LADIES ALL SKI ...

1.400 women from all around the world at the start on Sunday. They are the “4th Nation”
7.200 registered participants at the 38th edition of the Italian ski marathon
Best race times belong to Sweden’s Jerry Ahrlin (2h56’52”) and Norway’s Hilde Pedersen (3.22’58”)
Start in Moena at 8,15 am. Winner expected in Cavalese at 11,15 am.

Fact: around 20 percent of 2011 Marcialonga’s competitors are women. And this is one more record registered by this year's Italian ski marathon. Over 7.000 skiers will take part in the race on Sunday, and 1.400 will be women, ready to show their skills and challenge the male colleagues along the 70 km track that runs from Moena to Cavalese.  
Women were not allowed to this race until 1978, while the very first Marcialonga took place on the 7th February 1971. The first female skier to wear the golden medal in 1978 was Dominique Robert from France who covered the race distance in 6 hours 17 minutes and 55 seconds.
Today the fastest women reaches the finish line in less than 3.5 hours, and the fastest ever was Norway's Hilde Petersen in 2009 who clocked 3 hours 22 mins and 58 seconds. Just to make a comparison, the best male time belongs to Jerry Ahrlin from Sweden who close the 2008 Marcialonga in only 2 hours 56 mins and 52 seconds.
Among the 1.400 women who registered this year Italy's Marcialonga, 714 come from Norway. They might be viewed as the “4th Nation”, as Norwegians, both men and women, are 2.940, Italians are 2.041 and Swedes are 1.246. Thinking about the big role played by women in the Italian event, Marcialonga general manager is also a lady, Ms. Gloria Trettel, who every day or so manages a team made of 1.200 men.
It seems rather hard to make forecasts about the 2011 Marcialonga's winners. The favourites among men are undoubtedly Sweden’s Björn Lind, Jörgen Brink, Mathias Fredriksson, Rikard Andreasson, Oskar Svärd, Jerry Ahrlin, Daniel Tynell, Norway’s Thomas Alsgaard, Anders and Jörgen Aukland, Jens Arne Svartedal, Switzerland’s Toni Livers, Stanislav Rezac from Czech Republic, and Italy’s Fabio Santus, Bruno Carrara, Marco Cattaneo, Nicola Morandini and Bruno Debertolis.
Jenny Hansson from Sweden won the Italian race twice and she surely will be attempting to get the third, although countrywomen Susanne Nyström and Sandra Hansson, Italy's Sabina Valbusa and Veronica De Martin Pinter, and Seraina Mischol from Switzerland will be ready to fight on track till the very last meter.
The Marcialonga is kicking off on Sunday at 8.15 am in Moena. The national RAI will broadcast the event live on Rai Sport 2 from 9.30 am to 12,00 pm, together with 6 other national channels around the globe.
Live coverage of the event also on www.skiclassics.com
Info: www.marcialonga.it