Zermatt Magazin 2015

104 Zermatt Magazin | Abenteuer in Zermatt
Matterhorn Ultraks
Battling to the Limit
Matterhorn Ultraks sporting
events have been held in Zermatt
since 2013. The trail competition
takes place each year in
August, and every two years, a
ski touring team competition is
held in March.
Trail running is in
Increasing numbers of runners from
around the world seek the ultimate
challenge in a pristine mountain
environment. They want to measure
themselves against other sports
enthusiasts on an emotion-packed
stage and to push their own performance
limits while doing so.
Trail running consists of negotiating
passages on narrow paths and
across difficult terrain. Nature
determines the route here. Routes
lead across rough and smooth terrain,
through forests and across
meadows.
The beautiful landscape of the
Matterhorn region, of course, is
naturally predestined for adventurous
touring. That is why several
players in the mountain sports scene
got together to launch additional
sports attractions along with the
associated altitude training possibilities
to augment the established
Gornergrat Zermatt Marathon.
The organisers, led by race director
Simon Anthamatten, discovered
that there was a great deal of interest
when nearly 1000 participants
from 30 countries took part in
the first Ultraks Trail event in
August 2013.
Success leads to commitment
The preliminary work to be completed
is wide-ranging and particularly
demanding in the high alpine
terrain. You have to be prepared
for any eventuality. Even if the
weather conditions are unfavourable,
the fairest competition possible
must be offered for the athletes,
some of whom have travelled far
to participate. That is why the
organisers also offer alternative
routes, so that races can be held in
any weather and the safety of participants
and spectators is ensured
at all times. A large group of volunteers
help to make sure the race
is conducted in an orderly, regulated
and safe manner. They also look
after and provide refreshments for
participants and spectators. For
most routes, the start and finish
lines are at the Kirchplatz in
Zermatt. Spectators can obtain information
in the Ultraks Village as
well as refreshments. The race can
also be followed live on the large
screen there.
21 March 2015:
Competition on snow
The Matterhorn Ultraks SkiAlp is a
ski touring sporting event for teams.
The teams can choose between
three courses ranging from 12.3 to
22.5 km in length. The 2015 competition
will take place far from the
mountain railway in the Rothorn
area. The longest course, the “3 K”
will include 2,930 meters of ascents
and descents as well as fives portages.
This will make the event one of
Switzerland’s must technically challenging
ski touring races.
22 August 2015:
Summer competition
The Matterhorn Ultraks Trail is a
mountain race with individual evaluation.
Three courses ranging from
16 to 46 km long can be chosen
from the Sunnegga, Riffelalp,
Gornergrat and Schwarzsee areas.
They include ascents and descents
ranging from 1,100 to 3,600 meters
in height difference. A fourth route
is intended for runners who prefer
to avoid the steep descents. In
August 2015, the competition route
will run over 9.6 km from Zermatt
to the Unterrothorn (3,104 meters
above sea level), where the runners
will take the mountain railway back
down to the valley.
To make the Ultraks trail attractive
for spectators and those accompanying
the athletes, the racecourses
are laid out so that spectators can
easily reach the key points with the
train and profit from greatly reduced
ticket prices.
Also very popular are the races for
children, in which boys and girls
from five to fourteen years of age are
welcome to participate. Two racetracks,
700 and 2,100 meters long
respectively, are laid out in the village
or just outside to enable even
the youngest to discover the fun of
running in a venue appropriate for
their ages.
zm
www.ultraks.com