This pair of articles describe the Engadin Ski Marathon from two different perspectives.
Engadin Skimarathon 1st, 2nd and 3rd time lucky
Dawn on Sunday March 14th found me once again standing in the cold at Maloja, waiting for the start of my third Engadin ski marathon. Jayne was there too this year for her first attempt at the race, and Nigel for the second time. We had had excellent weather during the preceding week, almost constant blue sky and sunshine. There had been no snowfall, but that didn’t matter because a lot of snow had fallen just before we arrived, covering all the trees in a thick blanket, which gradually thawed off during the week. Race day was another warm day once the sun reached us on the valley floor.
Nigel and I started in the ‘HB’ group this year, which is the second to last wave to start. This made for a rather more fraught race. We had 20 minutes start on the last wave, whose faster skiers caught us after about 15km. This unfortunately coincides with the narrowest part of the race route, so for the next 10km or so, there was a constant stream of fast aggressive skiers overtaking us whether there was room or not. It took me 1h50m to reach the feeding station at Pontresina, just behind Nigel, and I thought that that was the end of any hope of finishing in under 3 hours.
From Pontresina onwards, the course widens again, the congestion decreased, and my speed increased. A 5km in 22 minutes followed by another 5km in 18 minutes, and to my surprise, I found myself at the finishing line in 2h59m - an improvement of 15 minutes on last year. Nigel arrived shortly after me, and Jayne somewhat later.
The Engadin is a lovely place for track skiing, even if you don’t want to do the race. There are a number of beautiful side valleys as well as the main Engadin valley. The transport system is excellent (well, it’s Swiss, what do you expect?), and it makes a nice change being able to ski lightly loaded and stop at cafe’s for meals and drinks. Snow conditions were good all week, apart from things getting a bit slushy in places in the afternoon sun.
author: Nick Davies
An Alternative View of the Engadin Skimarathon - From Somewhere Near the Back
6.00 am on a cold clear morning: Nick, Nigel and I board the bus in Pontresina to take us to the start of the Engadin Skimarathon in Maloja. Last year an injury two days before the race prevented me from taking part, this year it looks like I will at least get to the start.
9.00 am: after a long wait in the cold, here I am at the start line, the sun is shining, and I’m starting to enjoy being here, amongst thousands of other skiers. The start of the HB group, which includes Nick and Nigel, is announced, and a cheer goes up from the assembled skiers. Only 20 minutes to go before the final wave sets off.
9.20 am: the waiting skiers join in with the final countdown, and we’re off, slowly at first. I have heard a lot about aggression at the start of the race, and the amount of jostling and pushing. Starting as I have, well towards the back, I miss out on all this and instead enjoy being part of the huge number of skiers gradually building up speed, listening to the sound of thousands of sets of poles being planted in the snow, thousands of skis gliding.
The first 10km is flat across lakes, I’ve skied it before but with lots of stops along the way. Today, being part of the race makes all the difference, I ski the first 10k without a break and arrive at the first drinks station after 50 minutes. At this point the initial elation wears off a bit and I realise I’m tired already! I guzzle 3 cups of Rivella energy drink - can’t imagine any other time that I’d touch the stuff. A woman serving the drinks refastens my race bib for me and wishes me a “Good Marathon”.
After that it’s a question of taking it easy, taking my time, not tiring myself out too soon. Through St Moritz, up a long climb, and I manage the infamous descent of “Mattress Hill” without mishap, past the 20 km mark and arrive at the feeding station in Pontresina. Here I shuffle slowly along, eating and drinking everything that comes within reach - Rivella, tea, Ballisto bar, banana.
The next few km are relatively easy going, flat or gently downhill, and the spectators are supportive of the slower racers. In Samedan the commentator announces my name and I get a cheer. At the La Punt feeding station a small girl gives me banana pieces and chatters to me in German, which I don’t understand.
I arrive in Zuoz, 5km from the end after 4 hours, well inside my personal schedule. Another welcome feeding station, and I tackle the short steep climb out of Zuoz. At this point I discover that I have hardly any strength left, and have to make do with a plodding herringbone.
This last 5km is the sting in the tail of the race for tired skiers, lots of climbs, no strength left to skate. We late finishers are supportive of each other. An elderly skier falls, two others go to help him up. I share chocolate with an American woman. 1 km to go, the route drops to the bottom of the valley and climbs into the finishing stadium. At last I really believe that I can finish, I get a surge of adrenalin and start skating again, round the final zigzags. Nick and Nigel are cheering me on. I cross the finishing line, my time is clocked, I fall over, stand up, somebody pushes me along on my skis to get me out of the way of following skiers, and it’s over.
It takes until Tuesday for the reality to sink in. I have skied the Engadin Skimarathon. And I want to do it again...
author: Jayne Davies
publish date: April 1999
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