Brixen Dolomiten Marathon

Credit : Oliver Saar The challenging §race_link(6209) drew 400 runners in the Dolomites this weekend. Runners had to climb 2,340 m over the marathon distance. The race starts in Brixen, 560m above the sea and finishes at Plose hut, at an altitude of 2,450m. Hannes Rungger won the men’s race in 03:25:28 and Edeltraud Thaler the women’s race in 04:19:38. 350 participants crossed the finish line. Top 10 Men 1 Rungger Hannes 03:25:28 2 Mamu Petro 03:27:52 3 Trincheri Lorenzo 03:48:16 4 Jung Daniel 03:50:59 5 Brennwald Adrian 03:57:21 6 Debesay Tsige 03:57:22 7 Blasbichler Josef (Sepp) 03:59:47 8 Plaickner Hermann Gerald 04:03:16 9 Fissneider Daniel 04:04:37 10 Gasser Stefan 04:09:52 Top 10 Ladies 1 Thaler Edeltraud 04:19:38 2 Pedevilla Anna 04:35:32 3 Weissteiner Doris 04:40:54 4 Pircher Anna 04:41:53 5 Schmitz Sylke 04:45:18 6 Zdouc Zala 04:51:40 7 Furuczova Jela 04:55:50 8 Decker Sonja 04:57:32 9 Egarter Elisabeth 05:04:52 10 Gasser Priska 05:13:39 Complete results for the 2014 Brixen Dolomites Marathon

Credit : Markus KasererHermann Achmüller (3:35:40) and Edeltraud Thaler (4:09:59) win the 2340 m altitude difference in a track record time Vice world champion Hermann Achmüller and Edeltraud Thaler are the winners of the 2nd Brixen Dolomiten Marathon. The thermometer showed -0.2°C when Achmüller reached the finish line after 3:35:40; with this time he bet his last year’s result with one and a half minutes. Edeltraud Thaler won the women’s race with 4:09:59. 436 Athletes of 14 nations participated on the 42.195 km long challenge 2340 m altitude difference). Since last year, Switzerland, the mekka of mountain marathons has a serious competitor: in the Unesco-World Heritage Site of the Dolomites, South Tyrol, the second Brixen Dolomiten Marathon featured a beautiful landscape and a very demanding marathon with a running time of over 30 minutes more than the Jungfrau-Marathon. Starting in the town of Brixen/Bressanone, the marathon finishes on 2450 m sea level. The thermometer showed freezing -0.2°C when Hermann Achmüller reached the finish line. However, the vice world champion from 2007 in mountain marathon did not care much about this after his victory of one of the world’s most demanding marathon. “It is something special be first in such a marathon. This year I planned the run better and so I coped quite well in the last rise.” Between km 33 and 39 Achmüller had most problems: he even had to stop for a few seconds due to a feeling of dizziness. However, his victory was never in danger. Already in the first quarter part of the track, Achmüller was first; his only real opponent was the time. Indeed he was faster than last year for just under one and a half minutes. Second was Michael Fischer who reached the finish line four minutes later. Alois Niederkofler finished third and was already nine minutes behind. Edeltraud Thaler is a mountain running specialist. Usually, she runs 10 km and a altitude difference of 1000m. Today, the South Tyrolean showed that she is also able to run twice as much in altitude difference. Her winning time of 4:09:59 bet Irene Senfter’s victory of last year of nearly half an hour. The Second Gertraud Höllrigl was already 13 minutes behind. The nation of the third is remarkable: Judit Kinney is from Saudi Arabia. At the Brixen Dolomiten marathon, a relay competiton with four runners each took place. Alexander Rabensteiner, Manfred Kritzinger, Matthias Niedermair and Simon Pertinger were the fastest. With a time of 3:33:58 they were the only relay faster than Hermann Achmüller. 436 runners from 14 nations participated on the second edition of the Dolomiten Marathon. OC-president Claudio Zorzi’s conclusion: “We doubled the number of participants and with 14 nations we are becoming more international. I think we are on the right track. Our plan is to position this run somewhere in the front of Europe’s mountain runs. We score with the panorama of the Dolomites and the difference of town and mountain”. The results: Men: 1. Hermann Achmüller (Italy) 3:35:40 2. Michael Fischer (Italy) 3:39:25 3. Alois Niederkofler (Italy) 3:44:54 4. Alfred Mair (Italy) 3:45:19 5. Günther Mair (Italy) 3:48:51 Women: 1. Edeltraud Thaler (Italy) 4:09:59 2. Gertraud Höllrigl (Italy) 4:22:45 3. Judit Kinney (Saudi Arabia) 4:32:52 4. Katherine Bray (Italy) 4:53:39 5. Zala Zdouc (Austria) 4:54:14 Relays: 1. SG Eisacktal/Italy (Alexander Rabensteiner, Manfred Kritzinger, Matthias Niedermair, Simon Pertinger) 3:33:58 2. Pseirer Team/Italy (Martin Holzeisen, Thomas Pfitscher, Alexander Schweigl, Peter Pfitscher) 3:40:31 3. Hotel Cendevaves/Italy (Christian Stuffer, Birgit Klammer, Georg Demetz, Daniel Ploner) 3:41:57