Davide Magnini, Trentapassi Vertical winner and new record holder. ©Alice Russolo
The inaugural Vertical Kilometer® World Circuit kicked off Sunday, May 7, with the Trentapassi Vertical, rising 1,000m above Italy’s Lake Iseo with two new race records.
Despite a strong international participation, the Italians showed yet again their supremacy in this discipline. Davide Magnini and Valentina Belotti both broke the standing records to close in 38’17” and 49’52” respectively.
Starting on the lake shore, the steep and insidious 3.4 km course climbed along a rocky ridge to the Corno Trentapassi at 1,248m, with occasionally fixed ropes for the runner’s safety.
Some 188 runners took part, with some of the discipline’s brightest stars from no less than 9 countries lining up: Marco Moletto (ITA), Davide Magnini (ITA), Nejc Kuhar (SLO), Philip Brugger (AUT), Micha Steiner (SUI) and Saul Padua (COL) in the men’s field.
The women’s field was equally strong with Italians Valentina Belotti, Francesca Rossi, Martina Valmassoi, Stephanie Jimenez and Victoria Kreuzer (SUI), Therese Sjursen, (SWE) and Hilde Aders (NOR).
Valentina Belotti, happy for the Trentapassi Vertical victory and the record. ©Fabrizio Sina
The stacked field and the eventual results were not easy to predict, in particular, due to the wet, slippery conditions after a night of heavy rain.
The nineteen-year-old winner, Davide Magnini took the lead half way to the summit where he ran like the wind to set the new course record in 38’17”, beating the previous record by “Vertical Machine” Urban Zemmer by only two seconds.
Magnini stated, “It was my first time here and I didn’t think I would do so well. I started with the group and then pushed as fast as I could. I’m not in the best shape as the ski mountaineering season just finished and I never thought I would set the record!”. Will he be Zemmer’s heir? “I would be honoured to achieve similar results!” Magnini added.
The men’s podium was completed by Italians Patrick Facchini, second, and Nicola Pedergnana, third.
The ladies’ race saw Valentina Belotti in front of the group for the whole course, closing in 49’52” – an incredible 26” faster than the previous record set by Briton Emmie Collinge. Swiss Victoria Kreuzer and Norwegian Hilde Aders closed second and third respectively.
Norwegian Hilde Aders fighting for the podium in Trentapassi Vertical. ©Alice Russolo
Belotti declared, “I’m very happy with the result, also because it’s my first time here. I wasn’t so sure I could do well because I suffer a little from vertigo and the ridge is exposed, but I kept focusing on the course and I did it!” About the new record, she added, “I was feeling really good, but I didn’t think I could set the record.”
The Vertical Kilometer® World Circuit, a spin-off of the Skyrunner® World Series since
2017, launched the first of the 18 races yesterday. The next race on the circuit will be the Transvulcania Binter on May 9th on the island of La Palma, in the Spanish Canaries. Join us there for more vertical thrills!
Vertical Kilometer® World Circuit calendar
First winners in the VKWC Davide Magnini and Valentina Belotti smiling on the podium. ©VKWC
Trentapassi Vertical race results
Men
1. Davide Magnini (ITA) – 38’17”
2. Patrick Facchini (ITA) – 39’38”
3. Nicola Pedergnana (ITA) – 39’48”
Women
1. Valentina Belotti (ITA) – 49’52”
2. Victoria Kreuzer (SUI) – 50’27”
3. Hilde Aders (NOR) – 51’16”
