The curtain falls on the 48th edition of the Ski Classics Challengers event. Folie (ITA) and Lepistö (FIN) win the 31 km in free technique. Great satisfaction for volunteers and the Toblach-Cortina ski-marathon OC. Sunshine at the finish in Fiames and the usual cheerfulness to greet another successful edition
At the Toblach-Cortina Ski-marathon, the course of the 31 km free technique race, much like the one that had provided a long, balanced and uncertain opening race yesterday in classic technique, was speeded up thanks to the sun, which had returned to peep through and illuminate the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites. Around 10 am, starting time at the Nordic Arena in Toblach, yesterday’s thick snow seemed to be just a distant and happy memory. It will certainly be so for Ylvie Folie (ITA) and Lauri Lepistö (FIN), who were first across the finish line in Fiames and did well to inscribe their names in the already rich roll of honour.
The course after the start in the Nordic Arena ‘crossed’ Lake Toblach, the War Cemetery and Lake Landro covered by a light blanket of fog, where quite a bit of selection had already been made in the men’s race. At the transit through the Three Peaks National Park in front there were only seven left. Once they had reached Valfonda and Cimabanche, the sun was already shining again! The breakaway group then sped down the descent, with the characteristic passage through tunnels carved into the rock. By this time, the Italian Paolo Fanton, Lepistö, the Swedish Ekloef and Estonian Alev had left. The finish line in Fiames, a stone’s throw from Cortina, once again added that pinch of spice to the challenge, and again provided a spectacle. Lepistö and Alev, particularly the former, had more to offer than Fanton and Ekloef, who battled it out for third place. However, the best in the sprint was Lepistö, already third yesterday in the 31 km CT.
The women’s race smiled on Italy, especially South Tyrol, which celebrated the success of Ylvie Folie and gave a colourful one-two with Julia Kuen. The two, about a minute apart at the finish, exploded with joy for each other. In the women’s race the selection was made very early, around 3 km there were already five left: together with the two Italian women were Bepoix (3rd), Hutter and Koenig. When Folie decided to pick up the pace, namely in the section from the Three Peaks National Park to Cimabanche, no one was able to keep up with her, thanks also to the help of a male athlete, and she built up a 35’ gap at the downhill attack.
The combined classification of the weekend awards today’s winner Lauri Lepistö (FIN) ahead of Eklöf (SWE) and Rinner (ITA). In the women’s event, Hilda Löf (SWE) won over Anna Happ (GER) and Nicole Donzallaz (SUI).
The Toblach-Cortina Ski-marathon Organising committee, thanks to the work of the many volunteers led by president Herbert Santer and the vice president Igor Gombac, closed another successful edition: the forty-eighth. Almost 200 people put their heart and spirit into ensuring supplies, clothing transport and the perfect preparation of the track. All that remains is to renew the appointment for 2026!