When the legend of women’s trail running lines up at the start of a race, expectations are sky-high. Courtney Dauwalter is the Queen of UTMB — and now of the Laveredo 120k in Cortina too.
On the longest and most magical night in the Dolomites, she lived up to the hype, dominating the Lavaredo 120K with the authority of someone who turns a gruelling race into a personal symphony. 14 hours, 14 minutes, and 40 seconds: that’s how long it took her to cross the finish line, alone and smiling. Her rivals only saw her at the start. Then Courtney pulled away, set the pace, breathed the thin mountain air, and savored every kilometer as only she can. “Cortina is incredible. The warmth of the people, the views… this race is truly special,” she said at the finish, as the square erupted in applause.
It was an all-American one-two in the women’s 120K, with Alyssa Clark of Team On finishing second in 14:43:51 — strong and smiling after a night of running under the stars. Rounding out the podium was Poland’s Karolina Wierzchowiak (Trail is Our Way).
Bad luck for Italy’s Martina Valmassoi, one of the most anticipated athletes: she was forced to withdraw after less than 10 km due to a physical issue, ending her Lavaredo dream far too soon. But Cortina knows how to wait — and we’re sure she’ll be back to claim what she deserves.
American athlete Ben Dhiman of the Asics Fuji Trail team flew through the 120 kilometres and 5,800 meters of elevation gain in 11 hours, 49 minutes, and 16 seconds, smashing the previous record held by Hannes Namberger (11:57:15). Dhiman set a blistering pace from the start, creating a clear gap and maintaining the lead throughout. No one could catch him. Behind him, however, the battle was fierce. In the first half, Frenchman Antoine Charvolin and Italian Tobias Geiser fought a thrilling duel. But as the night grew tougher and fatigue set in, Romanian Raul Octaviu Butaci of Team BIGK emerged, managing his effort smartly to secure a brilliant second place in 12:02:09.
The South Tyrolean athlete from Team La Sportiva, after years of attempts, finally realized his dream of reaching the Lavaredo 120K podium. It wasn’t easy. The first part of the race was marred by physical difficulties that seemed to take him out of contention. But Reiterer never gave up. He gritted his teeth, relied on his mind, heart, and the roaring support of the crowd. Kilometre by kilometre, he clawed his way back to claim third place in 12:05:24, greeted by a thunderous cheer along Corso Italia.
