The Mezzalama Trophy (, , a.k.a. white marathonLe tappe dealla leggendaria "maratona bianca" (Italian)) is an Italian high altitude ski mountaineering competition in upper Valtournenche and Ayas valleys, in Aosta Valley.
The Mezzalama Trophy, which belongs to the "big three of ski mountaineering" () besides the two other best-known and classical ski mountaineering events, the Patrouille des Glaciers and the Pierra Menta, is the highest alpine ski mountaineering competition of the world. The event in the Monte Rosa's massif was named in honor of the mountain guide Ottorino Mezzalama.Trofeo Mezzalama 2007: 16. Auflage des Klassikers am 29. April (German), M2b, April 26, 2007.
The Mezzalama Trophy is a stage of La Grande Course that includes the most important ski mountaineering competitions of the season.
History The Mezzalama Trophy Foundation was founded by friends of Ottorino Mezzalama in 1933 in his memory, one of them was Mario Corti. The race was held every year from 1933 and to 1938. Entry was open only to men; the first female participant is presumed to be Paula Wiesinger, who had been invited to view the race in 1935. When Giusto Gervasutti withdrew due to injury, she put on his military uniform and cap and, wearing sunglasses, ran instead of him, but was discovered at a checkpoint.Paula Wiesinger (German), FemBio. The 1935 Trofeo Mezzalama was filmed by Mario Craveri in his film "Maratona Bianca".Trofeo Mezzalama, il fascino di una leggenda che si rinnova (Italian), La Stampa, April 15, 2009.
After 1938 the race was discontinued (except that in 1940 a platonic race was carried out under the name marcia nazionale Ottorino Mezzalama by the Ski Club Torino). Further races were held in 1971, 1973, 1975, and in 1978,La rinascita degli anni Settanta (Italian), p. 4. and the Mezzalama Trophy was revived as a regular biennial race with the eleventh race in 1997.
In 1975, the Mezzalama Trophy was held as World Championship of Skimountaineering. 33 civilian teams, 12 mountain guide teams and 11 military teams participated in this event.Le tappe della leggendaria “maratona bianca” (Italian). In that year, the first female team competed officially.Giuseppe Martelli: altre notizie degli alpini bolognesi romagnoli (Italian), November 15, 2005. Together with the Pierra Menta and the Tour du Rutor event, the Mezzalama Trophy is part of the Trophée des Alpes (French for Alps' Trophy) series.
Editions and winners The list shows the winning teams for each edition of the Trofeo Mezzalama.
In 1934, all competing teams were overtaken by the German reserve racer Anderl Heckmair, who started as a single racer one and a half hours after the teams left.Trofeo Mezzalama - Ein Hochgebirgswettlauf der Sonderklasse (German), p. 44.
Edition Date Ranking Male teams Female teams 1st May 28, 1933Rielaborazione storia libro Camisasca Luigi Carrel Antonio Gaspard Piero Maquignaz 2nd May 19, 1934The winners of the 1934 edition, planetmountain.com. Alberto Chenoz Francesco Chenoz Bartolomeo Carrel 3rd May 26, 1935 Cap. Enrico Silvestri Serg. Carlo Ronc Alp. Attilio Chenoz 4th June 13, 1936 Ten. Francesco Vida Serg. Carlo Ronc Serg. Luigi Perenni 5th June 19, 1937 Ten. Giuseppe Fabre Serg. Luigi Perenni Alp. Anselmo Viviani 6th June 11, 1938Compagnoni Aristide, Severino e Ottavio (Italian). Aristide Compagnoni Severino Confortola Silvio Confortola 7th September 11, 1971 Gianfranco Stella Aldo Stella Roberto Stella 8th June 1, 1973Gianfranco Stella Gianfranco Stella Aldo Stella Palmiro Serafini 1st World Championship9th edition on May 10, 1975Albo d'oroGenuin Angelo Category: "civilian teams" Renzo Meynet Osvaldo Ronc Mirko Stangalino Category: "military teams" Angelo Genuin Bruno Bonaldi Luigi "Gigi" Weiss Category: "mountain guide teams" Oreste Squinobal Arturo Squinobal Lorenzo Squinobal 10th April 29, 1978 Category: "civilian teams" Rudolf Kapeller Karl Sinzinger Josef Hones Category: "military teams" Mario Varesco Fabio Cavagnet Elvio Venturini Category: "mountain guide teams" Arturo Squinobal Lorenzo Squinobal Danilo Barell 11th 1997Cavalcata da leggenda Trionfo da Skyrunners, May 4, 1997. Fabio Meraldi Enrico Pedrini Omar Oprandi Bice Bones Brunella Parolini Fabiana Battel 12th 1999La Forestale da record trionfa nel Mezzalama (Italian), April 25, 1999. Fulvio Mazzocchi Leonardo Follis Luciano Fontana Gloriana Pellissier Danielle Hacquard Véronique Lathuraz 13th 2001Men's best three and best women since 1997 Graziano Boscacci Ivan Murada Heinz Blatter Gloriana Pellissier Arianna Follis Alexia Zuberer 14th 2003 Damien Farquet Rico Elmer Rolf Zurbrügg Cristina Favre-Moretti Arianna Follis Chiara Raso 15th 20052005 Trofeo Mezzalama Stéphane Brosse Patrick Blanc Guido Giacomelli Gloriana Pellissier Christiane Nex Natascia Leonardi Cortesi 16th 20072007 Trofeo Mezzalama Guido Giacomelli Jean Pellissier Florent Troillet Gloriana Pellissier Roberta Pedranzini Francesca Martinelli 17th 20092009 Trofeo Mezzalama Manfred Reichegger Matteo Eydallin Denis Trento Francesca Martinelli Roberta Pedranzini Laëtitia Roux 18th 20112011 Trofeo Mezzalama - men results 2011 Trofeo Mezzalama - women results Kilian Jornet Burgada William Bon Mardion Didier Blanc Francesca Martinelli Roberta Pedranzini Gloriana Pellissier 19th 20132013 Trofeo Mezzalama - men results2013 Trofeo Mezzalama - women results Manfred Reichegger Damiano Lenzi Matteo Eydallin Laura Besseghini Raffaella Rossi Elena Nicolini 20th 2015 Matteo Eydallin Michele Boscacci Damiano Lenzi Emelie Forsberg Axelle Mollaret Jennifer Fiechter 21st 2017 Matteo Eydallin Michele Boscacci Damiano Lenzi Emelie Forsberg Laetitia Roux Jennifer Fiechter
Literature Umberto Pelazza, Antonio Vizzi: Il Trofeo Mezzalama 1933-1997 : Storia e leggenda della sci-alpinistica piu alta del mondo (Italian) (Aosta) - ed. La Vallee, 1999 Rolf Majcen: Bergauf - Abenteuer Ausdauersport (German)
References
External links Official Website Mezzalama at euroski-on-line.com