TRANSGRANCANARIA 360 LA GOMERA: VICTORIES FOR CLAIRE BRANWATH & MARCO GUBERTI

Posted by Héctor Rubio on November 27, 2021 in trail running, trail running spain | Leave a comment

TRANSGRANCANARIA 360 LA GOMERA: VTORIES FOR CLAIRE BRANWATH & MARCO GUBERTI. Our TRAIL RUNNING  section today shares the end of this first autonomous edition of the ultra endurance event. Point and end to the great adventure of La Gomera.

The end of La Gomera´s great adventure is here. 360º The Challenge closes earlier than planned after the race was neutralised due to weather alert decreed by the Government of the Canary Islands.

TRANSGRANCANARIA 360 LA GOMERA
VICTORIES FOR CLAIRE BRANWATH & MARCO GUBERTI

The Italian runner Marco Gubert has managed to revalidate his title of champion of the 360º The Challenge after conquering the extreme challenge that was presented to him in La Gomera.

Gubert repeats the first place he already held in March in Gran Canaria, this time after 40 hours and 8 minutes in which he has made a complete lap around the island of Colombia, explaining at the finish line that it was “without a doubt the longest race difficult of his life. The champion arrived in San Sebastián de La Gomera at 01:08 on Friday morning, almost 4 hours before the second classified, the Dutch Wouter Huitzing, who has completed this exciting 212-kilometer route in 43 hours and 48 minutes.

At that time, the women’s event is still led by the French Claire Bannwarth, after a day of comings and goings with the Swiss Anita Lehmann. It is estimated that the arrival of the champion will take place around 1:30 p.m. on Friday. The Italian Marina Plavan marches in third position, followed by Sandra Moreno and María del Carmen Pérez from Gran Canaria.

RACE NEUTRALIZED

Given the declaration of an alert situation due to adverse meteorological phenomena decreed by the General Directorate of Security and Emergencies of the Government of the Canary Islands that affects the island of La Gomera and that will be active from 09:00 hours on Friday, the organization and management 360º The Challenge security officers met yesterday to make the pertinent decisions in order to maximize the safety of all participants.

Among the measures proposed at said meeting and which have begun to be carried out, are the following:

• The sections of the route that connect with midland and high mountain areas or that may have technical sections from 09:00 on Friday will be cut, prioritizing the passage through the GR-132.
• The change of location of the Aceviños Life Base, which will move to the town of Agulo, to avoid a higher altitude section. An hour of neutralization of the route is established between the towns of Vallehermoso (km 131) and Agulo (km 147).
• Those participants who had passed before the neutralization time will follow an alternative route to the finish line in San Sebastián de La Gomera.
• Those participants who have not passed through the new race neutralization point have a new finish line in the town of Agulo and will end their experience at this point, thus avoiding exposure to adverse weather events in the last quarter of the race.

The necessary adjustments were established at the timing level so that the riders follow a fair order of classification.

FINISH LINE AT LA GOMERA

After Marco Gubert’s uncontested victory in the early hours of the morning, the day continued in La Gomera with great excitement. The women’s duel between French Claire Bannwarth and the Swiss Anita Lehmann was still to be resolved, and finally fell on the side of the French runner after 48 hours and 33 minutes of struggle, crossing the finish line in a striking fourth place overall. Bannwarth – like Gubert – managed to defend her crown and both will be forever part of the event history for winning two editions of the 360º in the same year.

Lehmann was second (49:21:50 hours) and Italian Marina Plavan closed the podium with a time of 52:17:55 hours. Sandra Moreno from the Canary Islands completed the women’s classification with a fourth place.

Much more dramatic was the outcome of the men’s third place in the race. After the finishes of Gubert and Wouter Huitzing, the third place seemed clear for Emilio Pérez.

However, the brave runner from Gran Canaria stopped his march just 12 kilometres from the finish line, having to abandon due to the fatigue accumulated during 48 hours of fighting. The Romanian Claudiu Beletoiu took advantage of his retirement, and in the last kilometres he was able to impose himself on the Asturian Fernando González.

MEN’S PODIUM 360º THE CHALLENGE

Marco Gubert (ITA): 40:09:03

Wouter Huitzing (HOL): 43:54:00

Claudiu Beletoiu (RUM): 48:16:33

WOMEN’S PODIUM 360º THE CHALLENGE

Claire Bannwarth (FRA): 48:33:16

Anita Lehmann (SUI): 49:21:50

Marina Plavan (ITA): 52:17:55

A total of 12 runners – 8 men and 4 women – had their finish line in San Sebastián de La Gomera after passing the neutralisation time in Agulo and being able to face the last kilometres of the course in safer conditions. Heavy rainfall on Thursday night and Friday morning added to the excitement of the race under the constant supervision of the safety team, whose final report ended without any emergency intervention in the race.

In addition, another 22 participants – all of them in the men’s category – were able to enjoy a finish line in Agulo, avoiding the last sector of the race for safety reasons. In their backpacks they will take with them almost 160 kilometres of a brutal experience through the mountains of La Gomera.

Tomorrow, Saturday, the end of the festival will be celebrated with the awards ceremony, which will be held at 12:00 noon in the Torre del Conde in San Sebastián de La Gomera.

IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU READ,
CLICK THIS BUTTON TO SUPPORT US IN PATREON.COM/MAYAYO