A one-on-one with Marta Poretti, one of Italy’s top ultradistance athletes, whom we interviewed a few days before the Transgrancanaria 125k (8,000 m elevation gain).

Her 2017 got off to a fantastic start, with a second-place finish at the Winter Trail Monte Prealba 52k in the Brescia area and a victory at the 6 Ore di Pastrengo, on the Veronese shore of Lake Garda: She is Marta Poretti, one of Italy’s top athletes specializing in ultra-distance mountain races, and an Oxyburn Ambassador for many years. “I ran on Monte Prealba and in Pastrengo to test myself ahead of the Transgrancanaria 125k, a race I’ll be tackling starting at 11:00 p.m. on Friday, February 24—just a few days from now. They were two very different races, but I had a lot of fun. In Pastrengo, I followed the group at the start, but ended up taking a wrong turn and losing several minutes… but then I managed to make up the time, thanks in part to a really fun course—slippery and full of mud due to the heavy rains in the days leading up to the race…”

You can already see Marta’s philosophy here… an athlete who finds “fun” what others see as an obstacle, a problem, or a real struggle… And that’s why, putting “her” Grande Corsa Bianca aside for now, Marta decided to participate in this year’s 125k ultra in Gran Canaria: “Years ago, I ran the 82k Transgrancanaria, with 4,300 meters of elevation gain: I liked the course, so this year I decided to try the 125k version with 8,000 meters of elevation gain…though I’ll admit I’m just going to compete, experience a new adventure… and treat myself to a few days at the beach in winter, even though the forecast, unfortunately, calls for rain. I think the competition is too tough for me to aim for a podium finish, but I’ll be there and I’ll fight right up to the finish line!”

You have a true passion for the mountains, since you run and bike there, in addition to skiing and climbing: “Above all, I consider myself a mountaineer and a runner,” Marta explains, “but the fact is, I love the mountains and doing sports at high altitudes. Whether it’s summer or winter doesn’t matter… as long as I’m at high altitude. And, of course, doing sports in the mountains is a great workout for the heart, lungs, and all the muscles in the body.”

A few days ago, Daniele Alimonti won the 1,000 Miglia di Atene, but the fact is that ultra-distance races are becoming more and more common, just as the number of athletes participating in them is growing: are they heroes or madmen? Neither one nor the other, according to Marta: “Some people call us ‘crazy,’ but I believe it takes extraordinary mental strength as well as a certain amount of intelligence—even just, for example, in knowing how to manage your energy throughout the entire race. But I always think that if a race exists, it means it can be tackled and finished. Sure, maybe you cross the finish line and, looking back on the race, realize you’ve covered a truly enormous number of kilometers… but I don’t feel crazy at all: I can do it, and I do it—nothing more…”

But what does it take to run an ultratrail of that many kilometers? “First of all, you need a deep sense of self-awareness: you have to know how to manage yourself, especially in times of crisis, and know how to endure the pain… When you run for so many kilometers, and for so many hours, something always hurts… always! For me, the most ‘stressful’ part of a race, for example, is getting my gear ready and the waiting… once I’m off, though, I just think about running…” she says with a laugh.

And what about clothing? “Clothing is essential in races like these,” explains Marta, who has been running for years in Oxyburn-branded graduated compression gear. “In ultradistance races, it’s essential to wear technical clothing in layers, so you can add or remove layers easily and quickly. In addition to a hat and gloves, I always wear Oxyburn shirts and pants—often three-quarter-length—both for the massaging effect and for the excellent breathable technology, which allows me to stay dry and warm for hours on end.”

Let’s leave Marta to her pre-Transgrancanaria preparations with one last point-blank question… any hints about your 2017? “Well, I don’t know,” she replies slyly, “I don’t like the bodysuits you need for triathlons—they don’t make me feel like myself.”