Tripletta di Hillary Gerardi, Finlay Wild da record

Trofeo Kima has crowned the latest skyrunning royalty in the names of Finlay Wild from Scotland, who topped off his second victory at this iconic race making it two out of two and a new course record in 6h05’04, and Hillary Gerardi from the United States who claimed her third consecutive victory in Valmasino in textbook style.

Held every two years Trofeo Kima and always a highlight of the elite skyrunning calendar, the 22nd edition of this race and the season’s Italian stop of the Merrell Skyrunner World Series once again saw skyrunners take on seven Alpine passes over 2,500 metres of altitude in front of natural stadium of granite rocks and cheering spectactors.

The Kima association race organisers, which was founded to commemorate the mountain guide Pierangelo Marchetti, celebrated their own 30th anniversary with a stellar edition of an event that’s continuing to gain recognition internationally. Despite the course’s extremely technical nature and rigorous entry criteria, the participants on the start line totalled no fewer than 403 athletes from 33 different nations. What’s more, the 52 km Trofeo Kima race ran simultaneously with the event’s shorter distance races: Kima Extreme Skyrace (27K), Kima Trail (14K) and Mini Kima (6K), seeing 800 participants in total with 24.5% women participants.

A HOTLY FOUGHT 22nd EDITION FROM THE GUN
Despite the absence of Nadir Maguet and William Boffelli from the start line, Kima’s 2024 field was still a who’s who of elite skyrunners and it didn’t take long before the expectant crowds learned that Kilian Jornet’s record was under threat. At the first of the day’s seven passes, Scotland’s Finlay Wild was alongside Jack Kuenzle (USA) and Manuel Merillas (Spain), who unfortunately abandoned the race at the placche del Torrone due to a fall. The leaders were chased by a strong Italian contigent made up of Cristian Minoggio, Daniel Antonioli, Mattia Gianola and Mattia Tanara, who pushed hard until the finish line. With the chase going on behind them, the leaders had to keep their foot on the gas, with Wild taking the win for the second time and setting a new all-time record of 6h05’04”, ahead of Jack Kuenzle (6h08’15”) and Cristian Minoggio (6h11’36”). Fourth and fifth went to Daniel Antonioli and Mattia Gianola.

The women’s field was equally as competitive, seeing the differences made at halfway into the race when Hillary Gerardi broke away from France Elise Poncet and Mexico’s Karina Carsolio, completing the second half at a rapid tempo to take her third consecutive win in a time of 7h32’58”,  achingly close to the record she set in 2022 of 7h30’38”. This phenomenal athlete from the United States was closely followed by Elise Poncet (7h35’20”) and Henriette Albon (7h40’02”).

LORENZO ROTA MARTIR AND GIULIA MARCHESONI WON THE SKY
Extreme by name, extreme by nature: Trofeo Kima’s younger sibling measures 27.5 km with 1,890 metres of climbing, making it anything but a walk in the park. It follows the final part of the skymarathon, with a climb to Rifugio Gianetti, the mythical Passo Barbacan at 2,570 m.s.l and a final descent towards Rifugio Omio.  This Kima “taster event” saw a smashing women’s race with Italy’s Giulia Marchesoni stamping her name all over the event as she took 10 minutes off the previous record with a time of 3h30’38”. She was closely followed over the finish line in Filorera by Alice Testini (3h32’25”) and Lisa Boschetti (3h32’32”). The men’s was won by Lorenzo Rota Martir in 3h01’27” (leaving Luca del Pero’s 2022 record of  2h58’42” untouched). Second place went to Daniel Curtis, USA (3h05’38”) and third to Harry Bolton, UK (3h10’52”).

THE KIMA TRAIL DEBUT WINNERS
Luca Merli and Arianna Dentis were the fastest athletes in the 14 km Kima Trail, which saw 122 athletes do a circuit around the picture-book Val di Mello. Merli topped the podium in a time of 53’43” ahead of Alex Rigo (56’14”) and Francesco Ceschi (57’13”), whereas Dentis, who lives in Piedmont, clocked 1h02’48”, with second going to Sladjana Zagorac (1h03’27”) and third to the local Elisa Sortini (1h03’43”). The non-competitive Mini Kima – a 6km family-friendly event – was led home by Daniele Tombolato and Anna Rigonelli.

SEE YOU IN 2026
Trofeo Kima now rests for another year before returning like clockwork in two summers’ time. The objective, of course, remains the same: Stage a race with the thrills and technicality to satisfy the world’s most elite skyrunners. For 2024, mission accomplished.