Zermatt Magazin 2015

Alpinismus | Zermatt Magazin 111
Pushing performance
boundaries
The distance and altitude involved
take many runners to the limit of
their ability. Despite this, they are
still drawn to the finishing line
on the Riffelberg and the views
across to the majestic Matterhorn.
Orga nisers offer these competitors
two alternatives, in the form of
the Half Marathon and the Relay
Marathon.
The Half Marathon, which was a
new addition to the 2014 programme
with 500 places available,
covers 21,1 km from Zermatt to
the Riffelberg. The very first winner
of this discipline was the native
mountain runner and ski mountaineer,
Martin Anthamatten, in a
time of 1:47.22.
The Relay Marathon requires teams
of two, each running the half marathon
distance. The first runner
tackles the stretch from St. Niklaus
to Zermatt (608 metres of altitude).
There he is relieved by his partner,
who runs the second stage from
Zer matt up to the Riffelberg (1336
metres of altitude). While he does
this, his teammate takes the Gornergrat
railway from Zermatt and travels
free of charge up to the finishing
area, where both runners can take
advantage of the facilities laid on by
the marathon organisers, complete
with showers, massages and refreshments.
The most comfortable way to enjoy
the Gornergrat-Zermatt Marathon
is on the Matterhorn Gotthard railway.
A special train shuttles from
St. Niklaus to Zermatt during the
race and acts as a mobile grandstand.
Passengers can follow the
race through the windows, cheering
the athletes on as they go.
Ideal for altitude training
Such challenging sporting events
require extensive preparation. It’s
therefore an advantage to train at
between 1500 and 2200 metres.
The Matterhorn region is open all
the year round, making it ideal for
all manner of training exercises. It
can offer itself as a high altitude
training destination as a way of
attracting additional guests to its
hotels and apartments.
Sports enthusiasts can find a wide
range of options in Zermatt, from
physical performance building and
training for endurance sports to
recovery in relaxing spa facilities or
soaking up the tranquillity of the
great outdoors.
In connection with the Gornergrat-Zermatt
Marathon, an official
Marathon Running Camp will once
again be available for the tenth time
in 2015. Participants can take this
opportunity to spend a week preparing
for the forthcoming event,
visiting various sections of the
course and learning valuable hints
and tips from experienced mountain
runners.
zm
More Information:
www.zermattmarathon.ch