South Tyrol Ultrarace: “We are looking forward to this extreme challenge”

The starting signal for the South Tyrol Ultrarace will be given on Friday, July 26th at 22 p.m. at Waltherplatz in Bolzano. And the destination is also in the state capital, on the Talferwiesen. From the start, participants have a time window of 40 hours to arrive by Sunday, July 28th at 14 p.m. at the latest. The actual setting for what is certainly the most demanding mountain run in the country is the Sarntal Alps.

“Hikers normally complete the horseshoe tour in seven stages. In our race, which is 124 kilometers long, the participants have to reach the finish in Bolzano within 40 hours and cover 7666 meters of altitude. Participants not only have to be in top shape, but also have a head for heights and sure-footedness. We have already mastered a large part of the preparations and are ready for this mega event. We are looking forward to this extreme challenge,” said OC boss Josef Günther Mair from GRW Sarntal on Wednesday at the press conference in Bolzano.

So far 113 participants from 7 nations have registered The “Cooperative for Regional Development and Further Education Sarntal” organizes the mountain run together with the South Tyrolean companies Salewa, Athlete and Athesia, and the Sarntal Sports Club. The OK team is supported by experts from AVS, mountain rescue, emergency medicine and eleven committed clubs in the area. So far, 113 participants from seven nations have registered for the South Tyrol Ultrarace. These include Ulrich and Annemarie Gross from Sarner, who are testimonials for the South Tyrol Ultrarace. The registration window is open until July 19th.

SALEWA and athletes are enthusiastic about the South Tyrol Ultrarace The South Tyrolean mountain sports specialist SALEWA is enthusiastic about the South Tyrol Ultrarace project. “For SALEWA, the relationship with South Tyrol is fundamental, because this is where we developed our alpine expertise and are therefore viewed by our customers as an authentic and credible brand. That's why it goes without saying that we support an event like the South Tyrol Ultrarace, which highlights the beauty of the alpine mountains of the Sarntal Alps and thus part of South Tyrol. We believe in this project and are confident that this competition can one day become one of the most important sporting events in our homeland, which can attract many athletes from abroad to South Tyrol,” explained Heiner Oberrauch, President of the SALEWA-Oberalp Group.

The idea for the South Tyrol Ultrararce came from Heiner Oberrauch's nephew Jakob Oberrauch, who was preparing for expeditions in Kyrgyzstan and Alaska with friends in the summer of 2006 and discovered the horseshoe tour as an ideal training route. “The horseshoe tour is perfect for altitude training, but is also ideal for training endurance. “I approached my friends in Sarntal with the idea of organizing an extreme mountain run, and they immediately promised me their support,” explains Jakob Oberrauch, who works for his father’s sports business. Like SALEWA and Athesia, Athlete is one of the partners of the South Tyrol Ultrarace.

“We even have some employees who take part in this extreme mountain run. We are particularly proud of this because it allows our employees to test our products up close and guarantee authentic advice in our branches,” continues Jakob Oberrauch.

The city of Bolzano is behind the project Although the actual racing action takes place almost exclusively in the mountains of the Sarntal Alps, the city of Bolzano is an important partner of the South Tyrol Ultrarace. “This race is ideal for strengthening the sense of belonging between the city of Bolzano and the communities out in the countryside. The horseshoe is a symbol of good luck and I hope that the organizers will have the necessary luck in this great task,” said Bolzano’s deputy mayor Klaus Ladinser.

Challenging route Route coordinator Walter Perkmannn outlined the route of the South Tyrol Ultrarace: “From Waltherplatz in Bolzano the participants go on the Ritten over the Sarner Scharte to the Latzfonser Kreuz. The race then continues over the Fahnerschartenhütte to Penser Joch. Half of the route is there. Then it goes along narrow trails with rapid ascents and descents over the Scree Joch to the Oberberg, Unterberg, Alpler Nieder and the Hirzer Hütte. From there the athletes have to go to the highest point of the race, namely the Obere Scharte at almost 2700 meters, just below the Hirzer. Now a long descent awaits the participants of the South Tyrol Ultrarace, past Lake Kratzberger for lunch, before leisurely going up and down, past the Stoanernen Mandln, Langfenn to the town of Jenesien and from there down to the Talferwiesen to the finish.” Perkmann also emphasized the good cooperation with all the clubs involved, who were highly motivated and also contributed their own ideas.

Safety first An important factor in an extreme sporting event that takes place primarily in alpine terrain is of course safety. The race management, the mountain rescue service and the emergency call center have already developed various concepts so that they can act as quickly as possible in an emergency. Race director Armin Bonamico and Siegfried Salzburger from the Federal Republic of South Tyrol were present at the press conference.

Finally, OK boss Josef Günther Mair invited the South Tyroleans to take advantage of the weekend from July 26th to 28th for a trip to the Sarntal Alps. “Families can combine a trip to the mountains with a top sporting event. The participants will definitely be happy to have many fans cheering them on. It is also the ideal opportunity to explore the mountains in the Sarntal Alps.”

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Hockey

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

South Tyrol Ultrarace: “We are looking forward to this extreme challenge”

Suggestions

Comments (0)