Victory and record for Kilian Jornet in the Zegama-Aizkorri

Luxury participation and favorable weather, after a two-year suspension due to the pandemic, foreshadowed that the historic record of 2017 achieved by the Norwegian Stian Angermund-Vik (3 hours, 45 minutes and 8 seconds) could be beaten. this Sunday Jornet sprayed with an authority that shattered in all partials.

The event, part of the Golden Trail World Series, which will also travel to France, the United States, Norway and Switzerland, certified its best edition in terms of fans, time and quality of the runners. 500 were lucky enough to run it among more than 1,250 requests for guests.

Jornet did not have an even better time because he lacked direct competition, as on the hard climb to the mountain Aizkorri he got out of the surveillance of the Italian Davide Magrini to travel alone during the last kilometers.

Leon Merillas from León was another of the highlights. At the very least, he stepped on the podium in a final stretch in which he proved to have managed his forces very well to achieve an excellent time.

The women’s event was dominated by surprise by the Dutch Nienke Brinkman, who distanced herself almost from the start of the favorite Maude Mathys, from Switzerland, and started a solo race to crown in front of the hundreds of fans gathered in the summit of the Aizkorri far enough away not to jeopardize its triumph.

Brinkman took a considerable distance (more than four minutes) to the most demanding point on the route to Mathys, which the Swiss runner could not keep in the back miles, no longer so hard. In addition, Sara Alonso from Donostia-San Sebastián had to be extremely vigilant, third after a magnificent race in which she surpassed the list of foreign athletes who, by hierarchy, were destined to qualify ahead of the young Basque.