FIEMME ULTRA SKY - A solid first edition for an event with great potential

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Article by Maurizio Torri - Sport di Montagna

Not even adverse weather conditions could stop the successful debut of the Fiemme Ultra Sky, the Trentino event which, at its first edition on four distances — 120, 80, 55 and 30 km — filled the valley’s trails between Saturday and Sunday with over 500 athletes and enthusiasts from as many as 17 nations.

MARCO DE SALVADOR AND FEDERICA MICHIELLI LEAVE THEIR MARK ON THE MAIN RACE. The group of Sky Extreme participants officially opened this first edition, setting off from the headquarters in Cavalese at 4 a.m. on Saturday: 120 km along trails, mountain passes and ridges, reaching no fewer than 11 peaks, all above 2,000 metres. The elevation gain speaks for itself: 7,709 metres up and down across the Lagorai range, with spectacular sections such as Paion del Cermis and Cimon del To della Trappola, as well as the alpine lakes of Bombasel and Lagorai.A race as gruelling as it was spectacular, with Dolomite panoramas made even more enchanting by the autumn colours; breathtaking views ranging from lunar landscapes around the Latemar group to wilder stretches across the Lagorai chain.No doubts, no hesitation. At the first light of dawn, Marco De Salvador from Bolzano took the lead ahead of Filippo Canavese and Matteo Anselmi and never let go. On the descent towards Cavalese, however, Anselmi managed to close the gap slightly, trying to reel him in. But on the final exhausting climb towards Cermis, De Salvador — cheered on by his students who had come specifically to support their physical education teacher — launched his decisive attack, building a solid lead that he maintained all the way to the finish. For him, a victory “run with the heart”, as he himself stated at the finish line, in 16h12’45”, which will be the new time to beat for future editions. Silver on the day went to Matteo Anselmi, who finished in 17h11’20”, followed by Filippo Canavese (17h30’23”).Only two women managed to reach the Cavalese finish line after the organising committee was forced to suspend the race due to adverse weather conditions during the night, with snow at higher altitudes, gusts of wind over 50 km/h and zero visibility. The top step of the podium went to Valentina Michielli, the undisputed leader and fresh from the Tor des Géants just two weeks earlier, who was literally enchanted by the fairy-tale scenery of the Trentino valley. She led from the very first to the very last metre, stopping the clock after a 22h06’29” journey. Joining her on the podium was Martina De Mas in 23h53’06”.

ON THE 80 KM, VICTORIES FOR ALEXANDER WESTENBERGER AND CHIARA BOGGIO. In the Sky Ultra — 80 km with 5,177 metres of elevation gain and 9 peaks to conquer (Pizzancae, Pelenzana, Monte Agnello, Monte Cornon, Dos dei Branchi, Latemar, Cima Valbona, Pala di Santa, Corno Bianco and Corno Nero) — the seal was set by Alexander Westenberger, winner of the Adamello Ultra Trail in 2022 and this year’s champion of the 100k Istria by UTMB. He claimed victory in 9h44’39” ahead of a brilliant Marco Zanoner (10h05’54”), who led the race up to kilometre 70 before giving way in the final 10 km. Bronze on the day went to former national ski mountaineering athlete Davide Galizzi (10h59’43”).In the women’s race there was no contest, with Chiara Boggio setting the pace from the very first metres: she stopped the clock at 12h20’16”, which also earned her an impressive 8th place overall. Second place went to Slovenia’s Tina Satej (12h58’18”), followed by Laura Catti (13h40’56”).

SPECTACLE AND A TRUE RACE ALSO ON THE 55K. 55 km and almost 3,200 metres of elevation gain for the Skymarathon, which set off at 6 a.m., with as many peaks to reach. At the finish line, victory went to Lorenzo De Rocco, the very first athlete to cross Cavalese’s finish line in 6h23’30”. And while the fight for the win was one-sided, the battle for the podium — the first of the day — was fierce. Kevin Fantinato (6h58’35”) climbed from fourth to second place thanks to a strong final push, pulling away by almost 40 seconds from Simone Varesco (6h59’19”).In the women’s race, victory went to Alice Paganin in 7h41’54”, ahead of mountain running master international Angelika Eckl (7h46’07”) and Silvia Bertolo (8h43’00”).

30K EXTREME WITH SUN, WIND, MUD & SNOWThe shortest of the four distances, though by no means easy, took place the following day: the start was at 8 a.m. on Sunday for the 30 km course with 1,733 metres of elevation gain. The route led first to Monte Cornon (2,189 m), then continued up to Dos dei Branchi (2,274 m), before returning to the heart of Cavalese, after crossing the forests above the village of Tesero.A truly “Extreme” Skyrace awaited the more than 200 participants who, despite the sunshine breaking through after the night’s bad weather, had to contend with strong gusts of wind and a mostly snowy and icy terrain.Dominating this technically demanding course was Luca Bertoldo, who completed the race in 2h42’47” after a head-to-head battle until mid-race with Francesco Zorzi (2h46’54”). Bertoldo pulled away on the more challenging terrain and held on during the faster final section towards the finish line. Completing the podium was Stefano Mich in 2h50’56”.The women’s race was extremely close, with Lara De Simoi and Valeria Delladio separated by only 30 seconds at the Stava checkpoint. De Simoi increased the pace and became the queen of this distance in exactly 3h37’, followed by local runner Delladio in 3h39’50”. Third place went to Rebecca Odolini (3h47’55”).

ALL IN ALL, A GOOD FIRST EDITIONA clear objective achieved for the ATPower organising committee, which, supported by 270 volunteers, aims to make the Val di Fiemme one of the main reference points for the skyrunning world — bringing running to high altitudes not only to highlight the wealth of trails but also to encourage knowledge and respect for the mountains, promoting a more conscious and sustainable way of experiencing them.Competitors — winners included — did not hold back their praise for the course’s undeniable beauty, which both enchants and challenges with its demanding climbs and equally technical sections. All the ingredients are in place for this race to become a true classic.“Let’s start by saying that we are very satisfied,” stated Andrea Tomé, head of the organising committee. “For our first edition, we couldn’t have asked for more. We received so much positive feedback, which makes us really happy. The sell-out of race bibs and the excellent response from the valley were a source of pride and satisfaction. It wasn’t easy, but no one ever thought it would be. The weather in the evening and at dawn further tested the organisational machine, but everyone responded in the best possible way. Stopping the two long races was a tough but well-considered decision, taken to guarantee the safety of athletes and volunteers. Now we’ve earned a few days of rest, then we’ll start again even more motivated, aware that we have an event with huge potential.”

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