nd Tofane | IAN CORLESS

After a year of standstill, racing returns to Cortina and the Dolomites with four races, over four days and approximately 4000 athletes from 50 countries for the Lavaredo Ultra Trail.

The action starts on Thursday evening with the 20km Skyrace which has 1000m of vertical gain and 330 participants.

Friday morning, 0800, the Cortina Trail kicks off over a distance of 48km and 2600m of vertical gain with 1350 runners

The main event, the La Sportiva Ultra Trail starts at 11pm Friday, 1350 runners have entered anticipating covering 120km’s with 5800m of vertical gain within 30-hours.

The final event, the Ultra Dolomites, has 80 km’s and 4100m of elevation gain with 780 athletes toeing the line in Sesto (Bolzano).

ONES TO WATCH

The main event, the La Sportiva Ultra Trail has Andreas Reiterer will try to bring the men’s LUT podium back to Italy after 8 years. Xavier Thevenard, the only athlete who has won all the Mont Blanc Ultra-Trail race distances, from 50 to 160 km is without doubt, the hot favourite. Also fighting for the lead positions are France’s, Germany’s Hannes Namberger and Spain’s Andreu Simon Aymerich and Tofol Castanyer. The Italian mountain running and skyrunning legend, Marco De Gasperi also toes the line.

Katie Schide ids on form at the moment, as is Spaniard, Azara García. The duo will almsost certainly lead a charge at the front followed Camille Bruyas, Mimmi Kotka, and Swiss Kathrin Götz, winner of the 2019 LUT.

All the races will have staggered starts, 400 athletes every ten minutes. Race bib numbers, which have been assigned on the basis of participants’ ITRA (International Trail Running Association) ranking, ensure that the fastest athletes start in the first grids, thus avoiding gatherings and overtaking as much as possible.

The Cristallo and Tofane, Sorapiss, Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Pomagagnon, Croda Rossa, Croda da Lago and Averau provide a world-class arena for the 2021 gladiators to do battle.

In addition to the title sponsor, La Sportiva, other important companies also support the event such as: Parmigiano Reggiano, Buff, Petzl, La Cooperativa di Cortina, Rudy Project, Garmin, San Benedetto, Elleerre, Fabbrica di Pedavena, Eolo, Cortinabanca, GVM Ospedale Cortina, Astoria and Reflexallen.

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