Sara Bottarelli is the defending women's champion.

Drei Zinnen Alpine Run: The defending champions want to know

Three weeks before the starting signal on Saturday, September 9th, the organizers of the popular mountain run in the 3 Zinnen Dolomites region can look forward to the next high-caliber athletes. Cesare Maestri and Sara Bottarelli are once again taking part in the Südtirol Drei Zinnen Alpine Run in Sexten this year - with the clear goal of repeating their victory last year.

August 17, 2023

From: pm

A year ago, Cesare Maestri ended a ten-year dry spell. The Trentino native was the first Italian winner of the South Tyrol Drei Zinnen Alpine Run since Gabriele Abates' triumph in 2012.

The European mountain running champion and vice world champion immediately took the lead 12 months ago, never relinquished his lead and was the first to cross the finish line at the Dreizinnenhütte after 17 km and 1333 meters in 1:27.14 hours.

Cesare Maestri is at the start again this year.

While Andreas Reiterer from Avelengo was Cesare Maestri's worst opponent in 2022, it will probably be Hannes Perkmann from Sarn in the 26th edition of the renowned mountain run in the 3 Zinnen Dolomites region. The 30-year-old already has three top-three finishes to his name at the South Tyrol Drei Zinnen Alpine Run – Perkmann is only missing one victory. Other mountain running aces who don't want to miss out on one of the most beautiful mountain races in the world and want to be at the forefront could follow in the next few weeks.

Hat trick for Bottarelli?

Sara Bottarelli has already won two victories at the South Tyrol Drei Zinnen Alpine Run. The 32-year-old from Sarezzo in the province of Brescia won for the first time in 2016, when the race had to be held on a shortened route due to snowfall. Last year, Bottarelli celebrated a start-to-finish victory in Sexten, achieved the ninth fastest time overall in 1:46.59 hours and relegated local hero Agnes Tschurtschenthaler to second place.

As of today, the top cross-country skier Iris de Martin Pinter from Comelico Superiore and mountain running talent Anna Hofer from the Merano sports club are the two athletes who could be the most dangerous to Bottarelli on Saturday, September 9th. But here too it cannot be ruled out that one or two top athletes will join us at short notice.