July 04

Andorra Ultra Trail Vallnord starts tomorrow: Six mountain races, from 10km to 223km. Full info, program and favorites.

Posted by mayayo oxigeno on July 4, 2017 in andorra ultra trail 2017, celestrail, ronda dels cims, trail running, trail running andorra, trail running spain, Ultra Trail | Leave a comment

The countdown for the ninth Andorra Ultra Trail Vallnord has begun and everything is ready for the event to start. Year after year the event brings together people who love mountain running in six separate races that offer them an opportunity to enjoy the finest landscape of this Pyrenean country. From the start-finish line in Ordino. Up to 550 volunteers and professionals will ensure the runners’ safety.

After last year’s record attendance, the numbers are up once again for the Andorra Ultra Trail Vallnord with 3,000 runners from 49 countries around the world registered, showing how the event, that began in 2009 with 650 runners, has grown in stature. Check out the video below with the start of the Ronda dels Cims, and then read to go over the event info, program and race favorites.

Read all about Andorra Ultra Trail 2017 in spanish here

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ANDORRA ULTRA TRAIL VALLNORD 2017.

Andorrans, Spaniards and French make up the majority, but the Andorra Ultra Trail Vallnord has also attracted runners from England, Portugal, Germany and Japan. But in addition there are runners from Tajikistan and French Guyana, among others. So, aside from the Andorrans, Spaniards and French, who always take part, 535 runners from 46 different countries have signed up, including runners from 22 non-European states.

The volunteers’ commitment and the race’s philosophy is what keeps the runners coming back year after year to a trail event that brings together spectators, runners, volunteers, workers and the organisation, as well as more than 30,000 people from the Ordino area.

Euforia dels cims, the big new event: This year’s new event is the Euforia, a 233-kilometre Andorran adventure trail with an overall climb of 20,000 metres. It will be the first race of the week when the runners set off at 07:00 on July 5. It’s an unmarked course where paired runners’ previous experience will be tested as they try to meet the challenge. The route has to be strictly followed. Furthermore, each team will carry a GPS beacon so that the organisers can track them at any given moment. During the race the pairs will pass by four life bases at la Coma de Arcalís, Margineda, Pas de la Casa and Cortals de Encamp.

The other five races include the main event Ronda dels Cims 170km, as well as the Mític (112km, 9,700m ascent) and the Celestrail (83km, 5,000m ascent), which starts at midnight on Saturday under the light of the full moon. There will also be the fourth Marató dels Cims (42,5km, 3,000m overall ascent).

The favorites: At the inaugural edition of Euforia, favorites are the Frenchman Nahuel Passerat, reigning champion in the Ronda dels Cims, and the German Julia Böttger, In the stellar event, the Ronda dels Cims, the reigning champion Lisa Borzani and double champion Nerea Martínez will be taking part, while in the men’s category, top runners include Nicola Bassi, third in 2016, and Antoine Guillon, World Ultra Trail World Tour Champion in 2015.

Live coverage: One new aspect this year will be two daily broadcasts showing the day’s highlights. The content, which will be posted on the Andorra Ultra Trail Vallnord website and social networks, will carry the most spectacular images of the day, as well as interviews, race positions, curiosities and anecdotes.

Like last year, the social networks will include live coverage of the event on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #AUTV as the main tool for following the races. And thanks to a collaboration with Andorra Telecom you can see live images of the runners on the website broadcast.

New technologies and the Andorra Ultra Trail Vallnord: The Andorra Ultra Trail APP, renewed in 2016, will maintain its function during the event, as the organisation continues to innovate and offer a complete service to runners and their companions.

In the case of the Euforia the use of GPS beacons is compulsory, while competitors in other events can rent the same device in order to be traced on the website’s geolocalisation map.

There is a new service this year: the E-beat, a device that allows the doctor on call to carry out anelectrocardiogram with a prototype E-beat should a runner get into difficulties. The result will be sent directly to a cardiologist for immediate analysis.

Course marking and timing: Marking and safety over the six distances is essential and to this end the organisation will use 7,500 reflective flags, 12,000 tapes and 450 warning lights. Once the event is over all of this will be collected and the course will be cleaned so as to leave it as it was before.

The timing system is also key to measure time and distance to guarantee the monitoring and integrity of the runners. There will be 85 control points with more than 425 volunteers and runners will carry a chip so they can be followed at each control point.

Sustainability and the environment go hand in hand with the Andorra Ultra Trail Vallnord: Between them, the six events give thousands of runners the chance to get to know a country but they make an impact on the Principality’s paths. The organisation will introduce a series of measures to minimise the wear and tear and prevent risks to the countryside.

They will also continue to use recyclable material (individual eco-cups and cloth bags) while there will a selective rubbish collection in all the feeding stations with 50 containers for plastic and rubbish and a third one for batteries.

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ANDORRA ULTRA TRAIL PHOTOGALLERY.