Victories in record time at the Drei Zinnen Alpine Run

Winner Petro Mamu (Eritrea/1:22.37) and winner Sarah Tunstall (Great Britain/1:41.45) set a new record time on the 17 kilometer long route with an altitude difference of 1333 meters from Sexten up to the Dreizinnenhütte. In perfect running weather, around 850 athletes registered for the renowned mountain run in the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Petro Mamu celebrates in front of the backdrop of the Three Peaks. © H. Wisthaler

After the starting signal at 10 a.m. at Haus Sexten, a compact top field with a large number of top athletes first ran the village circuit in the mountaineering resort and a little later back towards Moos. However, at the end of the valley hut after about 7 kilometers, several small groups had already formed. Petro Mamu and Filimon Abraham - both from Eritrea - as well as the American Joseph Gray were on the front line. The Scot Andrew Douglas, the Lombard Francesco Puppi and the strong South Tyrolean local hero Hannes Perkmann from the Sarntal followed, one minute behind.

The placements at the Zsigmondyhütte remained similar. At the front, Mamu, Gray and Abraham, behind them - now around two minutes behind - Puppi, Perkmann and the Slovenian Timotey Becan. On the way to the Büllelejoch hut, Mamu and Gray increased the pace. Abraham had to let the leading duo go and lost around two minutes in this section. In return, the mountain runner from Eritrea kept the “Azzurro” Puppi in check. World Cup leader Andrew Douglas had fought his way to fifth position, directly ahead of Perkmann. Mamu doesn't let up In the last kilometers to the finish at the Dreizinnenhütte, the thrilling duel between Mamu and Gray continued, which the African won relatively clearly two days before his 35th birthday. The 2012 mountain running world champion and winner of the South Tyrol Drei Zinnen Alpine Run 2013 and 2016 won in 1:22.37 hours and improved his course record from 2013 by seven seconds.

Gray finished second, 27 seconds behind Mamu, while Abraham completed the podium (1:25.55). Francesco Puppi from Guanzate in the province of Como took fourth place as the best “Azzurro”. Behind him was the leader of the overall World Cup ranking, Andrew Douglas, in fifth place, as well as the best South Tyrolean participant, Hannes Perkmann, in sixth place. Tunstall celebrates start-to-finish victory In the women's race, eventual winner Sarah Tunstall ran a largely lonely race at the front. At the end of the valley hut, the 33-year-old Brit was around a minute ahead of World Cup leader Sarah Mccormack (Ireland). Tunstall gradually increased the gap to her competitors and was already five minutes ahead at the Büllelejochhütte. Tunstall completed the 17 kilometers with 1333 meters of altitude of the South Tyrol Drei Zinnen Alpine Run in 1:41.45 and improved the course record set last year by the German Michelle Maier by a whopping 49 seconds. It was the Brit's second World Cup victory of the current season after she won the Großglockner Mountain Run in mid-July.

Mccormack took second place in the final ranking (1:46.21), while last year's second place Victoria Kreuzer (Switzerland/1:47.40) was able to take third place. South Tyrolean Petra Pircher achieved a respectable success. The 48-year-old from Laas made it into the top ten in ninth place in 1:56.31 and was also the best “Azzurra” in the field. Local hero Agnes Tschurtschenthaler took 17th place on her comeback after a maternity break. The 37-year-old from Sexten recorded a time of 2:08.21 hours. That's what the protagonists say Petro Mamu, winner: “Today was an almost perfect race. I had a really good feeling before the Südtirol Drei Zinnen Alpine Run and of course I’m very happy that I was able to break my own course record.”

Sarah Tunstall, winner: “It was my first time in the Dolomites and therefore my first time running here and it is simply beautiful. The South Tyrol Drei Zinnen Alpine Run is an interesting mix of a flat part at the beginning, then very steep climbs and there are also downhill sections. It really has everything that makes a mountain run. Of course, I’m absolutely happy with my performance, especially because I’ve been struggling with injuries recently.” Results 22nd South Tyrol Drei Zinnen Alpine Run: Men 1. Petro Mamu ERI 1:22.37 2. Joseph Gray USA 1:23.04 3. Filimon Abraham ERI 1:25.55 4. Francesco Puppi ITA 1:27.29 5. Andrew Douglas GBR 1:27.48 6. Hannes Perkmann ITA 1:28.42 7. Zak Hanna IRL 1:29.20 8. Bernard Demattei's ITA 1:31.00 9. Tiziano Moia ITA 1:32.30 10. Francis Maina Njoroge KEN 1:33.22

Women 1. Sarah Tunstall GBR 1:41.45 2. Sarah Mccormack IRL 1:46.21 3. Victoria Kreuzer SUI 1:47.40 4. Lucie Marsanova CZE 1:50.06 5. Alexandra Hauser AUT 1:52.19 6. Jane Wanja Nganga KEN 1:53.31 7. Monika Pletzer GER 1:54.47 8. Timea Merenyi HUN 1:55.10 9. Petra Pircher ITA 1:56.31 10. Dimitra Theocharis ITA 1:56.36

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

Victories in record time at the Drei Zinnen Alpine Run

The 22nd edition of the South Tyrol Drei Zinnen Alpine Run took place with a sporting bang on Saturday, which was counted as a stage of the World Cup circuit for the first time this year.

Suggestions

Comments (0)