REGISTRATIONS IN FULL SWING AND FIRST MEETING OF VOLUNTEERS
31 May 2017
OROBIE ULTRA-TRAIL® REGISTRATIONS IN FULL SWING AND FIRST MEETING OF VOLUNTEERS
NUMBERS OF APPLICATIONS ARE GROWING EXPONENTIALLY FOR THIS LONG-AWAITED “OUTDOOR” RACE, WHICH STARTS IN THE HEART OF THE OROBIE ALPS AND FINISHES IN MEDIEVAL UPPER BERGAMO. THE “CAMPAIGN” TO RECRUIT VOLUNTEERS IS ALSO IN FULL SWING, WITH A GOAL OF 800!
reference hashtag: #orobieultratrail #Out17
Entries for the Orobie Ultra-Trail®, Gran Trail Orobie and Bergamo Urban-Trail are continuing at a rapid pace. At the moment, the number of athletes registered for the event, scheduled from 28th to 30th July, is 1,200 from 32 countries (New Zealand being the farthest). More specifically, 190 are entered for the Orobie Ultra-Trail®, 810 for the Gran Trail Orobie and 295 for the Bergamo Urban-Trail. Remember that registration can also be carried out at the Info Points (see below) or on line at the website: http://www.orobieultratrail.it/it/modalita_iscrizione.asp. The possibility of registering for the races will remain open until 30th June 2017, but the actual costs of registration will remain unchanged for only a few more days, and from 1st June the third price bracket will come into effect.
OROBIE ULTRA-TRAIL® INFO POINTS
Those wishing to register at the Orobie Ultra-Trail® Info Points will be given a discount of 10%, which is valid for all rates, but that’s not all: with the aim of trying to increase the spread of information regarding the world of trail running, a series of evenings will be held at these “territorial outposts” during which the organisers and expert athletes will give advice on how to best tackle the races, what clothing and footwear to use, how to eat, keep hydrated and follow directions, etc. Group training sessions will also be organised by our ASD Asso Orobica, some of which will take place along sections of the race. The Orobie Ultra- Trail® Info Points are: READY TO RUN (Torre Boldone) and KAPPAEMMESPORT (Ponte Selva Parre)
ALL 3 RACES IN DETAIL
Orobie Ultra-Trail® - Starts on Friday July 28, 2017 at 10.00 am from Clusone (Piazza dell’Orologio) and ends in Bergamo Alta. This 140-km trail features a 9,500-metre elevation gain. Maximum race time: 46 hours; maximum number of entrants: 700. Gran Trail Orobie - Starts on Saturday July, 29, 2017 at 8.00 am from Carona and ends in Bergamo Alta. This 70-km trail features a 5,200-metre elevation gain. Maximum race time: 24 hours; maximum number of entrants: 1,300. Bergamo Urban-Trail (new in 2017) – Starts on Friday July 28 at 20.30pm from the Lazzaretto district of Bergamo and ends in Bergamo Alta. This 20-km twilight trail with headlamps features a 700-metre elevation gain. Maximum race time: 4 hours; maximum number of entrants: 500.
VOLUNTEERS OUT2017: ONLINE CAMPAIGN OPEN AND FIRST RECRUITMENT EVENING
There is no doubt that to realise a great international event like the Orobie Ultra-Trail© the role of volunteers is indispensable. The stage of “recruitment” has been ongoing for several weeks through online registration (www.volontariout.it). Towards the middle of June, the various positions available, divided according to tasks, will be added to the website. These include: secretarial volunteers (knowledge of English and interpersonal skills), logistics volunteers (manual abilities, good physical shape, driving licence B), refreshment volunteers (ability to cook and administer food and drink, interpersonal skills) and first aid and course assistance volunteers (support to the head of safety of athletes and experience in an Alpine environment). In addition to the tasks, the volunteer may indicate the place and times they prefer. Those who have already entered their details in 2017 just need to go to the website and enter their preference without entering their details again. However details registered in 2016 were not saved and so whoever was a volunteer must register again. Remember that if you are part of an organised group, the procedure to follow can be found by clicking on “Groups”. But the “recruitment” campaign is not just taking place on line, but also during other occasions, such as the evening of Tuesday 23rd May at Pala Monti. The event saw many participants and – an important piece of data – 70% of those present made a contribution in 2016, confirming that it was a positive experience, which was enthusiastically divulged to other possible new “candidates”. During the meeting the general programme was shown to the volunteers, as well as how the division of areas of expertise is organised and how the people will be distributed along the route, from the start to the finish line. The Organising Staff aims – as occurred in the previous edition – to involve about 800 volunteers.
SAFETY KIT: MAYBE NOT EVERYONE KNOWS…
Running for dozens and dozens of kilometres in the mountains, day and night, requires certain important precautions concerning safety. For example, athletes taking part in the Orobie Ultra-Trail® and Gran Trail Orobie should take with them an emergency kit, which must contain: 1 thermal blanket, 1 whistle, 1 elastic bandage (80x60cm) and, to respect the environment, a cup to use during the race to avoid the use of plastic bottles. With regard to clothing, athletes must take with them a waterproof jacket (min. 10,000 mm water column) which must also be breathable, of the windbreaker type and have an incorporated hood, and long windbreaker trousers, as well as a continuously working mobile phone and a head torch. The only mandatory items for the Bergamo Urban-Trail are a mobile phone (see above) and a head torch; clothing instead is left up to the good sense of the participants, and should obviously be chosen according to the weather conditions.
ABOUT OROBIE ULTRA-TRAIL®
The secret behind the success of 2017 Orobie Ultra-Trail® lies in the event`s very “DNA”: the trail`s extra-ordinary setting stretches over tens of kilometres in the very heart of the Orobie mountain range; athletes will be racing along enchanting trails and paths in an ever-changing scenery of rocky outcrops, verdant pastures and woodlands set among picture-postcard views; and, right at the end - the best having been saved for last - an awe-inspiringly-located finish line in Bergamo Alta`s Piazza Vecchia. And finally, the fact that Bergamo - also known as the City of the 1000 from the number of townsmen who fought to unify Italy in Giuseppe Garibaldi`s army of 1000 men - offers excellent flight connections to the "world" via a conveniently-positioned airport. As nothing happens by chance, a finely-tuned team of people has worked hard since the first edition and behind the scenes of Orobie Ultra-Trail® to ensure the best possible sportsmanship and safety to the great number of runners throughout the competition. The overall organisation of the Event lies with Associazione Sportiva “Asso Orobica”, partnering with Bergamo-based “SpiaGames Outdoor Agency”.
