Alpinultras Awards its Prizes After Ultra Trail Scotland. Sara Codina and Alberto Vinagre Winners

Published by Mountainblog on 10/10/2017.

The mountains of Arran played host to the final instalment in the AlpinUltras series of events over the weekend. From its presentation back in November 2016 at Barcelona´s Museum of Sport, the Alpinultras series, sponsored by french outdoor specialist Raidlight, travelled to the mountains of Picos de Europa, then on to the Catalan Pyrenees and Aragon Pyrenees, before climbing up to Goatfell at the Isle of Arran. The second edition of the AlpinUltras series has offered a unique calendar of four alpine races, rangjng from 56km to 100km and held at beautiful outdoor locations, while also endorsing with it seal three more traverses held at the mountains of Catalonia and Tenerife.

Ultra Trail Scotland by Find Your Adrenaline was all set on Saturday morning for the fourth and final challenge. The marked course spanned over a demanding route of 71.5km with more than 5.000m of positive ascent running for some of the most beautiful and challenging crests of Scotland, with great technical exigency. However, once the race was launched at 6AM conditions up in the crests worsened rapidly and although the pelotón climbed all the way up to the race summit at Goatfell, organizers together with the Arran Mountain Rescue Team felt it necessary to neutralize the competition to ensure the safety of all participants.

In the evening, with many of the runners present at the final awards ceremony, the winners of the 2017 Alpinultras Series were presented with their medals, plus complimentary gifts from event sponsors, such as 14 year old Malt from Arran Whisky and a Suunto Spartan Sport gps watch.

The “Alpino” badge, a much coveted achivement: For the participating ultrarunners in this series of four grueling races, it is necessary to complete at least three of them to achieve the “Alpino” badge. If back in 2016 only nine people among the 2.000 participants got it, this 2017 got all the more challenging, and just seven people completed the challenge. The names of those five besides the winners are Jessica Mataix, Gabriel Valero, Jordi Marco, Urko Jaona and Jacinto González.

MORE ON THE ALPINULTRAS PROJECT: Seal, series and permanent centers

The Alpinutras project is aimed at identifying and promoting the most interesting long distance traverses up in the high mountains which meet certain requirements and share values such as being organized by local entities, environmentally friendly, with a marked alpine carácter, and reaching a relevant altitude around 3.000 meters or more.

The Alpinultras series 2017 brings together a limited number among those traverses endorsed with the seal. Just four of them have been selected this year to come together and offer a true alpine challenge for the most passionate mountain runners to discover and enjoy new peaks and valleys: Desafío El Cainejo (MAY28 / 52km); Ultra Trail Valls d’Àneu (JUL29 / 93km) and Ultra Canfranc (SEP7/100km).
The Alpinultras seal of endorsement already covers seven traverses that range wide and far. They allow you to discover trails from the Catalonian Pyrenees like Rialp Matxicots 82km, to Spain´s highest peak at 3.700m following the 140k route of the Faro to Faro at Tenerife or the famous Puigmal Peak at 2.912m after the challenging ridges covered over 130km by Emmona Ultra Trail.
The Alpinultras permanent centers: Their target is to extend knowledge of one massif among mountaineers all through the year supporting them with a marked newtork of chosen trails, mountain info update at the base town an even local guides to share a run with, ranging from the race director himself to a national trail running champion living in town.

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More info: #FYAScotlandAlpinultras