22/07/2023
In the traditional summer event triumph of the Premana athlete among the men, and sixth affirmation for Ivana, the second consecutive.
It was a true celebration of sport and the mountains, this 2023 edition of the Brooks Stralivigno, the classic mid-summer appointment with the Livigno half-marathon, which for years has been attracting runners from all over Italy and Europe to the fairy-tale landscape of Little Tibet. Athletes put themselves to the test in the unspoiled nature that surrounds and embraces the locality, on the tracks of a renovated route, and embellished with a longer section of trail than in the past, a testament to the organizers' continuing quest to enhance the beauty of the setting, even outside the concrete passages of the village center.
Surpassed the result of 2022 in the number of starters for the entire weekend, representing Norway, Switzerland, Portugal, Great Britain, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Denmark and the Netherlands, in addition, of course, to the Italian athletes: a considerable growth compared to last year's edition and a new confirmation of the great technical value recognized to the competition, which is able to involve runners from many different nationalities. A great international breath, which also reflects the values of Brooks, historical partner of the resort and, from this year, also of Stralivigno.
The competition kicked off from the Aquagranda Olympic Preparation Center, a symbol and nerve center of Livigno's sporting identity: a perfect catwalk to welcome participants to the heart of the village, before directing them onto the bike path, thus kicking off the hottest stages of the race. Race capable of expressing a high technical content, thanks to a group of starters of excellent quality, which gave the audience present an exciting challenge from the first meter.
Among men, in the end, Mattia Gianola, of Dinamo Team SSD ARL, won with a time of 01:18:47, preceding at the finish line Roberto Fregona and Massimo Galliano, second and third respectively. "It was a fast race where I knew I had great opponents. I didn't expect to win, but when you wear the bib all you do is push, all the way to the end. And so I did," commented the Premana athlete, already third at last month's Brooks Livigno Skymarathon.
Among women, on the other hand, yet another confirmation for Ivana Iozzia, an athlete of the Calcestruzzi Corradini team, who has now reached her sixth success in the competition, the second consecutive, after her victory in 2022. A great affinity for the race, which also emerges from her statements at the finish line: "It's my race because it's very runnable, and the course allows you to relaunch well after the climbs and descents. I took the lead right from the start, and I never left it. I also really liked the new variant that makes the course even more spectacular and difficult. Iozzia finished with a time of 01:32:03, clearly distancing Debora Benedetti and Francesca Mottalini, the other athletes who made the podium.
Excellent response from the public and participants, finally, also for the non-competitive relay, a format designed specifically for all those who wanted to enjoy a high-profile sporting experience in the company of a teammate, or companion. No rankings for this special category, just the pleasure of an afternoon spent between nature and sport. The weekend will close tomorrow with the Ministralivigno, the event dedicated to the youth categories, and a pizza party dedicated to the participants. The worthy conclusion for a weekend dedicated to running, mountain values and sharing.
