Alpe Di Siusi - A Unique Half Marathon Under The Gaze Of The Sciliar Mountain

July 1 and the start of the sixth Alpe di Siusi Half Marathon are fast approaching. The 700 available bibs for this competition on one of Europe’s most spectacular mountain plateaus are shrinking in number. As is the case each year, the GreenEvent-certified half marathon also offers a long list of side events, including a charity relay race to raise funds for the “Sporthilfe Alto Adige” association.

The Alpe di Siusi Half Marathon is an event that creates a very special relationship between its participants and the nature of the mountain pasture it traverses. The result is that growing numbers of athletes are purchasing one of the 700 available bibs to allow them line out at the start in Compaccio on Sunday July 1, 2018. The race route is at an altitude of 1,800 metres, which makes it, like the rest of the running trails in the Alpe di Siusi holiday area, ideal for running and altitude training.

A COMPETITION WITH A GREEN HEART

Compaccio has been selected for the starting and finishing area of the 21-kilometre course. While its 600-metre elevation change will rule out any personal bests over the distance, it does offer competitors the opportunity to run through the Dolomites (a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site), surrounded by the Sassolungo and Sassopiatto peaks as well as the Sciliar Massif.  An area that merits both respect and protection: in fact, the Alpe di Siusi Half Marathon has been certified a “GreenEvent” by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano.

This certification underscores the huge focus on environmental sustainability demonstrated by the organisers.

Their green commitment extends to, amongst others, the use of e-vehicles, targeted waste reduction with separate collection and disposal, the distribution and promotion of zero miles and organic food, careful use of water and energy, and social responsibility. All principles dear to the organisers not just on the race weekend but also throughout the other side events, such as the week-long Alpe di Siusi Training Camp which takes place at the end of June and completes the half marathon programme.

RUNNING TO DO GOOD

The charity relay race during the sixth Alpe di Siusi Half Marathon ains to raise funds for “Sporthilfe Alto Adige”, an association that helps promising youngsters and champions to fulfil their sporting potential. A team of 10 local athletes will run around two kilometres each. As happened last year, the search is on for a sponsor for every kilometre willing to donate 200 euro to the project. The athletes that have already signed up for this year’s charity relay include Big Air World Cup winner Silvia Bertagna, skiers Miriam Gabloner and Florian Schieder, luger Sandra Robatscher and Andrea Vötter, the Nordic combiner Lukas Runggaldier and former skier Denise Karbon.

THE FIRST NUMBERS FROM THE 2018 EDITION

The Alpe di Siusi Half Marathon attracts a large field of runners, Italian and non-Italian alike. Time is running out to get one of the 700 bibs available as this is the ceiling the organisers have put on competitor numbers. At this point in time, more than 500 people have purchased bibs, 130 of those being women runners – a number indicative of just how popular the event is with ladies. A snapshot of the current start list also reveals that around 25% of the field is made up of foreign athletes, some coming from as far away as the United States, Canada, South Africa, Brazil, New Zealand and Singapore to name a few of the nations represented.