Tragedy in South Tyrol at Südtirol Ultraraceone of the most demanding running races in the Alps, marred on Saturday morning by the sudden death by heart attack of one of his young competitors. Ivan Hoferrunners 28 years old Of Sarentino (in the homonymous valley north of Bolzano), was struck down by heart attack under the petrified eyes of others competitors as he faced competition to the limits of human possibilities. The tracked demanding, 45 kilometres on a altitude difference of 2,750 metersThe heat torrid, the hood of humidity and early rising to show up at the starting line at 6.30 in the morning in Piazza Walther in Bolzano were fatal to the South Tyrolean sportsman who, together with others 500 runnershad signed up for the tenth edition of the mountain challenge which, this year, took place only during the day, despite the prohibitive weather conditions.
In 2019 another victim: struck by lightning
The sudden death of Ivan Hofer is not the first tragedy to hit the toughest race in the Alps. This is the second mourning which devastated the Südtirol Ultrarace: in 2019 the Norwegian runner had in fact lost her life Silje Fismenstruck by lightning, during a storm which had crashed into the track during the grueling race that also took place during the night. On the other hand, the causes of the death that he threw into the area on Saturday would be natural despondency the sports community and themselves organizers. The frantic efforts of the rescuers promptly arrived on site after Ivan Hofer collapsed to the ground, inert, along the“Hufeisentour” high trail in the Sarntal Alps. The heart could not bear the weight of the exhausting effort that had overloaded his cardiovascular system beyond measure.
Collapsed just before the finish line
«The doctor was transported to the scene, but the resuscitation maneuvers had no effect» reads the Facebook profile of the race which is headlined on the homepage of the official website «Misfortune at the Südtirol Ultrarace». «A tragic death occurred during the tenth edition of the extreme race on Saturday – write the organizers -. A participant of the 45K on Saturday afternoon is collapsedaccording to the first information following a heart failure, just before the finish line in Sarnthein. The emergency doctor was alerted and airlifted to the scene of the accident, but resuscitation maneuvers they had no effect. “We are deeply shocked by this tragic event. We offer our most heartfelt condolences to his loved ones», says the saddened organizing committee. “The organizers have canceled the awards of the Südtirol Ultrarace as a sign of respect for the deceased and his family».
Pain in the running world
The news of Ivan Hofer’s death caused immediate echoes throughout the community racing enthusiasts and, while the Sarentine community joins the family in pain, what emerges is the I remember of the young runner who wanted to challenge himself once again in this demanding race. A challenge that continued until the end for the almost 500 trail runners coming Worldwide to try their hand at three different tracks and distances of the tough race. Over the greater distance, 63 kilometers with an elevation gain of 3,550 metrestwo athletes from Val Sarentino prevailed: Erwin Hofer and Regina Spieß.
