Weldemariam returns to take Harakiri
Weldemariam (left) shares his thoughts after the 2012 Harakiri race
Last year’s winner of the Harakiri Mountain Race in Mayrhofen, Azaria Weldemariam, sprinted to his second consecutive win in this ever-popular race as he defeated Abrham Kidane in a dash for the line after 10.4km and almost 1200m of ascent…
Austrian Sabine Reiner took a popular home win in the women’s race, winning with a time of 1:01:21, some 16 seconds up on Kenya’s Joyce Kiplimo.
The women's podium
The 4th edition of the Harakiri race is now firmly established in the Austrian calendar with a 30% increase in participants this year and a star studded international field of mountain runners from 20 countries. It also plays host to round three of the 2012 WMRA Grand Prix.
Harakiri is the name given to what is reputedly the world’s steepest black ski run on the mountain and the mountain race takes the same moniker for its very steep forest paths. The first kilometres are flat however and a control lap of the town before the gun goes gives the race a unique element.
The race really begins once the forest path gives way to a mountain track that is steep and leads the runners up to an alpine meadow and finally a brutally steep ski piste before a fast final km on mud and grass to arrive at a typical Austrian mountain chalet overlooking the Hintertux glacier.
The 2012 start
Eritrea took home the first two men’s places with controlled runs by Weldemariam and Kidane proving too hot. The battle for third went to the final kilometre with Isaac Kosgei arriving before Italian Gabriele Abate, New Zealand’s Jonathan Wyatt and Alex Baldaccini from Italy.
In the women’s race there was also a solid run in 8th by GB runner Emma Clayton. The Salomon athlete ran strongly against some top international competition, bettering her time of 2011 by almost 5 minutes.
The Grand Prix now moves to Italy and the World MR Championships for round 4 on Sept 2.
Men’s Top 10
1. Azaria Tekla Weldemariam (ERI) 52:03
2. Abrham Kidane (ERI) 52:05
3. Isaac Toroitoch Kosgei (KEN) 52:41
4. Gabriele Abate (ITA) 53:22
5. Jonathan Wyatt (NZL) 53:26
6. Alex Baldaccini (ITA) 53:51
7. Thomas James Lokomwa (KEN) 54:32
8. Anders Kleist (SWE) 54:45
9. Markus Hohenwarter (AUT) 55:07
10. Simon Lechleitner (AUT) 55:08
Women’s Top 5
1. Sabine Reiner (AUT) 1:01:21
2. Joyce Jemutai Kiplimo (KEN) 1:01:37
3. Renate Rungger (ITA) 1:03:05
4. Luca Wambui Murigi (KEN) 1:04:06
5. Valentina Belotti (ITA) 1:04:55
Full Harakiri results are now online here
