SkyRunner Leaders Prepare for Final in Borneo

Rob Howard / 23.09.2005

Plagued by heavy rain and mist, 250 skyrunners made the best of a difficult, competitive course at Sentiero delle Grigne in Italy last weekend. The weather was so bad the penultimate event in this global endurance mountain running series was reduced to 28 km with 1,500m vertical climb instead of the 43 km and 3,200m elevation of the original course.

Top international athletes leading the Buff® Skyrunner® World Series ranking battled the difficult course conditions. Newly crowned Italian Skyrunning Champion, Lucio Fregona, led the group for the first half of the race until he was overtaken by Jean Pellissier, but a wrong turn took its toll and he was beaten to the finish by Dennis Brunod, in 2h44’09”.

In second position, Briton Simon Booth and third, local runner Marco Rusconi. Booth now rises to second position in the World Series’ ranking after his Saab Salomon team mate Rob Jebb, with Italians Rusconi and Fulvio Dapit in third and fourth places respectively.

In the women’s field too, Italian runner Emanuela Brizio was in the lead until the second half of the race, eventually taking third place, overtaken by winner Corinne Favre (3h23’19”) and a surprise second place to Emanuela Vassalli.

The current World Series ranking has Rob Jebb leading with 366 points followed by Simon Booth with 352, who could aim at the title if he makes use of the double points awarded in the final. Italian Fulvio Dapit, who came in only sixth today, slips to third position, thus losing any hopes for a final victory.

Corinne Favre has the title practically wrapped up and only risks in the case of a clear victory by her rivals, Emanuela Brizio in second position, Catalans Ester Hernandez, third, and Anna Serra, fourth, the current world champion.

Great anticipation then for the series final on October 1 and 2 on the 4,095m Mount Kinabalu in Borneo. Last year, 3,140 athletes from 23 countries participated and this year, the forecast is even more exciting with the inclusion of a category for teams: two from Spain: the Euskadi and Catalunya Teams; the Saab Salomon Team from Great Britain; the Italian Skyrunning Valsesia Team and a team from Venezuela.

For further information on the series see www.buffskyrunner.com.