The TRAIL race that crosses the Val d'Orcia in its 10th edition has sold out athletes and attendance

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The tenth edition of Tuscany Crossing 2023 has just ended and from 21 to 22 April in Val d'Orcia saw a suggestive non-stop from the dusk of the 21st to the dawn of the 22nd.

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Attendance record and great satisfaction of the organizers and the territory:

• 950 members with 31 nations represented including Poland and Romania those with the most presences

• about fifteen local voluntary associations coordinated by a Committee led by Roberto Amaddii, patron of the race.

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Starting from Castiglione d'Orcia at 17.15 on Friday 21 April with 70 athletes after a study phase the Frenchman Jerome Ferris takes the lead who with his solitary ride goes on to conquer the course record in 17 hours and 5 minutes running all alone the race even in the night immersed in a fairytale landscape.

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Last year's winner Alexander Rabensteiner remains in second position throughout the race while the third position is conquered by Fabio Pedretti on the local athlete Gianluca Conti.

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Among the women, an all-Italian podium: Isabella Vidili with a time of 25 hours and 9 minutes; second Barbara Salis and third Giulia Magnesa.

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At the stroke of midnight instead 160 walkers set off challenging and admiring the night in Val d'Orcia and waiting for the sun to rise through wonderful villages.

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At 5.15 there was then the departure of the 200 registered for the 100 km and at 6.00 the 350 athletes of the 53 km.

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The rankings:

SALVETTI CARLO ELLE ERRE ASD (course recordman) 09:22:18

PIROLA ROBERTO GS OROBIE 10:03:51

NODARI CHRISTIAN RUNNERS BERGAMO 10:09:43

 

Female:

BERTINO CHIARA ASD PODISTICA TURIN 11:34:30

ANDRIES ANN Belgium 11:57:10

GIORDANO ELISA ASD TEAM MARGUAREIS 12:04:45

  

 

53 km  (Green heart of the Val d'Orcia route) Bagno Vignoni, San Quirico d'Orcia, Pienza, Monticchiello)

1M MARAN STEFANO SKYRUNNERS THE VINEYARDS VICENZA 04:22:00

2M PREVITALI MAURO CUS BERGAMO ASD 04:31:09

3 M QUERCIOLI EMANUELE POLISPORTIVA ELLERA ASD 04:31:52

 

Female: the French Manivoz after three victories had to give in to Veronica Maran from Vicenza

1F MARAN VERONICA SKYRUNNERS THE VINEYARDS VICENZA 04:39:06

2F MANIVOZ STEPHANIE France 04:41:31

3F LASTRI MARIA ELISABETTA ASD SIENARUNNERS / COMPRESSPORT 05:26:33

 

At 9.15 the 14 km walk was started with 200 walkers and at that point 950 athletes and about 500 volunteers flooded the splendid Val d'Orcia with color and enthusiasm.

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Race veteran Natalina Masiero completed the 100km Tuscany Crossing for the 9th time at the age of 71.

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"Great success, great satisfaction: more than 900 athletes and a territory fully activated to welcome them" an enthusiastic Claudio Galletti, Mayor of Castiglion d'Orcia, was keen to clarify.

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“Everything went smoothly and despite the various concerns everything went smoothly. A big thank you goes to the Administrations who, as always, have supported us and to the many volunteers and associations who, with their incessant work, have allowed the athletes to fully enjoy that wonderful territory that welcomed them in every sense - specifies Roberto Amaddii, Patron of the race and President of the ASD Siena Runners. “With its routes, running and walkways, the Tuscany Crossing has over time become an attraction for which enthusiasts come to the area from all over the world. It is an all-encompassing experience that combines the passion for running with that of travelling, love for the landscape, the area recognized as a World Heritage Site since 2004 with its naturalistic, artistic and food and wine excellences, sustainability, respect for the environment, the educational aspect and the circular economy”.

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The event, now in its tenth edition, has become an integral part of the territory and has evolved with the times, embodying those changes that the sector and the market require. In fact, not only running for insiders but also shortened routes and walks for different types of aficionados of the genre.

It is a kind of off-road race that allows you to fully experience the environmental, historical, food and wine and social context, providing the opportunity to get to know this area of Tuscany in a completely suggestive way and to stop for several days to visit the region. The route - with running and walking - in fact retraces the paths that pilgrims, wayfarers, saints, artists and great leaders crossed in ancient times, immersed in a nature that has never been abandoned by man but which, on the contrary, has contributed to shaping its landscape and that we must teach to preserve.

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Starting from Castiglion d'Orcia, the race took place on a route that touches 4 municipalities in the Val d'Orcia passing through the most iconic points at an international level: touching Montalcino, a place rich in history famous_cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b -136bad5cf58d_ for the "Brunello" wine appreciated worldwide, the famous cypresses of San Quirico d'Orcia, Pienza  the ideal city of Pius II, Unesco heritage, the thermal baths Bagno Vignoni and Bagni San Filippo , the parish churches of Sant'Antimo and the Madonna di Vitaleta, the Rocca d'Orcia which dominates the valley, thus providing modern travelers with a mix of history, art and culture in a UNESCO heritage park since 2004.

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Tuscany Crossing is organized under the aegis of the UISP promotional body recognized by CONI and is proof of qualification for the most important races such as the Mont Blanc Ultratrail and the most famous US 100-mile "Western States". It is also registered in the ULTRATRAIL competition calendar.

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From the first edition, Tuscany Crossing adheres to the "I don't throw my waste" campaign which provides for the absolute respect for the environment of the paths crossed and is also a qualifying test for the Plogging Championship, a discipline that combines sport with waste collection. About ten participants in the 53 km also took part in the selection for the Plogging World Championships by collecting about thirty bags of rubbish certainly not left by the competitors as the race participates in the "I don't throw my rubbish" campaign.

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Since its first edition, the event has had an international character with an average of 20/25 nations represented with around 70/80 athletes each. In 2017, the US magazine "Forbes" even included the race among the "Top 12 Marathons Worth the trip to Europe".

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The event has obtained the patronage of: Tuscany Region, use of the Tuscany Regional Council brand, Province of Siena, Municipality of Castiglion d'Orcia, Municipality of San Quirico d'Orcia, Municipality of Montalcino, Municipality of the City of Piena, Parco della Val d'Orcia.

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Official partners of the 2023 edition Amiata Viaggi, Siena Experience Italian Hub, Il Liceone Cultural Association of Siena. Together all these actors have brought Tuscany Crossing to the schools of the area to introduce the children to the various aspects that the race has always brought with it such as safety, environmental protection, pollution, sustainability, knowledge, respect and protection of the territory, hospitality and culture: an event capable of being an economic activator and social glue with professionalizing and identity-building food and wine experiences as well as volunteering for all those involved.

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Main Sponsor: Craft Sportswear