A special day ... Ötzi Alpin Marathon!

Publikováno: 2017-05-18 22:11:49
Kategorie: Races

It's Saturday at 4 am and it sounds awake... I'm so sleepy, I do not want to wake up, but something awaits us on a trip: toward Naturno, where the race known as Ötzi Alpin Marathon is taking place and in which my husband Gabriele participates.

The competition, called Marathon or Extreme Triathlon, is made up of 3 disciplines, but one of them is really special... are you curious?

Our journey takes about 2 hours: the sun is hitting my eyes, down the road you start seeing the first snow-plunged summits and hills full of apple blossoms. The race starts in the village of Naturno, near Merano. Once we reach our destination, we stop at a car park close to the center where athletes are preparing their bikes for the first discipline: Gabriele dresses up, prepares the bags for the change and we go to the start ... I feel a bit cold ... all the athletes are getting warm.

At 9 pm the race starts at 550 m altitude with 24.2 km of mountain biking and will eventually reach 1.538 m altitude! After this, all the athletes disappear in the hills of this wonderful nature; Meanwhile, my friends come in, including Valeria and Marco. Marco attended last year's race as my husband's fan.

We are ready to follow the race along the trail. Riding in the car we approach some trails, where we can admire the athletes getting out in front of the mountain bikes: you can see the toll of the climbs in their eyes... and their sweat.

Our next stop is in a landscape surrounded by hills and woods: nature is beautiful! Here is the first change, we are facing the second part of the trail run: a stroke of 11.3 km, which exceeds 495 m in altitude!

We continue along the course of the race, stopping at the dam of Vernago, an artificial lake (1,700 m), to watch and support Gabriele: how you can admire the photos; the places are wonderful. And for athletes ... it's so much effort!

We continue following the race, getting closer and closer to the area where the second gearbox will take place: we are at Maso Corto (2011 m) at the foot of the cable car leading to the Val Senales Glacier. Here the landscape is full of snow: it doesn't look like spring, but winter accompanied by strong sunshine.

Are you curious to see what the mysterious third discipline of this particular triathlon is? Ski Alp!!!

It's now up to the athletes to reach the glacier of the Val Senales by skiing at a height of over 3200 m above sea level! 6,7 km of fatigue! We salute Gabri: do we go for a coffee or a beer with Marco and Valeria? We decide to get beer...:))))

We are waiting for the last move to arrive at the race: we take the tickets and climb on the cable car that shortly brings us to the top of this wonderful glacier: whitewashed, strong sunshine, people praying: a beautiful atmosphere! We talk with friends while encouraging and giving strength to the athletes for their last climb. There are athletes from every corner of Europe: Italians, Germans, Austrians, Slovaks and, to my great astonishment, the Czech Republic (David and his friends). :)))

Here is Gabri! As usual with his smile and his great passion he cuts the finish of the Ötzi Alpin Marathon (for the fift time).

There are only a few things to do: give a big kiss to my champion (for me he's my champion), take a photo of a group with Valeria and Marco... and ...yes…. we are so so hungry! It was long day also for us!