The ninth edition confirms the growing importance of the Italian ultra-trail event, characterized by four new course records and a historic hat-trick. The 170 km race rewards the determination of Daniele Nava and sees the dominance of Giulia Saggin. Successes for Manser and Rennhack in the 100 km, Reiterer and Bani in the 35 km
The ninth edition of the Adamello Ultra Trail, the ultrarunning event set amidst the historic trails of the First World War, ended today, Sunday, October 1, in Vezza d’Oglio (Brescia, Lombardy) under the blue sky that characterized the whole weekend. It was a record-breaking edition, further proof of the ever-growing level of the event, which attracted some of the best names in the discipline as well as hundreds of practitioners and lovers of outdoor, mountain and ultra-running.
In the three women’s races, Giulia Saggin, Karola Rennhack and Barbara Bani each set a new course record over the distances of 170, 100 and 35 kilometers. Italian Andreas Reiterer, one of the biggest talents in the discipline, also broke a course record in the men’s 35 km short trail. In the middle distance there was a historic victory for the Swiss Walter Manser, who won the third time in a row, something that has never been achieved before. The men’s queen distance race was won by Daniele Nava in his fifth participation in just over 28 hours.
The showcase event of the Pontedilegno-Tonale district, traversing the Adamello Natural Park and the Stelvio National Park, on the border between Lombardy and Trentino, had been postponed for a week due to bad weather. Nevertheless, most of the participants confirmed their presence: in total, more than 500 athletes from 16 countries came to Vezza d’Oglio for this event. Of fundamental importance, as always, was the presence of more than 250 volunteers along the route.
Daniele Nava and Giulia Saggin: victories of perseverance
In the men’s 170 km, Daniele Nava triumphed crossing the finish line after 28 hours, 7 minutes, and 30 seconds. Nava prevailed over more than 100 participants, finally fulfilling a dream he had been pursuing for years. It was his fifth participation in the Adamello Ultra Trail, a race in which he had never finished higher than sixth. The Italian ultra-runner, born in 1987, won thanks to an excellent race management.
After chasing Frenchman Pierre Augrit for a whole day, Nava, who is an excellent night runner, managed to catch up and overtake the Frenchman (who later dropped out of the race) during the night from Friday to Saturday. Alessio Zambon and Christian Springhetti completed the podium.
«This is by far my favorite race, and I still can’t quite figure out what just happened. Winning this race has been a dream for a long time, and now I’ve finally done it», Nava said upon arrival, praising the event and its organizers. «These mountains are beautiful and inhabited by extraordinary people. I thank all the volunteers, because with a word or a look they manage to welcome and pamper the participants».
The absolute winner of the women’s race was Giulia Saggin. The Italian, born in 1992, dominated her competitors from the first ramps of the race (which has a total of more than 11,000 meters of altitude) and won in 33 hours, 21 minutes, and 37 seconds, breaking the previous record. Second was Patrizia Passeri, more than eight hours behind, and third place went to Serena Belotti.
In the 100 km, Rennhack surprises and Manser dominates
As expected, forty-five-year-old Walter Manser won the men’s 100 km, ensuring an unprecedented result: in the history of the Adamello Ultra Trail, no other athlete had ever won three consecutive editions. Manser crossed the finish line in 11:45:07, building on his victory from the start and distancing his closest rivals from the very beginning of the race. By the time he crossed the finish line, Manser had already built up a commanding cushion of over an hour, leaving Italian ultrarunners Francesco Lorenzi and Nicola Poggi behind.
Karola Rennhack – a German ultra-runner from Missen-Wilhams in Bavaria who was not counted among the top favorites – won the women’s 100-km race. Rennhack was not considered one of the top favorites in this race, but she managed to finish ahead of Italy’s Cristiana Filippini and Irene Zamboni thanks to a solid performance. Before winning the Adamello Trail, Rennhack had won the Swiss Alpine Marathon in August and was second at the Tenerife Blue Trail. She also set a new course record at the Adamello Trail, with a final time of 14:33:4.
Reiterer and Bani are the fastest of all times at the 35 km
In the Adamello Short Trail 35-kilometer race, which for many enthusiasts is the gateway to the world of mountain running, two world-class Italian athletes prevailed: Andreas Reiterer and Barbara Bani.
Reiterer finished the course with over 2,000 meters of elevation gain, in 3:14:37, lowering the previous record by several minutes. Bani won in 3:56:09 and was the first woman to stay under the 4-hour mark on the course.
A great success waiting for the next milestone
Once again, the Adamello Ultra Trail confirmed itself as a perfect combination of history and nature, competitive spirit, and enthusiasm: a test of extreme exhaustion, but also a genuine and hospitable event made of smiles, joy, and conviviality. From the natural parks of Adamello and Stelvio to the long trench of the Bocchette di Valmassa, from the underground tunnels of Prisigai to the mountain huts, castles, and many mountain lakes, the territory was, as always, the true protagonist of an event that enhances the paths and trails between Lombardy and Trentino.
After this year’s success, enhanced by the first edition of the well-attended and appreciated Adamello Vertical Kilometer, the Adamello Ultra Trail is ready for its tenth edition, which promises to be full of innovations and for which many athletes present in Vezza d’Oglio in recent days have already expressed their sincere interest.
