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Ötzi Alpin Marathon

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5th Event April 20, 2008 in South Tyrol/Italy

Italy's high quoted Alpine marathon-race. This very special event in South Tyrol, Northern Italy, which is open to individual athletes as well as teams, runs under the motto "From Flowering Orchards to High Mountain Glaciers" and involves three very exacting sports disciplines, mountain biking, running and ski touring.

This really demanding challenge is carried out on a distance of 42.2 km and a difference in height of 3,242 m. From Naturns (554 m) the course follows the Schnals valley, reaches Kurzras and climbs then up to the top station of the glacier cable car (3,212 m) with its view of the place where Ötzi, the Man from the Ice, was found.

The start is in Naturns. From there the participants cover 24.2 km mountain biking, until Unser Frau, then they continue running over a distance of 11.8 km up to Kurzras, and from there they climb on their skis to the Bergrestaurant Grawand, covering a difference in height of 1,201 m. There are two rankings, one for individual participants and one for relay teams.

An extreme marathon for only the very best all-round athletes, men and women, who may choose to compete alone or as part of a three-competitor team.

The Ötzi Alpin Marathon set a new record this year. A total of 470 participants from four nations (200 individuals and 80 relay teams) registered this year which is 100 more than last year. Athletes represented Italy, Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

This year’s line-up at the South-Tyrolean-based extreme marathon is as strong as ever with several National, European and World Champions. It includes last year’s winner Stefan Kogler and his fellow countrymen Silvio Wiltschnig, Siegfried Hochenwarter, Hans Lainer, Sigi Bauer and Stefan Widauer, the German ski mountaineering specialist Konrad Lex and his countryman and member of the German Ski Touring National Team Herbert Reiter. Mario Scanu (longtime member of the Italian Ski Touring National Team) and Paolo Federico Demonte (triple Italian Champion in Winter Thriatlon, Master 3 Category), both from Italy, are also strong contenders. Among the registered athletes is also Silver World Champion in disabled cross-country skiing and bronze winner at the World Championships Michal Kurz as well as the fivefold Austrian Champion and Silver European Champion in triathlon, Olympic Distance Masters, Wolfgang Egger.

The exceptional South Tyrolean athletes Roland Osele (Winner of the 1st ÖAM and last year’s bronze), Anton Steiner (2007 "Over 40" winner) and Karl Heiss will be at the start.

Laura Mazzucco (winner 2007), South Tyrolean Andrea Innerhofer as well as Marita Staufer (winner 2005) from Austria are among the favorites for the women’s race. The competition includes South Tyroelans Gabriella Genetin and Judith Niederwieser as well as Monica Sartogo, Regional Ski Touring Champion in Fruili (a nearby area). Claudia Frank, German Thriathlete and repeated participant at the Hawaii Ironman will also compete.

Last year’s three best placed teams are in the line-up. These include the "Kolland Topsport" team with South Tyrolean MTA-As Roland Stauder as well as Markus Kröll (mountain running) and Andreas Ringhofer (Ski Mountaineering) from Austria, the South Tyrolean relay team "WF Mechanik Klausen" with Dario Steinacher, Gerd Frick and Urban Zemmer as well as Andreas Strobel, Helmut Schiessl and Martin Echtler from Germany. The German Pro Team including Mountain Biking Senior World Champion Martin Hollerbach and his team members Heinz Schilcher and Lars Vollmer will also compete.

Austrian, German and Italian victories

Laura Mazzucco set a new course record winning the 5th Ötzi Alpin Marathon in Naturns/Schnals (South Tyrol). Last year's winner Stefan Kogler took home the men's gold. The Austrian team "Kolland Topsport Asics" and the German trio "Eatanwin" won the men's and women's relay race, respectively.

The last 1500 meters of the race course were moved relative to previous years due to heavy snow falls. Individuals started at 9, teams at 10, from the main square in Naturns.

Women

Laura Mazzucco from Italy took the gold in the women's race. The 40-year-old business woman from the Piedmont region mastered the marathon course in 4 hours, 33 minutes and 21 seconds which is 6 minutes faster than last year's winning time. Mazzucco sent Austrian Simone Hornegger to the second place by 13 minutes. Fellow country woman Marita Staufer (2005 winner) placed third with just under one minute delay.

  1. Laura Mazzucco (ITA) 4:33,21
  2. Simone Hornegger (AUT) 4:46,29
  3. Marita Staufer (AUT) 4:47,16
  4. Judith Niederwieser (ITA) 4:49.24
  5. Gabriella Genetin (ITA) 4:58,51
  6. Marcellina Dossi (ITA) 5:08,42

Laura Mazzucco, Winner Women: "I am very happy, as I've been training a lot, in the morning and during my lunch break. This is why I came to the race with strong confidence. It was very cold and my legs started to be cold at the end. For the longest time I had someone ahead of me. I always kept her in eyesight, knowing that my ski mountaineering is strong. I improved my time and am happy. All the hard training paid off. I have accomplished several duathlons, but they were all in flat areas. I always train alone, which I prefer".

Judith Niederwieser, Women's fourth, professional teacher in Bruneck: "I started well, running was good too coming in second at the changeover, but then I caved, particularly in the last two, three kilometers. My body didn't want to continue".

