Whatever the weather, there’s no stopping the Monte Rosa SkyMarathon with athletes from five continents competing

With a day’s postponement due to bad weather, today’s Monte Rosa SkyMarathon – Europe’s highest race – paid off with blue skies, but knee-deep snow…cold and wind in Alagna Valsesia, Piedmont, Italy.

As usual, the athletes raced in pairs of two, roped together for safety over the snowline where 174 teams from across the world took part in the 35 km long race with a massive 7,000m vertical climb. However, conditions were not the best for new records although Italians William Boffelli and Tadei Pivk who set the ascent and round-trip records last year, took the win again, crushing the competition. The women’s winners were also Italian, Martina Valmassoi and Giuditta Turini, who placed an incredible eighth overall.

“We felt great and really enjoyed the race,” commented Boffelli. “The snow conditions were perfect on the lower part, but as soon as we passed the couloir, we understood we couldn’t push as the snow was too soft. When it became clear we couldn’t get the record, we just ran to enjoy this perfect day.”

“I have to admit William was too strong today” Pivk confessed. “I had a hard time keeping his pace after the couloir. He was pushing and I was following all the time. That’s maybe the reason I didn’t feel the cold or wind – too tired!”  The duo closed in 4h41’23”, twelve minutes over last year’s record time and 29 minutes ahead of the second team, Italians Daniel Antonioli and Lorenzo Rota Martir.

“This race is always amazing,” said Antonioli. “I thought we were in for a good battle with Tadei and William, but they were too strong today. We just kept our pace, knowing we couldn’t win, but I’m sure Lorenzo will be a contender for the victory soon!” Taking up Antonioli’s prediction, Rota Martir commented, “Today I never felt 100%, so I want to come back and give it my everything and see what can happen when I’m feeling OK!”

Third was the Italo/Swiss team comprising Edoardo Albrighi and Roberto Delorenzi. Delorenzi, Skyrunning World Champion and Skyrunner® World Series ranking leader, was fresh from his win the previous day in the AMA VK2 double Vertical Kilometer® but had enough power in his legs to push and clinch the podium from a 12^th position at the half-way point, fourth at the summit and third at the finish line.

In the women’s race everything was clear from the start. Italians Martina Valmassoi and Giuditta Turini had an eight-minute margin halfway up the course over American Hillary Gerardi and Italian Marina Cugnetto, and last-minute entries, Dimitra Theocharis and Iris Pessey who battled until Colle del Lys at 4,200m altitude, where Gerardi-Cugnetto were able to push and distance the Greek-French duo.

“I won here in 2018 with Holly Page,” said Gerardi. “I always love to come back because it’s a great race, it’s exactly what I love and what I do in my free time, that is, start at the base in the valley and go up the mountain and back – pure skyrunning.

“One of the things that I love is that you can really tell that it’s something that’s appreciated by the locals. When we were up on the glacier there were literally thousands of people up there, spectators, alpinists, skiers – everyone was warm, encouraging and cheering.

“It was a great experience to run with Marina [Cugnetto] who had a hard time at the beginning of the race but she’s tough as nails and I think she actually felt better the higher we got. It was so cool to share it with her as a partner of the SCARPA team. When we think about the brand and its values and being main sponsor here, it all fits perfectly.”

The concomitant Monte Rosa Vertical, 5 km long with 1,150m vertical climb wasn’t short of excitement, with Italian Andrea Rostan and New Zealander Sophie Grant conquering the victory. Rostan set the new race record in 46’51”, slicing 9’ off the previous one.

Summing up the weekend’s events, 544 athletes from 27 countries across five continents took part, underlining the ever-increasing popularity of this event – the birthplace of skyrunning and Europe’s highest race.

The events are supported by Monterosa 2000, MICO, Guidi, SCARPA, WeRoad, Nortec, La Piemontina, and Institutional Partners: Piedmont Region, Vercelli Province, the Alagna Valsesia and Gressoney la Trinité Councils and Consorzio Turistico Walser Monte Rosa Valsesia.

Monte Rosa SkyMarathon results
Men
1. William Boffelli (ITA) – Tadei Pivk (ITA) 4h41’23”
2. Daniel Antonioli (ITA) – Lorenzo Rota Martir (ITA) 5h10’59”
3. Roberto Delorenzi (SUI) – Edoardo Albrighi (ITA) 5h38’06”
4. Robert Oberhollenzer (ITA) – Stefan Ungericht (ITA) 5h40’42”
5. Andy Symonds (GBR) – Gautier Airiau (FRA) 5h48’30

Women
1. Giuditta Turini (ITA) – Martina Valmassoi (ITA) 6h13’01”
2. Hillary Gerardi (USA) – Marina Cugnetto (ITA) 6h37’09”
3. Iris Pessey (FRA) – Dimitra Theocharis (GRE) 7h16’42”
4. Giulia Zanovello (ITA) – Karin Bieler (ITA) 7h28’20”
5. Noémie Grandjean (FRA) – Camilla Calosso (ITA) 7h39’51”

Race results

Monte Rosa Vertical results
Men
1. Andrea Rostan (ITA) 46’51”
2. Mattia Bertoncini (ITA) 50’31”
3. Alessandro Civitiello (ITA) 56’37”

Women
1. Sophie Grant (NZL) 1h08’34”
2. Clara Defilippi (ITA) 1h10’39”
3. Greta Banfi (ITA) 1h12’36”

Race results