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It's time for the Engadin Ski Marathon
IT'S TIME FOR THE ENGADIN SKIMARATHON 42KM FT!!!
The Engadin Skimarathon 42km FT – every time again a wonderful experience! This year, almost 13.000 participants will get on their skis and will participate in this iconic event in the Enagdin valley in Switzerland including Ultra runner Victor Röthlin and Ariella Käslin, a former gymnastics champion. What the "cloche" is to La Transjurassienne are the horns to the Engadin Skimarathon: The two winners (male and female) of the race will have something to add to their home decoration!
As usual, the track starts in Maloja and winds its way over the lakes and through the valley down to S`chanf, with a short side trip to Pontresina before. As before, the first sprint will be St.Moritz. The snowfalls of last week added a fresh layer of snow to the existing good base. Even though it has not been as cold as it sometimes has been before during the winter, the lakes are solidly frozen through. However, they will not be groomed with the big machine but only by scooter.
The weather will offer almost everything over the next days, up to race day: Snowfall, cold temperatures, cloudy times and beautiful sunshine! Temperatures on race day will be around -8°C at the start gowing up to -4°C in the afternoon with the sun shining brightly in the morning.
To stay up to date, the Engadin Skimarathon is always working hard to improve its services to offer their participants an even greater experience. This year's updates can all be found on the race's web page, like a change in the placement of the vehicle which brings the clothes of the elite athletes to the finish. With it, it should be insured that the clothes will be in the finish before the first elite racer arrives in S'chanf.
THE RACERS – WHO IS ON THE START LIST?!
With the overall FIS Marathon Cup still very tight on both the men's and the women's side, and the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships just finished, the start list of this year's Engadin Skimarathon will burst with big names!
Once again, the French delegation is big, including Jean-Marc Gaillard and Robin Duvillard who just have won another Bronze medal in the relay at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun (SWE), after having done so already last year in the Sotchi Olympics. Toni Livers (SUI) also arrives from the Championships. On the French side, one can of course also find Benoit Chauvet, the current second of the overall FIS Marathon Cup, as well as Adrien Mougel, Christiophe Perrillat-Collomb, Mathias Wibault and Ivan Perrillat-Boiteux, like Gaillard and Duvillard a bronze medallist in the Sotchi Olympics with the relay. Petr Novak (CZE) on the other side will do everything in order to increase his lead in the overall FIS Marathon Cup so that he can race without pressure in the season's last FIS Marathon Cup in Siberia in April. Simone Paredi and last but not least Sergio Bonaldi (both ITA) will equally be present, trying to reach the highest spot of the podium.
On the women's side, all big names of the FIS Marathon Cup will be present: Tatjana Mannima (EST), Holly Brooks (USA), Riitta-Liisa Roponen (FIN), the winner of the last two editions of the Engadin Skimarathon and Antonella Confortola (ITA). From Switzerland, Bettina Gruber, last year's second, and Rahel Imoberdorf will take the start. Special guest will surely be Caitlin Gregg, the winner of the American Birkebeiner 2014 and recent bronze medallist in the 10km FT race in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun (SWE). Also on the start line will be Anouk Faivre-Picon (FRA), who could win the Engadin Skimarathon in 2012 and who placed fifth just recently in the 10km FT World Championship race in Falun.
More big names are likely to be added to the start list during the week.
The complete startlist can be found here: http://www.worldloppet.com/fmcstart.php
IMPORTANT DATES AND PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Engadin Skimarathon
www.engadinskimarathon.com
Last year's winners:
1st Andres Gloersen (NOR), 2nd Jean-Marc Gaillard (FRA), 3rd Toni Livers (SUI)
1st Ritta-Liisa Roponen (FIN), 2nd Bettina Gruber (SUI), 3rd Katrin Zeller (GER)
DATES:
March 8 – Engadin Skimarathon (SUI), 42km FT, 8th FIS Marathon Cup 2014/15
March 8 – Vasaloppet (SWE), 90km CT
The Engadin Skimarathon 42km FT – every time again a wonderful experience! This year, almost 13.000 participants will get on their skis and will participate in this iconic event in the Enagdin valley in Switzerland including Ultra runner Victor Röthlin and Ariella Käslin, a former gymnastics champion. What the "cloche" is to La Transjurassienne are the horns to the Engadin Skimarathon: The two winners (male and female) of the race will have something to add to their home decoration!
