The Swiss from Wartau replicated his 2021 success in the intermediate distance at the Adamello Ultra Trail, setting his own pace from the very first kilometer. He improved his time of twelve months ago by more than ten minutes. Behind him followed Canessa and Dola, while among women Crippa ran to the finish line in first place. In the 170km race, Pierre Augrit and Alessandra Olivi are leading, but the bagarre is open: night and rain can further shuffle the cards
For a Swiss who is leaving this very night, Federer, there is another who is doubling up. In the Pontedilegno-Tonale area, Walter Manser confirmed himself as the king of the Adamello Ultra Trail – 90 km. After having imposed himself in 2021, the Swiss athlete repeated himself over the same distance today, 23 September 2022: 11 hours, 39 minutes and 31 seconds was the time that earned him the new absolute record over this distance, beating his previous record set twelve months ago by more than ten minutes.
A record that now appears difficult to approach: Manser is so far the only athlete in the history of the Adamello Ultra Trail able to go under the 12-hour wall on the intermediate distance. As proof of this dominance, the gap to silver medalist Alberto Canessa was 1 hour, 15 minutes and 56 seconds, while that to Michael Dola, third place, was 1 hour, 19 minutes and 38 seconds.
The outcome was never in doubt: after the start at 7.00 a.m. from Vezza d’Oglio’s Event Centre, Manser found himself in the lead at km 2 and never looked back. Too high was the pace imposed, too much the desire of the Swiss to redeem himself on the paths of the Great War: “I am very happy to have succeed again on these paths,” confirmed the Swiss, “I came from a difficult experience at the UTMB, where I was not able to achieve my goals due to physical issues, I did not expect to feel so good and do the whole race in front. The trio? I don’t know yet, maybe I will conclude my career here, I am getting old,” Manser jokingly concluded.
THE OTHER COMPETITIONS
In the 90 km women’s race, an all-Italian podium is promised. Francesca Crippa crossed the finish line in first place at 22:35 with a lead of over 20 minutes over Martina Tognin, who is expected to arrive second, while Patrizia Passeri is further behind.
A very open battle instead promises to take place in the men’s 170 km race, with five athletes closed within less than 25 minutes: the Frenchman Pierre Augrit leads with about a quarter of an hour’s advantage over Giulio Ornati, who, however, has a formidable weapon in his night march. A few minutes further back are Manfredi and Nava, while Alexander Westenberger closes the group.
In the women’s long-distance race, the predictions have so far been fulfilled: Alessandra Olivi, recent winner of the 100-mile Monviso, leads the games with more than 20 minutes’ advantage over Melissa Paganelli and Natalia Roman Lopez, who is just under an hour behind the race leader.
THE SATURDAY PROGRAMME
In the morning of Saturday 24 September, the first men of the 170km race are expected to arrive. Also in the morning, however, a worsening of the weather is expected, which could delay the arrival of the first women on the queen’s distance until late in the evening. In between, at 14:00 there will be the 35 km start from Monno; in the afternoon, starting at 16:30, the prize-giving ceremony for the 90 km distances will be held at the Vezza d’Oglio Event Centre, accompanied by music and entertainment.
