---

Technical Trails Benefit Category Leaders

News Release / 09.09.2010

While many runners will have loathed the exertion that goes along with 34.5 kilometers of technical trail running, others – especially the leaders of the respective race categories – must have loved them. The phenomenal times, in which the latter finished, spoke volumes about the fun they had out there. Neither fog, wet trails nor a cumulative height gain of 2,098 meters were able to slow them down on their way to Sand in Taufers.

<b>Leading SALOMON TRAIL TEAMS continue winning spree</b>

Andrew Symonds and Tom Owens seem to be unbeatable - no matter what. Once again, they arrived at the finish line (03:38.46) first with quite a bit of time to spare before their closest competitors showed up. However, today’s lead was smaller than the time buffers the Britons had managed to accumulate on each of the previous stages.

Matthias Dippacher and Christian Stork (ORTHOMOL SPORTS TEAM), the two German runners most likely to threaten their victory spree just wouldn’t let up and came into the finish area less than six minutes after today’s leaders. Third, and thrilled about their first time on the podium, was an Austrian team. Michael Kabicher and Armin Weißenböck-Meerkatz of SPARKASSE NATURPARK HOHE WAND managed to separate from the strong front field of the racers and made best use of their escape by finishing in 03:48.47 hours. The Alaskan team SKINNY RAVEN, regulars on the podium during the last few days surprisingly arrived in only fifth place today. Surely, they can be reckoned with in the stages to come.

Leadership also seems pretty much settled among the top-ranked Mixed teams at this point. Angela Mudge and Chunky Liston of SALOMON TRAIL TEAM managed to extend their overall lead by more than a quarter of an hour today by covering the trails across the Rieserferner Range in just 03:59.58 hours.

All other teams required more than 4 hours with the British TEAM TPC FREIGHT MANAGEMENT (Iona Robertson, Casey Morgan – 04:16.30) coming in second and the Swiss-Austrian duo Seppi Neuhauser and Gaby Steigmeier placing third (04:21.54).

The latter two teams are currently racing head-to-head with just 4 minutes separating their overall times at the end of this fifth stage. Although the South African TEAM SALOMON/VELOCITY SPORTS LAB have lately lost some ground on the three leading teams, they should be good for a surprise attack yet. South African Linda Doke was tired but elated. “It was hard but absolutely beautiful. We very much look forward to the last three days�. Expect some intense competition ahead!

<b>MASTERS of Their Game – Thomas Miksch/Philipp Anton rule!</b>

They run like clockwork and don’t ever yield an inch to the competition. That about sums it up for the German leaders of the Masters category, TEAM BLT LAUFSPORT SAUKEL-HAGLÖFS. The two veteran victors hoofed it to Sand in 04:01.12 hours today claiming a fifth consecutive stage triumph. Spaniards Chemari Rodriguez Bustillo and Junjo Checa Alonso (TEAM BUFF) gave them some room on the trail but just enough to ensure finishing in second place. After all, the two had to hustle on the home stretch as Austrians Alois Klauser and Armin Hohenadler of DE BERGENER HOCHFELLNER – GAMS’N were literally breathing down their necks. The latter arrived in 04:32.28 hours, which secured third place for them today. Armin Hohenadler was ecstatic about their performance saying that they “have continually improved with each stage – enough so to land a podium position. We wouldn’t mind if it continued along that line!â€?

See All Stories On This Race