MARCIALONGA: 100 DAYS TO GO

The 39th Marcialonga di Fiemme e Fassa on track in 100 days

Northug Jr, the Aukland brothers, Ahrlin, Svaerd among the favourites

Swiss Seraina Boner aims to win the second in a row

7.000 registered athletes from 29 nations

 

 

Winter is knocking at the door in Northern Italy, and Marcialonga quickly moves closer along with it. In exactly 100 days from today, the so-called ‘Queen of the Italian ski marathons’ will be at the start in Trentino region. On Sunday 29th January, the long-distance cross country event will be celebrating its 39th chapter in Fiemme and Fassa valleys through the Dolomites, with 7.000 skiers who registered last spring, before entries closed on 30th June (7 months ahead of the race itself!).

Last March in Holmenkollen, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway were among the thousands of spectators who saluted in jubilation Petter Northug Jr’s gold medal in the 50 km FT race. What a day for the Norwegian skier, who was almost crowned himself the king by his fans. Next January, for the first time in his career, Northug will be taking part in the Italian Marcialonga and will be wearing bib #86 (his year of birth). He will be flanked by countrymen Anders and Joergen Aukland, who won this race twice each, and will certainly fight till the very last meters before the finish to grab the third gold.

Norway’s Jens Arne Svartedal and Thomas Alsgaard will be at the start too, along with the Swedish Armada that reads the names of Jerry Ahrlin (3 times Marcialonga’s winner), Oskar Svaerd (2010 winner and silver last January), Daniel Tynell and Rikard Andreasson (on the podium in previous years), Joergen Brink (winner of 2010 and 2011 Vasaloppet) and Mathias Fredriksson (2004 World Cup winner). Further big names at the start are Thomas Steurer (AUT), Phil Shaw (CAN), Benoit Chauvet (FRA) and the Italian Bruno Debertolis and Cristian “Zorro” Zorzi.

On the women’s side, Italy’s Magda Genuin and Antonella Confortola will surely attempt to climb the first step of the podium, but they will find Jenny Hansson, Susanne Nystroem and Nina Lintzen of Sweden on their way. Last edition’s winner Seraina Boner (SUI) will be taking part in the game as well as Olympic and World Championship multi-medallist Katerina Neumannova (CZE), former rollerski world champion Tatjana Jambaeva (RUS), Sara Svendsen (NOR) and Italian Arianna Mazzel, who won the special Combined Event ‘Punto3 Craft’ in the last two seasons. Next year’s Marcialonga will be once again part of this combined race, along with 2012 Marcialonga Cycling Craft (May) and Marcialonga Running (September).

As above said, 7.000 “bisons” (as Marcialonga’s participants are familiarly called) will be competing at the 2012 Marcialonga. Among them, 2.253 are Italians, but the most numerous group is the one from Norway with 2.763 skiers ready to invade Italy next January (counting the 70 km long distance event from Moena to Cavalese, and the 45 km ‘Light’ race from Moena to Predazzo).

In 100 days, Marcialonga will be at the start for the 39th time in its history, and some other events are scheduled to get on track with it, as ‘Mini Marcialonga’ for kids, ‘Marcialonga Young’ for future champions and ‘Marcialonga Stars’, a charity event with famous personalities. Next year, Marcialonga will also continue preparations for the 2013 Marcialonga Story, the amazing party to celebrate the 40th birthday in January 2013, when Val di Fiemme will be also hosting the Nordic World Ski Cahmpionships.

Info: www.marcialonga.it