Unpredictable conditions contribute to a memorable 7th edition of The North Face® Lavaredo Ultra Trail
Nike Woolfe on the Lavaredo trail
US athletes Mike Wolfe and Mike Foote, raced to 2nd and 5th respectively at the 7th edition of The North Face® Lavaredo Ultra Trail in Cortina, Italy, last Sunday, as the race program had been changed and reduced due to unseasonably wintry conditions…
Thirty centimetres of snow on the high altitude paths and in particular along the Tre Cime Lavaredo, the Val Travenazes, the Cinque Torri and the Passo Giau, left the organisation with no choice but to postpone the departure of the race to Saturday 8am and to shorten it down from 118K to 85K.
The unexpected last minute changes did not affect the enthusiasm of the 745 runners supported by an international crowd and welcomed on the day by perfect race weather, sun and mild temperatures.
From the start, The North Face® athletes Mike Wolfe and Mike Foote dictated the pace and reached the half way Misurina check point (42K) looking strong and ready to push for victory.
Due to course changes, the two American athletes lost their way, and continued off course towards Tre Cime di Lavaredo instead of turning down to Val Rienza. They covered an additional 6 km and accumulated height gain of 500 meters reaching the Auronzo refuge planned in the original race program. The two athletes now found themselves 30 minutes behind the race leader, in 9th and 10th positions respectively. With such a hefty diversion, they had to come up with a new race plan.
Mike Wolfe accomplished an impressive second half of the race, overtaking seven runners including Italian athlete Ivan Geronazzo in the final descent from Lago Ghedina, and crossed the finish line in second place. Mike explains:
“Realizing that I followed the wrong race course for 45 minutes, I felt stunned but did not want to quit. I started racing again, giving everything that I had. I cannot believe that I reached the second spot on the podium and I am very proud of my team mate Mike Foote being 5th. We experienced such a special race in an amazing landscape.”
Fellow countryman, Mike Foote stated:
“We both lost a huge amount of time and energy but we stayed strong and we played as a team encouraging each other. Recovering from this adversity was challenging. I felt mentally down for a while and it was hard to catch up but I am really impressed with today’s results. The surroundings and the scenery are striking, I have never run in such a location in my life!”
Mike Foote
Fantastic victory for 25-year-old Frenchman Sebastien Spehler who ran his first ultra trail ever and reached the 1st spot on the podium. Coming from a short distance race background his achievement is even more impressive.
Both Mike Wolfe and Foote will be back in Europe for the 2013 Edition of The North Face® Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc®, 26th August / 1st September, Chamonix, France.
The North Face® Lavaredo Ultra Trail 2013 – Men’s Category
1. Sebastien Spehler (FRA) 07:39:35
2. Mike Wolfe (USA) 08:13:47
3. Ivan Geronazzo (ITA) 08:14:15
4. Stefan Trisconi (ITA) 08:19:31
5. Mike Foote (USA) 08:19:43
Woolfe on his way to second place
The North Face® Lavaredo Ultra Trail 2013 – Women’s Category
1. Cheryl Beatty (CAN) 09.31.09
2. Federica Boifava (ITA) 09.54.56
3. Lizzy Wrailth (UK) 09.57.14
For further information on race highlights, athletes, trail-running products and upcoming events:
Web: www.thenorthface.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thenorthface
Twitter: http://twitter.com/thenorthfaceEU #LUT13
Instagram: @thenorthface #lut13
