He's rather slim, of course. And wiry. Apart from that you couldn't really guess. No, you could not imagine what he has done. "He" is Marco Olmo, a 59-year old Italian man. I decided to relate his performance simply because I find it fantastic.
Before this, I must first tell you about the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB). That's a race organized every year in Chamonix, which took place a couple of weeks ago. Let me give you some figures so that you realize what this race, in that case they call it a "trail", is. Length: 163kms. Change in altitude: +8900m. Duration: less than 45 hours. Means of transportation? None.
The trail started on Friday 24 at the end of the afternoon. By chance, I was in Chamonix on Sunday 26 around noon. And I saw people coming. Some were exhausted. Others simply happy. Even quite fresh for a few of them. All extremely touched. And so I was. The race is surreal, running for roughly 40 hours around the Mont Blanc.
I don't know where Marco Olmo was at this very moment. Probably in his comfortable bed. I guess he deserved to sleep in on that Sunday morning. After all, he had finished the race almost 20 hours before. Yes, he ran that 160+ km race in 21 h 31 mn 58 sec. Apparently, he's not a fast runner (sort to say, his average speed still is the same as mine when I go running for an hour...). Almost no stop during the trail. He "simply" keeps the rhythm. And that strategy looks pretty efficient. Not only he won the 2007 Ultra Trail Mont Blanc...but also that of 2006. Amazing.
Marco, saró in Chamonix l'anno prossimo, e spero vederti lí. I'd be happy to welcome you next year when you end the trail. As a winner of course. As usual. Chapeau bas, signor Olmo!
Click here to see Marco's arrival in Chamonix
Thursday, September 6, 2007
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