ITALY'S MARCIALONGA GETS BACK ON TRACK

The 2012 edition of Italy’s most popular ski marathon opens its gates
Over 7,000 participants last January
Same entry limit set for the 2012 event
Check the Marcialonga Story page on www.marcialonga.it

Is April 1st 2011 Marcialonga Fool’s day? Not at all. Marcialonga 2011 entries will open next Friday, and this is definitely not a joke.
As in the previous two years, the Marcialonga Management Board, lead by Alfredo Weiss and Gloria Trettel, decided to open the entries submission period almost ten months ahead of the race itself – scheduled for January 29th, 2012 – in order to allow participants to book their bib numbers in time.
The entry limit for next year’s competition is set at 7,000 participants and once the maximum number has been reached, entries will close.
In 2011, almost 4000 Scandinavians took part in the race, so a new Nordic invasion is more than expected next year too.
The two distances – 70 km and 45 km – have been confirmed for the 2011 race, and the courses through the two valleys in Trentino region won’t change either.
The 2011 Marcialonga was ‘sold out’ almost five months ahead of the start, and was dominated by Jerry Ahrlin of Sweden and Seraina Boner of Switzerland. In the women’s 70 km race, Boner secured her first Marcialonga title, followed by Sandra Hansson and Susanne Nystroem of Sweden. Sweden’s Jerry Ahrlin was the first to cross the finish line in the men’s 70 km race, followed by yet another Swede Oskar Svaerd and Stanislav Rezac of Czech Republic. Italy’s Andrea Zattoni and Antonella Confortola won the ‘light version’ - 45 km – of the race.
Since 1971, the Italian long distance ski marathon took place four times on January 29th, and the last one in 2006 was won by Italy’s Cristina Paluselli and Norway’s Joergen Aukland.
The snow is slowly melting down in Trentino region, so as along the Marcialonga track, but the popular race at the foot of the Dolomites is ready to get back on track next Friday, when the entries to the 2012 race will officially open.
Entry fees vary by the time of registration, but let’s start with the discounted fee of € 58 until 30th June. Online entry forms, course details and times, and race rules are available on the Marcialonga official website. Furthermore, by accessing the Events page you might register to the Vintage XC Ski Book that contains news, data and pictures of skis crafted in different periods of time. All these skis will be back on Marcialonga’s track in January 2013, to celebrate Marcialonga’s 40th anniversary in the Marcialonga Story event.
While collecting entries for the 2012 ski-marathon, the Marcialonga OC keeps setting up the Marcialonga Cycling Craft event scheduled for May 29th, a fascinating road cycling competition through the Dolomites and across the provinces of Trento, Bolzano and Belluno, in the north eastern part of the country.
Info: www.marcialonga.it