MARCIALONGA: LESS THAN TWO MONTHS TO GO

Recent snowfalls and low temperatures allow early preparation of the race track

FIS Marathon Cup and Swix Ski Classics in Italy at the end of January

Marcialonga Story scheduled on Saturday 25 January. Franco Nones booked his bib

 

 

The 41st running of the Marcialonga ski-marathon in Northern Italy will be taking place in less than two months. However, snow lovers in Val di Fiemme and Val di Fassa do not have to wait until the 26th January to let their skis flow on the race track, as the 70k long path at the foot of Dolomites will be ready for skiing by Christmas this year. The past few days saw ideal low temperatures and snow cannons started to produce snow (at least 100.000 cubic meters are to be made as a whole). Furthermore, thanks to recent snowfalls in the area the Marcialonga track – urban fragments excluded – started to take shape. The Marcialonga track has been homologated by FIS and the OC, along with some local communities and institutions, is now working hard in order to have the track ready by Christmas for everyone who wants to try it (for free…of course!)

Marcialonga is part of the FIS Marathon Cup and Swix Ski Classics series. Concerning the latter one, some of the strongest long-distance specialists registered to the entire circuit together with their teams. Team Centric (former Xtra Personell) has been World’s leading cross-country ski team for the past few years and reads the Aukland brothers, Jerry Ahrlin and Jens Eriksson among the members. Team Coop of Oskar Svärd, Seraina Boner and Italian Nicola Morandini will be battling it out at the next Marcialonga, along with the Russia Marathon Team, Team Tynell and Team LeasePlan Go, which reads former Olympic champions Thomas Alsgaard and Anders Södergren among the team members plus three times winner of Vasaloppet Jörgen Brink.

On the eve of the race, next 25^th January, the Marcialonga Story vintage event will get on track at the XC stadium in Lago di Tesero and will run along 11k course up to Predazzo city centre. The main goal, as Marcialonga Management Board claims, is to celebrate the golden era of XC skiing (skis, boots and clothes have to be manufactured before 1976) and the XC skiing discipline as a whole. Franco Nones, 1968 Grenoble gold medallist, will be wearing bib number 1. Entries are open on www.marcialonga.it.

Cavalese city centre will host 2014 Marcialonga opening ceremony on Saturday 25 January evening.

Info: www.marcialonga.it