Gore-Tex Transalpine Run
37 Nationalities Lined Up For Epic Race Across Alps
News Release / 14.08.2013
On 31st August 2013, the GORE-TEX® TRANSALPINE-RUN, Europe's famed week-long trail running race across the Alps, will set off from Southern Germany towards Northern Italy. More than 700 runners from 37 nations have signed up for the 250 kilometer course which sports a total vertical gain of 15,000m along the way. What started out as a small race epic for a few ambitious trail nuts nine years ago, has since gained worldwide repute and developed into one of the biggest trail running events.
The 2013 GORE-TEX® TRANSALPINE-RUN follows a newly revamped 'Western' course that starts out in Oberstdorf, Germany, stops over in the Tyrolean resorts Lech and St. Anton, Austria, before setting foot into the Swiss ski towns Samnaun and Scuol. From there, it may only seem a short distance into Italy, but the final three days of running from St. Valentin to Sulden and ultimately Latsch certainly don't follow the easiest line to the finish.
But that's exactly the kind of challenge numerous pro runners have signed up for. Some amateur racers may hold less ambitious goals, aiming mainly to fulfil that long-held dream of traversing the majestic Alps in the fast lane. In fact, many may measure time spent on the trail not in hours, minutes and seconds but more likely in terms of the overall experience, their encounters with nature and being part of the grand scheme. And for any of the teams from Australia, Asia, Africa and the Americas, getting to the start should already be a bit of an adventure.
Team Singapore – Taking On 11,000 Kilometres Just To Get To Oberstdorf
Thirty-eight year-old Gek Fen Low and her Mixed team partner Weng Yek Lam are two of those from far away who will have put an arduous journey behind them before hitting the trail in Oberstdorf. “While we don't have mountains in Singapore that are comparable to the Alps, me and my friends use every opportunity to get back to nature hiking, running or climbing. It's great to have an opportunity to participate in the GORE-TEX® TRANSALPINE-RUN, even though it was a bit of work finding a teammate willing to sacrifice a couple of weeks of precious vacation time to travel the long way to Europe for eight arduous days of trail running”.
Pre-race preparation of the Singaporeans als shapes up differently than for most participants that hail from nearby the Alps. “Unfortunately, we have few opportunities to train together since we work different shifts. During weekdays, there's anyways only time for short training units. To make the best of it, we run up and down the staircases of 40-story apartment blocks. On weekends we leave for the countryside to get in long runs on real trails but mountains like in the Alps we don't have access to anywhere close.
Team Stubaital – Decision On A Whim
While it may be easier for teams living close to or in the Alps to commit to an 8-day stage race, the GORE-TEX® TRANSALPINE-RUN still presents a formidable challenge for body and soul. Especially newbies to the race will likely experience some level of anxiety by now, as is the case with Team “Madln aus Stubai”. 25-year-old Austrian Lisa Albert shared, “We read about this race in a book on ultra racing and decided to sign up right away. It wasn't until later that we really realized what we had gotten ourselves into”.
Together with teammate Martina Wegscheider, she began focused training in spring. “Both of us have been ardent athletes since childhood and run lots. But we have never participated in a race competitively. Still, we should be well prepared to test our limits for eight consecutive days. Our objective is to finish each stage within the time limit, to arrive in Latsch without injuries and to claim a finisher jersey”.
Bavarian Race Prep – Leaving Nothing To Chance
Hans Meixner of Germany is arguably an old hand at racing the GORE-TEX® TRANSALPINE-RUN. The 48-year-old has participated four previous times but will be running alongside his wife Traudi as a first this year. Hans is looking forward to the end of the month: “So far, I always had poor luck in that my previous team partners dropped out somewhere along the trail. This time, I hope to finish as a team”.
His wife Traudi also knows the ins and outs of the race having served as support crew to her husband each time he participated. Racing herself seemed impossible until this year: “I had a bad car crash in 2006 and had to work through several years of physical therapy with little patience for sports beyond that. When I got back into running in 2012, I thought I'd never make any headway. But we trained hard since then and I feel well prepared for the race now. The vertical profiles of each stage have a prominent place on our fridge door and I know the ascents and descents by heart at this point.”
According to Hans, Traudi will be boss during the eight days of racing. “It's her race and I'm happy to be in a supportive role and don't mind a bit of extra weight in my race pack. Our objective is to make it to Latsch in one piece and not necessarily as the last team across the finish line.”
Daughter Marie Meixner will follow along as experienced support crew to Team 'Alpenbummler'. She has participated in the GORE-TEX® TRANSALPINE-RUN herself and knows what lies ahead. Thus, it should be no surprise that team support with the Meixners goes well beyond trailside cheering. This is one family that leaves nothing to chance. Hans smirks: “We're always perfectly equipped. Massage table, a small trunk full of tape, a portable foot bath, heat blanket, cable reel...you name it, we bring it all. Better be safe than sorry. Anything that we felt was missing in previous years gets put on a packing list for next time.”
Besides a few more relaxed training runs and packing up their gear, there's little left to do for Team 'Alpenbummler' and the other participants in the GORE-TEX® TRANSALPINE-RUN at this point. Project manager Uta Albrecht and her team of Plan B, the race organizers, likewise have done their part and look forward to welcoming the international lineup of participants. Racers and spectators can focus on eight exciting days of trail running in the Alps.
Check out www.transalpine-run.com for more information on the race.
SleepMonsters
