Sarentino, 9 May 2023 - That a marathon is the second shortest distance in a running event says a lot about that event: The Südtirol Ultrarace is mainly something for extreme athletes. The participants will also push their limits on the 45 kilometres, but at the same time they will immerse themselves in the breathtaking mountain world of the horseshoe shaped Hufeisen tour in the Sarntal Alps - and in the case of the women, they will above all chase the marathon queen.

When the starting signal for the Südtirol Ultrarace 45K is given on Saturday, 26 August on Piazza Walther in the heart of Bolzano, the hands of the cathedral clock will indicate 7.30 am. The participants of this distance then run the same route as those of the 119 and 63-kilometre-long race up to Chiesetta del Morto on Alpe di Villandro. This means that they also have to master the tough climb up Corno del Renon, which involves around 2000 metres of elevation gain over a little more than 20 kilometres, far above the sunny high plateau.

After Corno del Renon, the route runs across Sella dei Sentieri towards Forcella di Sarentino. Initially still on hiking trails, the paths become gradually narrower and more exposed, which emphasises one thing: The marathon distance also requires surefootedness! Then continue towards Chiesetta del Morto, a mysterious chapel at 2186 metres altitude, that has adorned the high plateau of Alpe di Villandro since 1899. Once there, the descent into Val Sarentino begins. Below Monte Villandro, the hiking trails now become wider again before they turn into gravel roads ahead of the destination in Sarentino. At the end, they are even tarmacked.


Who can beat Edeltraud Thaler?

Taking a look at the honour roll of the Südtirol Ultrarace 45K, one name in particular stands out: Edeltraud Thaler. The mountain running veteran from Lana is not only a regular at mountain runs in the region, but is also usually right at the front. This 45 kilometre classic is no different: The last four editions all went to the athlete from Val d'Adige, who in 2021 also set the women's course record of 5:07.50 hours. She is the undisputed queen of the Südtirol Ultrarace 45K.

In the men's event, the name of the defending champion is Tobias Gaiser. In August last year, he crossed the finish line after 4:09.18 hours, missing the record time by a little more than ten minutes. The record was set in 2019 by a local athlete. At that time, Hannes Perkmann from Sarentino completed the distance in 3:58.05 hours. He is also the only participant who has been able to stay under four hours in the six previous editions of the marathon distance.

The Südtirol Ultrarace 45K is also rated as a qualifying race for the Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB). Two (2) ITRA points or seven (7) Mountain points will be awarded to all finishers. Registrations for all four distances at the Sarentino trail event will be open four months before the big showdown at www.ultrarace.it