Men

The men's race delivered a triple Austrian podium. Stefan Kogler, 37, won gold ahead of Hans Lainer and Silvio Wiltschnig, who was leading the race up to the second changeover. Kogler clocked a winning time of 3 hours, 33 minutes and 47 seconds, which was 2 minutes and 40 seconds behind his record last year. Second-placed Lainer also managed to overtake Wiltschnig during the ski-mountaineering section and placed silver with a delay of 2 minutes and 22 seconds. Wiltschnig missed second place by only 48 seconds. Roland Osele from Meran in South Tyrol, and winner in 2004, finished as best South Tyrolean in sixt place, Andreas Kofler from Karneid placed seventh.

  1. Stefan Kogler (AUT) 3:33,47
  2. Hans Lainer (AUT) 3:36,09
  3. Silvio Wieltschnig (AUT) 3:36,57
  4. Konrad Lex (GER) 3:37,48
  5. Siegfried Hochenwarter (AUT) 3:41,24
  6. Roland Osele (ITA) 3:41,54
  7. Andreas Kofler (ITA) 3:43,26

Stefan Kogler, Winner Men: "It was just like last year's victory: keep strong during the cycling and running and attack during the ski mountaineering section. The strategy proved successful again. It was colder than in 2007, and I prefer warmer temperatures. I was rather cold up on the glacier wearing just some shorts and a t-shirt, but it all worked out perfectly. I am happy with my time and it is beautiful to be back here in South Tyrol".

Roland Oseel, Men's sixth and Winner in 2004: "This was great, my time was good. Cycling was easy, running too, but I had a few problems in the ski mountaineering section as it was longer and harder than I expected. I don't have that many opportunities for long practices. My aim was to place among the top ten and I succeeded".

Men's Relay

"Kolland Topsport Asics" won the men's relay for the third time. The team is comprised of the South Tyrolean MTB long-distance specialist Roland Stauder, 36-year-old mountain runner Markus Kröll and 38-year-old Ski mountain climbing specialist Andreas Ringhofer. The South Tyrolean/Austrian team finished the 5th Ötzi Alpin Marathon in 3 hours, 4 minutes and 21 seconds. This was 4 minutes faster than second-placed "WF-Mechanik-Klausen" from South Tyrol. Bronze went to Andreas Strobel, Helmut Schiessl and Martin Echtler from German with a further delay of 24 seconds.

  1. Kolland Topsport Asics (I-AUT/Roland Stauder, Markus Kröll, Andreas Ringhofer) –3:04,21
  2. WF Mechanik Klausen (ITA - Dario Steinacher, Gerd Frick, Urban Zemmer) 3:08,24
  3. Team Eatandwin.de (D) - Andreas Strobel, Helmut Schiessl, Martin Echtler) 3:08,47

Roland Stuader (MTB) - Winner Men's Relay: "I had a good start and knew that I had to caliber my race on Andreas Ortner from Germany, who is an excellent ski mountaineering specialist and has already placed in the Austrian circuit. Andreas was ahead of me for a long time. I overtook him and reached the changeover with one minutes and 30 seconds advantage. I knew that I had to pace myself. Markus Kroell delivered a beautiful run, although this is not his type of course, as he prefers a bigger altitude difference. Andreas Ringhofer, our ski mountaineering specialist, is in his second half of the season, so he is already a little worn out. But I am happy that also Markus arrived to the change with some advantage".

Women's Relay

Double German victory for the women's relay. Kerstin Brachtendorf (MTB), Ellen Clemens (Running) and Christine Schleich (Ski Mountaneering) of the "eatandwin.de" team finished the race with a time of 3 hours, 55 minutes and three seconds ahead of Maria Koch (MTB), Kathrin Thausmüller (Running) and Barbara Gruber (Ski Mountaineering) who passed the finish line with a delay of 8 minutes and 27 seconds. Third place went to the South Tyrolean team "Eurokran Sarntal" with Andrea Tasser, Sonja Stofner and Anneliese Felderer.

  1. Eatandwin.de (GER) – Kerstin Brachtendorf, Ellen Clmens, Christine Schleich) 3:55,03
  2. BGL-RC Martins Bike Shop (GER) – Maria Koch, Kathrin Thaumüller, Barbara Gruber 4:03,31
  3. Eurokran Sarntal (I) – Andrea Tasser, Sonja Stofner, Anneliese Felderer) 4.35,48

Christine Schleich (ski) and Winner Women's Relay: "We were very motivated. I won two years ago and had the best partial time in the uphill. Last year I was second-best, which is why I had the confidence to try it again this year. The secret is my marriage. My husband lets me train and everything else is great too. We met running".

Kerstin Brachtendorf (MTB): "This is my first time here. I was very excited and felt the pressure more than ever as I knew that the others were waiting for me. I participated at the WC marathon in Turkey, where I placed tenth".

Technical data

Length of course: 42.2 km (marathon distance).
Mountain bike leg: 24.2 km with a difference in altitude of 954 mt. and highest point at 1,538 mt.
Running leg: 11.8 km with an altitude difference of 495 mt.
Ski touring leg: 6.2 km with an altitude difference of 1,201 mt.

Info

Ötzi Alpin Marathon
I-39020 Schnalstal, South Tyrol
Tel.: +39 0473 679148