The 27-year-old German won on the event’s queen distance, finishing with a 26 hours 23 minutes and 57 seconds’ time. Behind him was Italian Giulio Ornati at over an hour, with fellow countryman Manfredi Negri in third position just over two hours behind. Walter Manser repeated his victory in the 90 km, while Francesca Crippa was the winner in the women’s race. Marchi and Rossi won the 35 km, Alessandra Olivi leads in the women’s 170 km
After a battle that extended through almost the entire race, Alexander Marcel Westenberger won the most prestigious title of the Adamello Ultra Trail, that of the 170 km. The German from Neubiberg finished the race on the morning of Saturday, September 24th, in 26 hours, 23 minutes and 57 seconds, thanks to an impressive comeback in the second half of the race that allowed him to first rejoin and then overtake the most expected athletes in the race. On the Great War paths, Westenberger beat Italians Giulio Ornati (27:29:35) and Luca Manfredi Negri (28:46:11).
For the young Bavarian athlete, born in 1995, this was a first time in the ultra-distance, after great results on shorter distances in recent years. Between 2021 and 2022, Westenberger triumphed in all the races in which he took part: from the 65 km of the Ultratrail Fränkische Schweiz to the 110 km of the Grossglocken ULTRA-Trail, until today’s success over 170 km in the Pontedilegno-Tonale area in Alta Valle Camonica.
The race was uncertain through more than halfway; and it was only in the second half that the German was able to step up and beat the strong competition. On the starting line, a duo immediately took the lead: Manfredi Negri was followed closely by Daniele Nava, while Giulio Ornati, Pierre Augrit and himself were further behind. The Frenchman Augrit tried to force the pace in the late afternoon, but paid the night’s toll and had to retire shortly after km 100.
Ornati, a great night-time runner, was then in a good position to attempt the breakaway, but around km 120 Westenberger messed up the plans and took off for good. The German crossed the finish line just before noon on Saturday, over an hour before Ornati himself and almost two and a half hours ahead of Manfredi Negri, who completed the podium.
“I’m really satisfied,” declared the winner at the finish line in Vezza d’Oglio, “as I approached the halfway of the race, I realized I still had good energy and was going very fast. The views are fantastic and yesterday (Friday, ed) we had a magnificent day to enjoy them: the race is beautiful and difficult, you always have to stay focused.”
WALTER MANSER AND FRANCESCA CRIPPA TRIUMPH OVER THE 90 KM
The first to cross the finish line on Friday 23 September was once again Walter Manser: the Swiss athlete, already winner of the intermediate distance in 2021, confirmed himself as the fastest by further lowering his own record by more than ten minutes. 11:39:32 was the final time of the Swiss, who anticipated under the arch of Vezza d’Oglio Italians Alberto Canessa (12:55:29) and Michael Dola (12:59:11).
The opening race of Adamello Ultra Trail met the initial expectations: Manser found himself leading the race alone after 2 km and never looked back. The gap continued to widen until the final hour, where Canessa got the better of Dola.
In the women’s 90 km, however, it was Italia Francesca Crippa to impose herself with 15:31:04, after a plot similar to that of the men’s 170 km. In fact, the 25-year-old started off at a reduced gear, only to speed up in the second half of the race and overtake Martina Tognin (16:18:06) and Patrizia Passeri (16:53:33) at the finish line, her second consecutive bronze medal in the 90 km Adamello Ultra Trail.
“I am incredulous, to win here is really amazing – commented Crippa at the end of the race -.. The places are stunning, the volunteers are great and the race definitely tough. As usual, I started slowly and accelerated in the second half of the race: having tried the route this summer helped me a lot. I dedicate this victory to myself and the work I did to get here”.
OLIVI TOWARDS THE 170 KM TITLE, MARCHI AND ROSSI WON THE 35 KM
Alessandra Olivi, recent winner of the 100 Miglia del Monviso, is leading solo the race for the women’s 170 km title. Melissa Paganelli and Zoe Salt follow in second and third place, at a relatively safe distance.
At 14.00, the 35 km from Monno also started, with almost 300 participants. Italian Mirko Marchi won in 3:35:22 ahead of Alessandro Sherpa Rizzetto Chini, native of Valle Camonica (3:37:05) and Daniel Degasperi (3:41:51) from Trento. If the men’s winner
was a novelty, in the women’s race Raffaella Rossidefended the title she won twelve months agoby winning in 4:17:11.
