This winter, he conquered skyscrapers around the world. Step by step in our 1450 Trail Run compression knee-high socks, now “our” Emanuele Manzi has won the legendary 2015 Snowdon Race in Llamberis, Wales—one of the world’s mountain running meccas—which was celebrating the 40th edition of the event. A victory achieved with grit and heart by “Captain” Manzi, who had already stood on the podium here a dozen years ago, behind his teammate Marco De Gasperi. This time, he triumphed, leading from start to finish and pulling away for the win during the final 8 km descent.

On the historic course—the one used in the first edition, which is about 1,500 meters longer than the one on which the race’s record times were set—the Italian riders went on the attack right at the start of the climb. Manzi led the way, with a brilliant Massimo Farcoz right on his heels all the way to the top of the climb, which the two finished together in 45’39”, while the other Italian, Riccardo Sterni, trailed in third place, 54 seconds behind.

The final descent separated the two Italian leaders, with Manzi pulling ahead to finish his 16-kilometer race in 1h10’18”. Behind him, debutant Farcoz from the Aosta Valley did an excellent job of defending his silver medal in 1h11’29” against a fierce comeback by the Anglo-Saxon “pack.” Third place went to England’s Ben Mounsley in 1h11’37”, ahead of his compatriots Rob Hope (1h13’10”) and Ben Adams (1h13’24”).

Just a few days after the continental and world championship medals won in Madeira and Zermatt, the Italian Mountain Running Team returned to the spotlight with a squad called upon to defend the Italian colors in one of the most legendary races on the continental stage: the Snowdon Race. A challenging 16 kilometers—divided equally between ascent and descent—that take the athletes from the town of Llanberis to the summit of Mount Snowdon (the highest mountain in Wales and the second highest in all of Great Britain), before sending them, flanked by crowds on either side, on a veritable nosedive toward the finish line.

You’ve returned to Wales after so many years, knowing that you can still compete at the highest level. How do you feel on the eve of a race that, in a sense, launched your competitive career on the international stage?

It was incredibly moving—like going back 14 years to 2001, the year I first stepped onto the international mountain running scene. Doing so as captain of the national team took on even greater significance, and it certainly fills me with pride.

How can we describe the Snowdon Race?

The Snowdon Race is a bit like the Paris-Roubaix of cycling. An entire town (Llanberis) comes to a standstill to celebrate the most important sporting event of the year. It’s amazing how much support there is—not just for the front-runners, but for all the participants, who are considered true heroes. From a technical standpoint, it might seem like an easy race: about 8 km of climbing with 1,000 meters of elevation gain and the same amount of descent on the same dirt road. In reality, how you tackle the course is of fundamental importance. Climbers gain as much of an advantage as possible while maintaining a minimum level of focus to tackle the descent effectively. Conversely, those strongest on the second section try to lose as little ground as possible so they can “let loose” on the part of the course that suits them best. Many times, the race has come down to the final meters with breathtaking sprints!

(Source: Sportdimontagna.com – Maurizio Torri)