will take place

On Saturday, March 22, the World Cup stage will continue with the mixed relay, the discipline that has been included in the program of the upcoming Winter Olympics and which last year saw the Italians Alba De Silvestro and Michele Boscacci win. As usual, the start and finish of the race will be in the Grogg biathlon center. This is a highlight for all sports enthusiasts, as the entire mixed relay can be followed from the biathlon center. Each relay consists of a female and a male ski tourer. The competition begins at 9.20:10.45 a.m. with the qualifications, followed by the B finals (11.45:12.40 a.m.) and the A finals (17:XNUMX a.m.). At the end of the race, the flower ceremony will take place near the finish line. At XNUMX:XNUMX p.m., also in the Grogg biathlon center, the official award ceremony will take place, which will mark the ceremonial conclusion of the XNUMXth Marmotta Trophy.

The organizing committee is currently busy preparing for the World Cup stage, where numerous athletes are expected in Martell. "If you look at the trend of this year's World Cup stages, we are expecting between 150 and 180 athletes from 20 to 25 nations. In addition to athletes from traditional ski touring countries such as Italy, France and Switzerland, we already know that athletes from countries with less tradition, such as China, will also be there," says Katharina Fleischmann from the organizing committee.

After all, the Marmotta Trophy is a popular ski touring race: since its first edition in 2008, it has developed into one of the most prestigious competitions in this sport in the Alps. The Marmotta Trophy was originally an individual competition to the Köllkuppe. This has not always been the case since then, but the name "Marmotta Trophy" still bears witness to this. The event was later included in the World Cup calendar by the international association ISMF and has been a permanent and successful part of it since 2021.