Transalpine Run: Three South Tyrolean overall winners in Sexten

Tamara Lunger and Annemarie Gross secured overall victory in the women's category with five first places, two second places and one fourth place. The extreme mountaineer from Gumer and the long-distance specialist from Sarntal needed 36:05.56,2 hours to cross the Alps. “We fought until the end,” say the South Tyroleans in unison. “Without our respective partners, we wouldn’t have been able to complete the entire route.” After 2006 and 2007 (with Irene Senfter), the 35-year-old Gross won her third victory with Lunger, who is seven years younger than her, in 2014: “For the first time on the eastern route,” as she says, which is a little flatter than that Western route through the Vinschgau. “After conquering K2, I wasn’t able to prepare my muscles enough for this running event,” says Lunger, who was only able to finish the last two stages with great pain. “That’s why the head had to work harder.” Last year the two runners took second place overall.

There was an exciting South Tyrolean duel in the senior master class, where both runners had to be at least 100 years old. The two Ahrntalers Peter Paul Steinhauser (61) and Michael Steger (41) prevailed with six out of eight possible victories. Her total time was 30:51.06,3 hours. This meant they were 21 minutes faster than Rudi Schöpf, winner in 2011, and Alfred Psenner, who won the first two stages. Third place went to Alois Untersteiner and Franz Kröss (34:28.47,2 hours). “We attacked again today,” says Michael Steger. “Peter is a chamois and from a sporting point of view, this victory is one of the greatest things we have achieved so far.” Peter Paul Steinhauser, who has already completed his third Alpine crossing, says: “Despite the age difference, we have formed a perfect team.”

In the Master Mixed category, where the participants must be at least 80 years old, Annelise Felderer and Markus Planötscher won gold. The 37-year-old from Sarnen and the 47-year-old from Bolzano won six stages and came second twice. They covered the route from Ruhpolding to Sexten in 34:46.00,6 hours. “We prepared very well together,” says Planötscher. “It’s amazing how the body regenerates itself from day to day despite great effort,” says Annelise Felderer. Both were impressed by the scenic beauty. And they never even “dreamed” about a victory in their first participation.

With one win, three second places, three third places and one seventh place and a total time of 28:52.47,6 hours, Eugen Innerkofler from Niederdorf and his partner Ivano Molin from Misurina took second place in the master class. Victory went to the exceptional French athletes Pascal Giguet and David Pasquio, who after eight days and 14.000 meters of altitude were about an hour faster than the South Tyrolean-Bellunese duo.

Daniel Jung and Ivan Paulmichl were also extremely satisfied with their performance. They took third place in the men's category. “It was a new frontier experience for me,” says Jung from Naturns, who won the mountain bike Transalp in 2013 and only started running this year. “The stresses of running are different to those of cycling. Running is much easier, says the 30-year-old. Ivan Paulmichl, who works as a geotechnical engineer in Mödling near Vienna, often traveled to South Tyrol in the run-up to the event to train. “It was worth it,” says the 36-year-old from Laatsch. The two German men's winners Stephan Hugenschmidt and Mirco Berner achieved the fastest overall time of 25:38.40,6 hours.

The Transalpine Run was scored in six categories. In addition to men's, women's, mixed, master men and senior master men, the master mixed class was introduced for the first time this year.

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Transalpine Run: Three South Tyrolean overall winners in Sexten

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