As usual, the track starts in Maloja and winds its way over the lakes and through the valley down to S`chanf, with a short side trip to Pontresina before. As before, the first sprint will be St.Moritz. The snowfalls of last week added a fresh layer of snow to the existing good base. Even though it has not been as cold as it sometimes has been before during the winter, the lakes are solidly frozen through. However, they will not be groomed with the big machine but only by scooter.
The weather will offer almost everything over the next days, up to race day: Snowfall, cold temperatures, cloudy times and beautiful sunshine! Temperatures on race day will be around -8°C at the start gowing up to -4°C in the afternoon with the sun shining brightly in the morning.
To stay up to date, the Engadin Skimarathon is always working hard to improve its services to offer their participants an even greater experience. This year's updates can all be found on the race's web page, like a change in the placement of the vehicle which brings the clothes of the elite athletes to the finish. With it, it should be insured that the clothes will be in the finish before the first elite racer arrives in S'chanf.
THE RACERS – WHO IS ON THE START LIST?!
With the overall FIS Marathon Cup still very tight on both the men's and the women's side, and the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships just finished, the start list of this year's Engadin Skimarathon will burst with big names!
Once again, the French delegation is big, including Jean-Marc Gaillard and Robin Duvillard who just have won another Bronze medal in the relay at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun (SWE), after having done so already last year in the Sotchi Olympics. Toni Livers (SUI) also arrives from the Championships. On the French side, one can of course also find Benoit Chauvet, the current second of the overall FIS Marathon Cup, as well as Adrien Mougel, Christiophe Perrillat-Collomb, Mathias Wibault and Ivan Perrillat-Boiteux, like Gaillard and Duvillard a bronze medallist in the Sotchi Olympics with the relay. Petr Novak (CZE) on the other side will do everything in order to increase his lead in the overall FIS Marathon Cup so that he can race without pressure in the season's last FIS Marathon Cup in Siberia in April. Simone Paredi and last but not least Sergio Bonaldi (both ITA) will equally be present, trying to reach the highest spot of the podium.
On the women's side, all big names of the FIS Marathon Cup will be present: Tatjana Mannima (EST), Holly Brooks (USA), Riitta-Liisa Roponen (FIN), the winner of the last two editions of the Engadin Skimarathon and Antonella Confortola (ITA). From Switzerland, Bettina Gruber, last year's second, and Rahel Imoberdorf will take the start. Special guest will surely be Caitlin Gregg, the winner of the American Birkebeiner 2014 and recent bronze medallist in the 10km FT race in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun (SWE). Also on the start line will be Anouk Faivre-Picon (FRA), who could win the Engadin Skimarathon in 2012 and who placed fifth just recently in the 10km FT World Championship race in Falun.
More big names are likely to be added to the start list during the week.
The complete startlist can be found here: http://www.worldloppet.com/fmcstart.php
IMPORTANT DATES AND PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Engadin Skimarathon
www.engadinskimarathon.com
Last year's winners:
1st Andres Gloersen (NOR), 2nd Jean-Marc Gaillard (FRA), 3rd Toni Livers (SUI)
1st Ritta-Liisa Roponen (FIN), 2nd Bettina Gruber (SUI), 3rd Katrin Zeller (GER)
DATES:
March 8 – Engadin Skimarathon (SUI), 42km FT, 8th FIS Marathon Cup 2014/15
March 8 – Vasaloppet (SWE), 90km CT
Source: fis-ski.com
