Editors Note: Dave Dunham was one of the first American mountain runners to race Challenge Stellina finishing 2nd in 1993 and 3rd in 1994. Other American who have raced Challenge Stellina include: Mike Casner (1996), Richard Bolt (1999), Richard Schelley (1999), Paul Low (2003), Mark Werner (2003), Kelli Lusk (2004), Eric Morse (2004), Simon Gutierrez (2005), Rickey Gates (2007), Zac Freudenburg (2016) and Chris Grauch (2016).
Press release written by Alex Scolari. Photos by Damiano Benedetto & Archive Susa Athletics.
On Sunday 26 August the Memorial Partigiani Stellina celebrates its 30th birthday. The first edition was organized in 1989, when a group of friends animated by the passion for mountain running, Adriano Aschieris, Mario Pisano and Don Gianpiero Piardi, with the support of local club Atletica Susa, gave life together with the Bolaffi family and the Olympic champion of Rome 1960 Livio Berruti, at the first mountain race recognized by the IAAF.
Susa, Italy. 28st July, 2016. World Master Mountain Running Championships category M under 55. Located on the the roads leading to the plateau of 1944’s Stellina Second World Wide War battle, a classic 111033 mt path for mountain run race in Italy with a twenty seven year long sport history, since 1989. Damiano Benedetto/ Staff photographer
History with a capital H, passing from the Roman period and from the Arch of Augustus of Susa to the Second World War with the commemoration of the battle of the Grange Sevine where the partisans, led by the commander Aldo Laghi, alias Giulio Bolaffi, defeated Nazis Army.
To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary, the Stellina returns to the original course-track, which saw many triumphs of the New Zealander Jonathan Wyatt, King of Stellina and now head of the WMRA (World Mountain Running Association). The icing on the cake of the festivities will also be the announced presence of FIDAL President Alfio Giomi.
Susa, Italy. 28st July, 2016. World Master Mountain Running Championships category M under 55. Located on the the roads leading to the plateau of 1944’s Stellina Second World Wide War battle, a classic 111033 mt path for mountain run race in Italy with a twenty seven year long sport history, since 1989. Damiano Benedetto/ Staff photographer
Many champions expected at the start, from the Dematteis Twins, Francesco Puppi and Cesare Maestri that means the Complete Italian National Mountain Running Team, 2018 champion of Europe, to the Norwegian Johan Bugge, from the Kenyan Timothy Kimutai Kirui to the specialists of the skialp Damiano Lenzi and Matteo Eydallin. For the first time the women’s race will take place on the same men’s route, the protagonists announced are the Italian climber Camilla Magliano, the marathon runner Emma Quaglia, the French Anais Sabris, the Irish Sarah McCormack and the British Heidi Davies.
Course Record resists since 2004 and belongs to Jonathan Wyatt who run the 14.4 KM and 1’630 mt D+ in the incredible 1h14’37”
More info at: www.stellinarace.it
Americans Richard Schelley and Richard Bolt at the 1999 Stellina race. Photo by Dave Dunham.
