Ultra Trail Torres del Paine
Yassine
Diboun wins first ever Ultra Trail Torres del Paine for 109km distance
- 82
runners from 14 countries all around the world participated in the first
Ultra Trail Torres del Paine, which features 42, 67 and 109 km distances.
- Yassine Diboun from the United States and Fabienne Naziarian from France dominated the 109km race distance, while Fernando Nazario from Brazil and Catalina Alegría from Chile won the 67 km race distance. Chilean Luís Cáceres and Argentinian María Clara Serino triumphed in the 42 km distance.
Torres del
Paine, September 26, 2014 – The first edition of a trail running
event took place in the marvelous scenery of Torres del Paine National Park, with
the help of CONAF and other national institutions that have made the
organization of this event in such a wonderful location possible.
Ultra Trail Torres del Paine,
organized by NIGSA Events & Expeditions, attracted 82 carefully selected runners
from 14 countries all around the world to compete in the distances of 42, 67,
and 109 km. Each of the finishers for the 67 and 109 km distances have earned 2
and 3 points respectively for the North Face® Ultra Trail du Mont
Blanc® qualification.
The primary objective of the race
was to develop environmental awareness for all participants, and promote
sustainable tourism in this fragile and virgin environment; for this reason we have
worked carefully to manage logistics in the most environmentally respectful way
possible.
Enjoying and respecting the beauty
of surrounding nature, runners have enjoyed a unique experience of trail
running along paths among uncontaminated vegetation and wild fauna, with
breathtaking landscapes over glaciers and high mountain peaks.
American Yassine Diboun dominated
the 109km distance, finishing with an incredible time of 14:41:05, and a
remarkable gap of 2 hours and 40 minutes to the runner up. In the women’s race,
Fabienne Naziarian from France was the winner.
In the 67 km race, first place went
to Fernando Nazario from Brazil, with a time of 7:35:18, while Catalina Alegría
from Chile won for the women in 8:55:20. Max Keith, one of the event’s
ambassadors, also finished 2nd in this distance. Chilean Luís
Cáceres finished in 4:53:49, and Argentinian María Clara Serino triumphed for the
women in a time of 5:10:38 in the 42 km distance.
"The race was intense right
from the beginning at the 2 am start with high winds and cold temperatures,” said
Yassine Diboun, winner of the
109km distance, when asked about his experience. “Just before sunrise, I saw a
puma and it made me truly feel like a wild animal. This event is very unique
and I am eternally grateful to participate in this challenging race. Thanks to
all the volunteers and organization."
“We want to thank our supporting sponsor Lippi
for the successful accomplishment of the event, as well as the indispensable
help of CONAF, SERNATUR, Cámara de Turismo de Ultima
Esperanza and Carabineros de Chile,”
said Stjepan Pavicic, the event’s race director. “A sincere thank you as well
to all the staff and people that have volunteered for this race, as their hard
work allowed us to give all the athletes a great sports experience.”
# # #
Patagonian International Marathon
Matthew Flaherty
breaks 63 km record at the 3rd Patagonian International Marathon
· The third edition of the Patagonian
International Marathon featured 980 runners from 31 countries around the world
running in four race distances: ultramarathon 63km, marathon 42km,
half-marathon 21km, and a 10km distance race.
· Matthew Flaherty of the United
States broke the 63k distance record with a time of 04:19:17.2, 5 minutes
faster than previous record holder South African Ryan Sandes’ time of 4:24:28.
· The 21km race distance finished in
superb fashion, as the top three male racers all finished within ten minutes of
each other, with Benjamín Maturana Tamargo of Chile claiming first place in a
time of 01:18:45.9.
Torres del Paine, September 27, 2014 - The third edition of the Patagonian International
Marathon officially came to an end last Saturday on a spectacular day in the
majestic Torres del Paine National Park, recently voted as an eighth wonder of
the world and located in Chile’s extreme south, the Magellan and Antarctic
region. The event, hosted by NIGSA Events & Expeditions, the organization
who orchestrated the world-renowned Patagonian Expedition Race, which was
deemed by BBC as “the world’s last wild race,” included 980 runners from 31
countries competing in four challenging race distances: ultra marathon, 63km;
marathon, 42km; half marathon 21km; and a 10km distance race.
