Back in force for the trail at Serra di u Capicorsu. After two years of absence, this race organized by the Mantinum association, once again put on its sneakers this Saturday, October 5.
And it is Alexandre de Susini, 25 years old, who will inaugurate this comeback by winning the race in 6 hours – 17 minutes and 13 seconds. A pride for this runner who, once the finish line was crossed, collapsed from joy and fatigue. “A great source of pride, because it is still a very good race. There are more than 50 km, so of course it’s always nice to win over this kind of distance, especially when we know that there was still a fairly high level for us. What was hardest was being alone for a very long time, it was a long time because I spent almost five hours alone. We talk a little alone, that’s fair to say (laughing). You have to stay focused and in particular not lose your pace.“.
A triumphant return
Departing from the port of Centuri at six in the morning, the more than 200 participants had to cover 52 kilometers with a difference in altitude of 2976 meters. A trail with an idyllic setting, a little spoiled by the capricious weather which showed itself early in the morning in Haute-Corse. And so it was a little after 12 p.m. that the first runners crossed the finish line located at the bottom of the old port of Bastia.
Sébastien Graziani is the new president of the Mantinum association, successor to Jean-Michael Giudicelli. Always close to the finish line, he goes back and forth to help the runners and the staff. A first for the organizer who is happy to see such enthusiasm around Serra di u capicorsu. “We have lots of ideas in mind this year. When we rethought the race, we wanted to add our personal touch, our experience as a runner, not necessarily mine, but that of other people around me who are used to racing abroad. We wanted to professionalize in the mountains, we put young qualified mountain guides on the ridges, and we increased the supplies. The idea was really to make the race a little more professional. It seems to have worked because people are happy. We set up life bases on the site, with physiotherapists, podiatrists, doctors, mountain nurses, so we were on an XXL format. We are all satisfied, because things went well, no injuries, everyone returned more or less as we had planned. It was a great satisfaction.”
The next test for the Mantinum association will be the famous Spassighjata in Bastia on December 7th.
