Hoka Monterosa Est Himalayan Trail: the results!
Franco Collé wins the Ultra 105k, a spectacular, technical and very hard race! In the female race the Slovakian Vacvalova wins in 20 hours. In the EPIC 60K Giulio Ornati and Manuela Berer!
“The Meht was a dream, I cared about it. A victory sought and wanted, in the paths from my home in front of my people. A lot of people on the course, I was afraid of the last 20km that were all runnable and slightly uphill, not suitable for my characteristics. But at every fraction there were so many people cheering and applauding me, I thought it was the hardest part, but I enjoyed it even more. The most beautiful moment was undoubtedly this morning, turning to the Zamboni refuge and seeing all the lights of the participants who were climbing and the sunrise on the face of Monte Rosa was a thrill, something exceptional”. These are the words of Franco Collé (Polisportiva S. Orso Hoka) winner of the ‘Ultra 105k’ of the III Hoka Monterosa Est Himalayan Trail which took place on Saturday, July 17, 2021 with departure and arrival at the Centro Sportivo di frazione Pecetto in Macugnaga, Z’Makana in Walser language, a beautiful alpine village located at the foot of the imposing east face of Monte Rosa, at 1,327m of altiduine.
The two-time winner of the Tor des Geants and athlete of the Hoka team took the success in 15h53’57”, dominating a course judged very hard, technical but highly spectacular by the participants. Among the many grandiose passages to be remembered is the highest point of the route, the Monte Moro pass at an altitude of 2,868m. Behind Collè, about an hour late, was Gianluca Galeati in 16h58’53”, while in third place Nicola Poggi in 18h38’10”.
The women’s race flew the Slovakian flag thanks to the victory of Lenka Vacvalova in 20h15’51”, second place for Maria Elisabetta Lastri in 24h00’44” and third place for Patrizia Pensa in 25h25’57”.
Meht
Race organized by Sport Pro-Motion Asd and supported by the Municipality of Macugnaga and with the collaboration of Sci Club Valle Anzasca, AIB of Valle Anzasca and Cremosello, Soccorso Alpino, Croce Rosa Macugnaga and many groups of volunteers. “In this third edition we registered 52% more participants, almost one thousand, an absolutely positive sign if we think about the lack of many foreigners that still because of Covid10 can travel very little – says a satisfied President of Sport Pro-Motion Paolo Ottone – The weather helped us, but it was a hard test for our team and for the more than 250 volunteers engaged also during the night, for a total of 48 uninterrupted hours. We have and have all worked well to be a first experience on a race over 100km in an Alpine environment. All participants were happy even if we know that there is much to improve. True, it is a highly technical and hard course, but this allows you to see places that there are no equals in Europe, a fatigue paid off and an effort well repaid”.
The Meht after the debut in the trail scene in 2018 won by Giulio Ornati and Giulia Saggin, the 2019 edition suspended halfway through the race due to strong and dangerous bad weather at high altitude but that had still made Franco Collè and the Spanish Estelita Fernandez cross the finish line in time albeit on a shorter distance, the 2020 edition canceled for Covid19, finally took place this third edition of this trail that is becoming a classic of the trail world, even at the international level. There were several distances in the program, so that many mountain running lovers could participate and discover the beautiful areas around the famous east face of Monte Rosa. The first to start at 4.00 am were the athletes of the Ultra 105K/8,000 D+, followed at 5.00 am by the participants of the EPIC 60K/4,700 D+ and again an hour later, at 6.00 am the runners of the Sky 38K/3,100 D+. More “relaxing” was the start of the competitors of the Challenge 22K/1,700 D+, at 8:30, followed at 9:00 by the athletes of the Short 14K/850 D+.
Epic 60K that does not disappoint expectations, the other home athlete, Giulio Ornati (Sport Project VCO – Team Salomon), already winner of the Meht 2018, was the favorite of the eve and not by chance. His success in 8h30’58 “, while also in this case is of foreign matrix, German to be precise, the victory of the women. 10h23’38” is the time marked by Manuela Berer, first classified.
4h44’51” is instead the time of Tadei Pivk (Team Crazy La Sportiva), who also started as a favorite on the Sky 38K distance, while Anna Cremonesi (Atl. Malnate) is the pink winner with 6h22’23”.
Alex Baldaccini (G.s. Orobie), athlete of Team Hoka, was also the most awaited name on the Challenge 22K and the Italian mountain runner, winner of two world gold medals in the junior and promising categories as well as in the world relay championships, climbed onto the top step of the podium in 2h06’40”. Among the women, Chiara Lelli (G.s.a. Cometa) won in 3h01’50”.
Short 14K, certainly shorter but certainly no less adrenaline-pumping. In this case, victory for Manuel Zani in 1h12’05” and Gaia Bertolini in 1h29’56”.
East Face
The event takes its name from the East Face of Monte Rosa, the highest of the Alps and for geomorphology the only Himalayan type present in Europe. It has a drop of 2,600 meters for a total width of almost 4 km and is located in the territory of the municipality of Macugnaga, at the end of the Anzasca Valley, in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (Piedmont). From the village you can see a large section, particularly impressive for the vastness of the size and the close distance. Together with the Valsesian wall of Monte Rosa, it constitutes the Piedmontese side of the group, as opposed to the Aosta Valley and Switzerland.
The territory
For the almost 1000 participants running the Meht was an opportunity to get in touch with a piece of history of the Alps, to know Macugnaga, the “pearl of Rosa”, born in the twelfth century, when the Walser, people of Alemannic origin from Valais, occupied this lush basin of the upper Anzasca Valley thus beginning the colonization Walser around Mount Rosa. Today the Walser tradition is testified by the architecture of the houses, by the costumes worn by the women of the village on particular occasions, by the Titsch language still spoken by the elderly and by the Dorf, a small village dating back to 1200 with a church of the same period, a cemetery and an ancient lime tree.
The partners
The partnership with Hoka, Title Partner of the event, has been consolidated, and Ricola, the company that has been producing the famous and tasty Swiss herb candies since 1930, has also been added. The company, considered a pioneer in the cultivation of herbs with natural methods and known for the high quality of its products, joins the Meht family.
Athletes found in the race pack Ricola products tasted at the bib collection and at the end of the race. Ricola has made available to the winners on the various distances several prizes.
