Flags from all over the world are waving on the podiums of the four distances. Pulverized the best time on the 100km with the amazing performance of the Japanese Junsuke Mizuno
which closes in less than 11 hours
Radda in Chianti, 27 March 2023_For a long weekend, Radda in Chianti became the navel of the world with the Chianti Ultra Trail: 45 participating nations and all of Italy represented by over 2,000 athletes who invaded the most world famous. Among the white roads, villages, castles and vineyards of the Chianti Classico area, a show was staged which, year after year, represents the best tourist and sporting showcase in the world for trail running, for the Italy of the outdoors and for Chianti. The 100 km record was pulverized with the victory of the Japanese Junsuke Mizuno who crosses the finish line with the amazing time of 10:47:44.
In its second edition, the Chianti Castles, the long race of 100 km and 4000 of elevation gain, offers many emotions. Two hundred and forty front torches that light up the night at the start of Radda in Chianti at 4:00 on Saturday. It is a very long snake of lights that rises and falls from the hills and that at dawn, as the darkness and fog clears, reveals the postcard scenarios of Chianti to the athletes. The Austrian Sophia Schnabl dominated the women’s race, leading from start to finish finishing in 12:18:16, 2h and 33 minutes ahead of Alice Berti (14:51:05) and Antonia Rinaldi (14:55: 28). Arrived from Japan fascinated by the call of this race in the heart of Tuscany, Junsuke Mizuno, in his first 100 km competition, shatters the record held by Andrea Caruso, with a surprising race finished in 10:47:44. Starting calmly, the Japanese recovers ground going from 28th (at the 9 km mark) to 1st position at the Vistarenni refreshment point at km 68, keeping his lead until the finish line, ahead of the Italian Giulio Piana (14:55:28) and to the Spanish Fernando Alvarez (11:09:08).
Many first times also in the 73 km, which started at 6:00 from Radda in Chianti and won by Massimo Delli Zotti, athlete of the A.S.D. Podismo Buttrio, winner in a hard-fought race in 6:54:17, three minutes behind the second place of Marco Biondi, of Athletica Franciacorta Oxyburn and 10′ from the third place of the Greek Alexandros Karykas. The British Jo Meek is the female winner (7:36:14), who leads the race already from the 21st km, in front of the A.S.D. Running Turin Chiara Bertino and American-style Heidi Nadeau.
At 7:00 the 42 km started and just over three hours later the Turkish flag waving on the top step of the podium on which Irem Can Ayaz (3:18:04) climbs, on his first Chianti Ultra Trail. The athlete from Istanbul is the author of an flawless performance: only in the lead already from 1 km, he stretches in the last 10 on his pursuers, the Italian Giuseppe Marini, of the Maciano Team Runners A.S.D., and the Greek Stamatis Chatzistavrou. Instead, Cinzia Martini (A.S.D. Team Km Sport) and Elisabetta Pozza (TRI Schio A.S.D) arrive hand in hand at the finish line. After challenging each other head-to-head for 41 km, neither of the two pulled the final sprint by choosing to finish sportingly together with the time of 4:03:04, ahead of the athlete of Team Valtellina Raffaella Rossi.
After a very long day, which began at 4:00 on Saturday morning and closed at 2:00 on Sunday, with the arrival of the last athlete of the 100 km, the small square of Radda in Chianti comes alive again at 9:00 with the over 600 athletes at the start of the 20 km. It is Matteo Pelizza, of the Asd Elite Athletes, who leads the escape in the last kilometer by detaching the group and signing the race with a time of 1:27:03. Behind him Massimo Mei, an experienced athlete on this distance at the Chianti Ultra Trail, and Marco Castelli of the Trail Running Project ASD. Among the women victory for the Base Running athlete Simona Cargnino (1:45:41), in second place Chiara Lelli of the G.S.A. Comet and completes the podium Laura Burzi of Athletics Radio Centro Web.
There is also space to fully enjoy the excellence of this area thanks to the very crowded Chianti Walk & Taste, in its second edition, the eight-stage food and wine walk that tripled the number of participants with 600 enthusiasts from all over the world. Between one glass of Chianti and another, the desire for a final sprint to the finish line was not lacking, driven by the large crowd that welcomed everyone upon arrival in Radda.
With a total of 8 refreshment points, hosted in some of the most renowned Chianti Classico cellars, over 200 volunteers, more than 2000 participants and a large audience to welcome them along the way, the Chianti Ultra Trail confirms itself as one of the most awaited competitions by runners from all over the world but also a big party and the unique opportunity to discover a territory that is still uncontaminated, which still retains its ancient flavor. The perfect organization of the race, which year after year is able to raise the bar of hospitality and the beauty and technicality of the route, makes the event one of the most fascinating in the panorama of Italian and international ultra trails and a memorable unforgettable for participants, companions and insiders ready to repeat the experience in the sixth edition of 2024.
All the info on www.chiantiultratrail.com
