MARCIALONGA ENDU FOR "SMART" SKIERS

The “Marcialonga di Fiemme e Fassa” scheduled for next Sunday 29th of January on a 57-km long track from Mazzin (Trentino region, Italy) is “smarter” than ever thanks to the ENDU service. By renting a small GPS tracker (50 grams of weight), competitors can actually be followed in real time along the track by friends and relatives, who will have the opportunity of checking the position of their “loved ones” on a web platform from a PC, smartphone or tablet.
During the race, the position of all tracked skiers will be shown, together with statistics, such as the distance covered and the distance to the arrival. The race record of every competitor will subsequently be processed and performance data and graphs will be available for a comparison with others. How will it work? The tracker renting fee is 20 EUR and shall be paid when the device is collected from the ENDU stand at Palacongressi in Cavalese. The number of trackers is limited and they will be handed out according to the booking number. The tracker shall then be returned at the arrival.
To rent the device, competitors must send an e-mail to [email protected], write “Noleggio tracker Marcialonga" in the subject line, and indicate first name and family name in the text.
Thanks to the ENDU Smartrack service it will be possible to follow the Marcialonga Legends “live”, and check the position of the ten “senators” who will take part in Marcialonga Skiing for the 44th time: Fabio Lunelli, Costantino Costantin, Luigi Delvai, Luciano Bertocchi, Aulo Avanzinelli, Giovanni Mariani, Marco Aurelio Nones, Armando Zambaldo, Ivo Andrich and Odillo Piotti are actually the only skiers that have taken part in all 43 past editions. To follow them it is sufficient to go on www.endu.net, select Marcialonga Skiing among the over 500 events described on ENDU website and access the live tracking section: “live” information about the ten skiers will be immediately available. People may also choose one single skier or zap from one to another, directly at home or at the finish line.
The 44th Marcialonga di Fiemme e Fassa will start at 9.00 a.m. (Rai Sport live coverage from 7.55 a.m.) from Mazzin in Val di Fassa (Trentino region, Italy), with many great champions, such as Tord Asle Gjerdalen looking for his third consecutive victory, Petter Eliassen, Anders Aukland, Jerry Ahrlin, Lukas Bauer, Ilya Chernousov (first Russian skier to win a Ski Classics race), Andreas Nygaard, Jörgen Brink, Toni Livers, Stanislav Rezác, Oystein Pettersen, Stian Hoelgaard, Bruno Debertolis and Mauro Brigadoi.
Ladies at the start (8.55 a.m.) include Seraina Boner, Britta Johansson Norgren, Lina Korsgren, Barbara Jezersek, Olga Rotcheva, Katerina Smutná and Sara Lindborg. At the start there will be a total of 7532 competitors (6063 men and 1469 ladies) whereas ladies taking part in the Marcialonga Light (33 km) are even more numerous than men: 276 vs 268. Marcialonga is particularly loved by XC skiers all over the world and it is one of the most beloved races of the Visma Ski Classics, Worldloppet and FIS Worldloppet Cup circuits, especially for the scenery and the atmosphere that locals contribute to create. Marcialonga’s CEO, Gloria Trettel, is satisfied: “The track is spectacular even if we had to shorten it to 57 km; it is cold and this helps keeping the snow in perfect conditions. Everything is ready for the week-end; we think about all participants, not only élite skiers. The magic of Marcialonga will involve everyone; ever year we have to deal with difficult weather conditions but we love Marcialonga so much that we generally are able to overcome all difficulties”!
Marcialonga is also more “beautiful” than ever, considering that Polina Kitsenko, a Russian model who worked for fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld, will be at the start of the 44th Marcialonga Skiing and of the Marcialonga Story revival; Marcialonga belongs to everyone and is for everyone, once again.