"I ran in an ultra-marathon in Italy," a short sentence that contains an entire world. Preparations that had begun with arduous training months earlier, taut anticipation, caution to avoid injury, nights with less sleep than running, tired mornings, aching feet, long drives, twisting trails, weird nutrition, mountains, hills, equipment, but also breathtaking views; And, eventually, a fabulous start and finish line at the Cortina d'Ampezzo resort town, in the foothills of northwest Italy's Dolomite Mountains. Are you starting to get excited? You should be.
In the last decade, every June has seen about 3,000 ultra-marathon (a run of over 42.2 km) runners gathering at Cortina, situated at an altitude of 1,224 m, some 450 km from Milan (or 150 km from Venice). They come there for one of the world's most prestigious running events, The North Face Lavaredo Ultra Trail.
For many runners, who annually participate in several shorter and smaller events, this is the highlight for which they have prepared all year long. For the hardened elite runners who flock to this race, this is the penultimate race before the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), the fearsome mountain ultra-marathon that takes place in Chamonix every August.
For me, this was the focal point, the race I had spent five months preparing for. And, frankly, the training paid off. Not only because I enjoyed the good run and the excellent result. If not for this competition, I would have probably never experienced the tantalizing views along the race's route. The waterfalls flowing from giant basalt cliffs, snow-capped mountains, dense forests carpeted with green vegetation and blue, natural lakes. This reserve has fairly earned its 2009 inclusion in the UNESCO world heritage list.
Back to the race. The event, held as part of Ultra Trail World Tour round of ultra-marathons (a series of elite running competitions, with the participation of the world's finest ultra-marathon runners), mobilizes a whole town and hundreds of volunteers who work to realize three races with different levels of difficulty. The Skyrace, with 20 km and a 1,000m variation in altitude; the 48 km Cortina Trail, in which I participated, with a 2,650 m variation in altitude; and, the ultimate challenge a 6,000m climb divided along of 119km of the Lavaredo Ultra Trail.
The assistance of friends and family is welcome, and they could check on your wellbeing in the luxurious refreshment stations, equipped with all kinds of goodies, which await participants every 10-15 km. Interested in registering? You better hurry. This year, registration for all three races closed as early as December. And, if you decide to run the full race, you would be asked to provide your alpine climbing capabilities, bring a medical certificate that you do not suffer from vertigo, present your athletic capabilities and acquire at least two points acknowledged by the ITRA the International Trail Running Association during the two years prior to the race. So what do you say, will I see you there next year?
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on August 2, 2016
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2016