The 63km ultramarathon, which began in
the dark outside of Lago Grey’s Guardería, was the longest of the four
distances, but was by no means the least exciting, as it saw Matthew Flaherty
of the United States break the event’s previous record holder South African
ultramarathon runner Ryan Sandes’ time of 4:24:28, finishing the race in just over
five minutes less, in a time of 04:19:17.2. Flaherty, who was one of the event’s 53
runners from 8 countries, finished the race more than an hour before the other competitors,
as Cristian Daniel Morales of Argentina ran the second fastest time in
05:39:57.9. “I hurt a lot in the last 10km,” said Flaherty, “but I was uplifted
by both the beautiful mountain-scape above me and the many 10km racers around
me. My goal coming into the race was to set the record, and I was excited and
grateful to accomplish that goal.” Soledad Cornejo Vargas of Chile won the race
for the women, finishing the 63km in 05:52:27.2.
The 42km race, which began 2 hours
after the ultramarathon in Puente Weber, featured 163 runners from 19 countries.
Hansmartin Spatzier of Germany finished the course first among the men in a
time of 03:25:21.6, while Cindy Evelyn Ramírez Brito of Chile won the event for
the females, finishing in a time of 03:45:25.7.
The next, and the day’s most
competitive event, was the half-marathon, where the top 3 male finishers were
not only within ten minutes of each other, but also all from the same age
bracket, ranging from 30-39 year olds. Benjamín Maturana Tamargo from Chile
finished the 21km before the other 441 runners from 21 countries, which started
in the Sector Mirador Nordenskjöld, by completing the race in a time of
01:18:45.9, being just 3 minutes faster than second place Leonidas Hernández
Velásquez of Chile, 01:21:49.1, and only seven minutes before third place
Michael Doyle of Canada, editor-and-chief at Canadian Running Magazine, crossed
the finish line after 01:25:45.7. For the women, Daniela Beatriz Lucero
Gallardo from Chile took home first place by finishing in 01:40:38.9, arriving just
under three minutes faster than second place Jocelyn Bradley of Australia, who
finished in a time of 01:43:26.2.
The 10km distance race included 323 runners
from 15 countries, beginning on the shoreline of Partería Laguna Amarga. The event’s winners were Juan Pablo Farías
Aninat of Chile for the men, who was able to complete the race in less than 50
minutes, crossing the finish line in exactly 00:48:24.9, and Karina Silvana
Gallardo Cárcamo for the females, who finished in just over an hour, with a
time of 01:02:58.6.
The third edition continued NIGSA’s
effort towards improving the region’s touristic and environmental development,
as it once again featured “Corre y Reforesta” (Run and Reforest), a campaign to
replant many of the lost trees that were destroyed in recent fires throughout
the park. With the amount of registered runners, the event was able to donate
more than a thousand trees to help the park’s reforestation.
“I would like to sincerely
congratulate each runner for making this year’s edition of the Patagonian
International Marathon one to remember, and the inclusion of almost a 1,000
runners has also greatly aided in the park’s restoration,” said Stjepan
Pavicic, the event’s race director. “We thank all participants, volunteers, and
staff for their hard work and dedication in making this event realizable, and
an additional heartfelt thank you to all the events sponsors, including Caja
Los Andes, and CONAF for permitting the event, as it would not have been
possible without both their participation and also their dedication to the
region’s development.”
# # #
About the organization:
Since its inception in 2002, NIGSA has valued
unique expeditions that have never been done before. Its in-depth geographical
knowledge of Southern Patagonia allows NIGSA not only to craft new ways of
discovering and promoting Patagonia, but also to further the conservation of
and the sustainability within the region.
Social Media:
More
information:
Phone: +56 61
2613891
