The charge of the thousand in Stralivigno 2022
A big party witn the FollowYourPassion brand crowned Varis and Iozzia, along with many smiles present at the finish line in Livigno from the runners involved in the half marathon and relay.
In the afternoon of Saturday 23rd of July, which began with a refreshing downpour but ended in splendid sunshine; over one thousand runners took to the streets, cycle paths, and dirt roads of Livigno. Taking part in the individual 21km and relay race, consisting of 2 athletes called to run 10.5 km each.
The start and finish line were located near the Aquagranda sports center, which has recently become the official Olympic Preparation Center, recognized by CONI.
After leaving the center of Livigno, and its cycle paths, the Straviligno 2022 route is then totally immersed in nature before swooping back towards the arrival arch. The altimetric profile, with 200 meters of positive difference in height, provided for departure at 1800 meters and a passage at the maximum altitude of about 2030.
As for the competitive aspects, it was the Finnish flag that waved at the finish line thanks to the outstanding performance of Kari Varis, a cross-country skier who triumphed in 1h20’42". Second spot on the podium went to Manuel Molteni (G.S. Villaguadia) who finished in 1h21'02", whilst third place went to Martino Galvani (Daini Carate Brianza) having finished in 1h24'16".
After an aggressive start by Giulio Molinari of Team Livigno, exciting the home crowd, the picture was made clearer as the race went on. At the halfway point, Molteni, Varis and Galvani firmly occupied their positions on the podium; but the second part of the track highlights the Finn’s superiority who went on to be victorious.
The highly anticipated Ivana Iozzia (Calcestruzzi Corradini Excels) did not disappoint, crossing the finish line in 1h28'06"; dominating from the start. The German Melanie Albrecht finished in 1h35'08" earning the second spot on the podium, while Valentina Violi (Atl. Casone Noceto) came third with 1h43'47".
At sunset came the award ceremonies and the magnificent pasta party, drawing this edition of Straviligno to an end.