Marta talks about her experience at the Kong Vinter Adventure Race and the San Michele Pass Tour

Marta Poretti tells us about her experience at the Kong Vinter Adventure Race (which stands for “King of Winter”) in Denmark, held on January 10, as part of the only Italian team. It’s an orienteering race featuring running, kayaking, and mountain biking segments. The race takes place under extreme conditions—so much so that, due to the weather, the organizers were forced to suspend the race after 14 hours.

Marta says: “We covered a total of about 40 km on foot, 60 km on mountain bikes, and 15 km of an absolutely wild kayak ride!”

There were about 15 km of orienteering and 60 km of MTB orienteering left.

“It was impossible to stay on your feet, and kayaking at night was a real struggle in those rickety boats with a crazy wind and a current that was never in our favor!!”

Regarding the decision to suspend the race: “Cold wind, rain—but I would have kept going! Sure, it wasn’t exactly easy, but I’m convinced that in the end, our determination would have set us apart from the others. I was also well bundled up! Underneath, I wore a full set of Oxyburn gear: a short-sleeved shirt, a long-sleeved zip-up shirt, tights, and long socks—my legendary thick socks. On my head during the run, I wore my beloved Oxybuff. On the bike, I switched to a balaclava, and the Oxybuff ended up around my neck.”

To learn more about Kong Vinter: www.kongvinter.dk

Even though she’s just returned from her trip to Denmark, Marta never stops, and she tells us about the San Michele Hill Tour, a combined event—a competitive race covering a route of about 27 km, to be completed first on foot and then by mountain bike.

Marta says: “The ground was very muddy! I was happy running; I didn’t push too hard, and my legs were moving well.”

I have plenty of room for improvement on a mountain bike, but I’d gained some experience riding in the mud in Denmark and was handling it pretty well. Don’t be afraid of puddles and mud. You’ve got to tackle it head-on. …just like on snow—if you’ve got traction, the car won’t skid!” Not even falls can stop her: “Okay, I took a little tumble, but in the mud, it’s like a mattress!”

“In conclusion, even though I made a mistake at the end of the walking portion—which cost me at least a couple of minutes—I managed to complete the bike portion in 3 minutes less than it took me on foot.

I came in second in both the running and mountain biking events, but the combined standings were based on the total time, so I finished first.

“Once again, I wore Oxyburn gear: a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, calf-length socks, and the Oxybuff for running. For mountain biking, I wore the same outfit as in Denmark, but without the balaclava.”

And what does the future hold for Marta? “I think I’ll sign up for ‘La Grande Corsa Bianca.’ I haven’t done much ski mountaineering, but I’ve done a lot of mountain biking. Still, it’s such a great race. Worst-case scenario, I’ll just have to crawl there on my knees!”