Some celebrated for the overall time, some simply for having crossed the finish line, others were simply happy to be there. Literally overwhelming emotions for the third edition of the Challenge Sanremo, an international triathlon event that saw over 600 athletes at the start of the races proposed on the weekend of 21-22 September.
Emotions that also overwhelmed the over 300 volunteers who made it possible to create an event that is very complex in its genre but which, in addition to making you experience unforgettable moments of sport, offers extraordinary views of the province of Imperia and sends a spot of Liguria and Italy around the world. “In addition to the precious volunteers, I must thank all the actors who took to the field for the event, which has grown even further in quality compared to the last edition – says Daniele Moraglia, Race Director of Challenge Sanremo – I would like to underline the collaboration of Sua Eccellenza il Prefetto, Sua Eccellenza il Sig. Questore, the Provincial heads of the Carabinieri, Italian Police, Guardia di Finanza, Capitaneria di Porto, Provincial Police, the Mayors and Commanders of the Municipal Police of the Municipalities involved, the Province of Imperia, and all the bodies that ensured that the various ordinances were respected and therefore that the safety of the athletes was guaranteed”.
The forces deployed to manage the routes were truly massive: 6 boats, 2 jet skis, 4 kayak, 4 rescue dogs, 1 car and 4 motorcycles of the Highway Police, 8 ambulances, 4 bicycles for rescue on the cycling route, over 20 people at the refreshment points. In addition to the technical escort vehicles, 10 motorcycles were used to transport the accredited media and the race referees.
“The huge and continuous organizational effort has allowed us to further improve safety on the tracks, especially on the cycling track, also thanks to further road asphalting work. We want and must still grow further in this aspect, although it is objective that significant steps forward have been made compared to previous editions – Moraglia emphasizes -. I am truly sorry for the 4 athletes who ended up in hospital following the falls, although, as the participants themselves said, they are not attributable to negligence on the part of the organization. We are aware that the Challenge Sanremo is a race different from all the others, with a demanding and technical cycling track: it is the peculiarity of this race, it is the aspect that distinguishes it and it is one of the main reasons why athletes choose it. Since the first reconnaissance, we have maintained that the road bike is the ideal means to tackle this type of cycling route and it is no coincidence that the dominator of this edition has avoided the time trial bike, a decision made after a careful analysis of the routes now known and published on our official channels”.
Speaking of competitiveness, the crucial moment was experienced with the extraordinary victories of the Greek Panagiotis Bitados and the German Daniela Kleiser, authentic dominators of the middle distance race, without forgetting the special prizes awarded to figures who will always remain engraved in the memory of Sanremo sport and beyond.
The Swimrun was held in memory of Alessio Bianchi, a passionate practitioner and soul of this event, while the Memorial Daniele Rambaldi went to Francesca Zenkusen and Alberto Bartolomeo Demarchi, best Under 23 in the sprint triathlon. The Memorial Marco Gavino and the Memorial Ulrike Wachtler were also awarded, respectively to Damien Le Mesnage and Kinga Bazan, authors of the best running fractions in the medium triathlon.
After the races, during the Pasta Party with typical Ligurian flavors, over 100 kg of Trofie al Pesto, 20 square meters of Sardenaira, 20 square meters of Focaccia, over 1000 beers, more than 3000 liters of water and 1500 of mineral salt supplements, over 1000 cans of Red Bull and lots and lots of fruit were distributed. Even the espresso machine worked overtime: almost 1000 cups were served, to the delight of the foreign athletes.
Our social media (Facebook and Instagram) literally exploded: over 350 contents published also in collaboration with Challenge Family led to a coverage of over 50,000 accounts on our social profiles, with over 500 interactions in the last four weeks. 53% of users are connected from abroad, followers on Instagram increased by 18% in the two weeks before the start and there were more than 400 tags during the Challenge Sanremo weekend.
“In closing, I would like to thank all the people who collaborated with the organization, guaranteeing the services of BIB and race pack distribution, bag storage, and they managed awards, arrival, transition area and much much more, with a special mention for the 35 students of the Master’s Degree in Sports Management at the University of Rome ‘Foro Italico’, who gave their all during this formative experience behind the scenes of an international event. Finally, a warm thank you to my invaluable travel companions of the Challenge Sanremo Core Team who with enormous passion and availability work alongside me all year for the success of such a complex event, but which gives us all indelible emotions”.
