Cortina d'Ampezzo (Belluno), 19th June 2019 

5,000 runners will participate in the La Sportiva Lavaredo Ultra Trail event which proposes four race distances that go from 20 to 120 kms in Cortina d’Ampezzo (Belluno). In this queen of races, 65 countries from all over the world are represented by the participating trail enthusiasts. There are several novelties this year: firstly, a new race, the UltraDolomites, 87 kilometres with an altitude difference of 4,600 metres which starts at the beach of lake Auronzo di Cadore, and goes up to the Tre Cime (three peaks) of Lavaredo, finishing in Cortina. During registration the 1,000 race bibs available were snapped up in less than 24 hours. 

Another novelty is that the Cortina Trail (48 kms with an altitude difference of 2,600 metres) has moved from Saturday to Friday. 1,800 runners will compete in this race, the same number running in the Lavaredo Ultra Trail, a 120-kilometre long race with an altitude difference of 5,800 metres which starts at 11 pm on Friday 28th of June in Corso Italia. The Cortina Skyrace will open the trail weekend in Ampezzo at 5pm on Thursday 27th of June. In this race 400 athletes will compete along 20 kilometres with an altitude difference of 1,000 metres. 

There is also space for children who, on the morning of Friday 28th of June, will colour the roads of Cortina with Kids Run. 300 children, divided in three age groups, will participate along three trails that go from 300 to 1200 metres. 

Our volunteers, who are the beating heart of the event, have been working overtime this year to make the trails practicable after the damage caused by the “Vaia” storm on 29th of October last. “Generally, thanking volunteers is a characteristic of the post-race phase”, explained organisers Simone Brogioni and Cristina Murgia, “but this year we have to thank them before the event given the huge workload they have undertaken and are doing with institutions such as Regole d’Ampezzo, CAI and its different sections, Alpine Guides, Alpine Rescue stations and the Civil Defence”. 

Once the roads were cleared of fallen plants, the organisers had to deal with the snow which fell copiously during April and May. The recent fine weather has helped greatly but there is still snow in some parts of the trail. We hope to confirm all the original trails but the final word on this will be given a week before the event after the last inspections.

La Sportiva Lavaredo Ultra Trail is one of the top races in the Ultra Trail World Tour, a trail circuit that brings together the most famous events in the world and every year there are several élite athletes who participate in the event. This year is no different. The American Timothy Freriks (class of 1990), who conquered the Transvulcania in the Canaries a couple of seasons ago, is eagerly awaited in the Lavaredo Ultra Trail 2019. Another American, Tim Tollefson, who took third place in the Lavaredo Ultra Trail last year, behind his fellow countryman Hayden Hawks and the Spaniard, Pau Capell, is also eagerly awaited. Chinese runners Jiasheng Shen and Yanquiao Yun, New Zealander Sam McCutcheon and Spaniards Xavier Dominguez and Cristòbal Adell Albalat are also competing. Sange Sherpa from Nepal is also participating. For the Italians, all eyes are on Andrea Macchi (last year the athlete from Lombardy was the best among the Italians, taking fifth place), Georg Piazza, Fulvio Dapit, Roberto Mastrotto, Fabio Di Giacomo and Stefano Ruzza. For the females, Mimmi Kotka from Sweden, Caroline Chaverot, Magdalena Boulet and Audrey Tanguy from France, and Maite Maiora Elizondo from Spain will participate in the longest race. The Italians are counting on Anna Pedevilla. 

Well-known trail runners are also participating in the UltraDolomites in which Italy is counting on Stefano Rinaldi in particular. The 2018 longest trail winner will be competing against Andreu Simon Aymerich from Spain, Scott Hawker from New Zealand and Julien Jorro from France. For the females, all eyes are on Paulina Wywloka from Poland and Delphine Avenier from France but also on Francesca Scribani who is running on her home turf in Cortina. 

Gil Pintarelli, Andreas Reiterer, Enzo Romeri and Christian Modena are some of the Italians who will be challenging the world in the Cortina Trail along with Miguel Caballero Ortega from Spain, Ismail Razga from Marocco and Roman Ryapolov from Russia. For the females, all eyes are on Hillari Allen from the USA, who already holds the title from 2018, and Mònica Comast Molist from Spain. Silvia Serafini from Treviso and Barbara Giacomuzzi from Ampezzo, who took eight place last year, are not to be underestimated. 

For all the details on the programme, trails and registered athletes:
https://www.ultratrail.it

Immagini Lavaredo Ultra Trail 2018
Classifiche Lavaredo Ultra Trail 2018