COUNCILLOR MAZZALI: COMPETITIONS LIKE THIS ENHANCE THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF TERRITORIES
UNDERSECRETARY PICCHI: INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE IS ESSENTIAL, FULL SUPPORT FROM THE REGION
The ‘Trofeo Kima 2024’, the super classic of Valmasino (SO), promoted by the Kima Association, with the patronage of the Region, was presented at Palazzo Lombardia.
Intervened Federica Peaks, new undersecretary to the Presidency of the Lombardy Region with responsibility for Sport and Youth, on his first official outing, Barbara Mazzali, regional councilor for Tourism, Territorial Marketing and Fashion with responsibility for Major Events.
Among the participants, also representatives of the local authorities, Davide Menegola (president of the Province of Sondrio) and Pietro Taeggi (mayor of the Municipality of Val Masino) and Ilde Marchetti, president of the Kima Association.
THE RACE – The most prestigious and iconic of high-altitude mountain running races, this year will also be the first Italian stage of the Merrell Skyrunner World Series, the specialty World Cup.
MAZZALI: WITH EVENTI SPORTI LOMBARDIA REACHES THE WHOLE WORLD – “Once again – commented Councilor Mazzali – a great sporting event takes Lombardy all over the world and attracts international champions and tourists to our territory. The Spanish athlete Kilian Jornet defined the Kima Trophy ‘The most spectacular race in the world’: a true praise to the beauty of the peaks and valleys of our Valtellina, along which the competition takes place”.
“Kima is celebrating its 30th edition this year – he continued – a great achievement, for a skymarathon that moves thousands of people who generate ‘sold out’ in the accommodation facilities of the valley and produce an income also in local shops. Structured on different routes and levels, the trophy is also open to beginners, disabled people and families, offering them a unique experience in our splendid Alps between sport and tourism, including food and wine”.
SERTORI: FIXED APPOINTMENT FOR SKYRUNNING – “The beautiful Val Masino will also be the setting for the iconic ‘Trofeo Kima’ this year – commented Massimo Sertori, Councillor for Local Authorities and the Mountains – a sports event that has become an international event for skyrunning”. “An event for all mountain running enthusiasts – he continued – that contributes significantly to promoting the best that this area has to offer, from its extraordinary ability to host sports activities to its natural beauty”. “Thanks to the professionalism, passion and enthusiasm of its members – he continued – the Kima association has reached the important milestone of 30 years. So this year too, at the end of August, Val Masino will be on display as a point of reference for skyrunning and this is a source of pride for the entire province of Sondrio”.
UNDERSECRETARY PICCHI: A TROPHY TO BE PROPOSED AS EXCELLENCE ALSO TO SCHOOLS – “It is a competition that the Lombardy Region is proud of,” Picchi said, “and in fact has supported it for more than twenty years.” “For me,” she concluded, “it is a huge satisfaction to begin my mandate as Undersecretary with responsibility for Sport by presenting this excellence that demonstrates how rich our territory is, full of variety, and shows that sport is one of the main drivers for promoting and making our landscape heritage of inestimable value known to the citizens of Lombardy and to Italy itself.” “I am convinced that sport can also be an element of attraction for schools,” she continued, “contributing to improving the value structure of our children. I would like to use this trophy as an excellence to also propose to different environments, especially those not close to sport, environments that can grow precisely through sport. I am thinking of young people, the suburbs, the most forgotten areas.”
THE MAIN TEST – The race is a highly technical Alpine ultra marathon that will see the best skyrunners currently in circulation compete: 52 kilometres with a total difference in altitude of 8,400 m and seven Alpine passes all above 2,500 m (maximum altitude of the Cameraccio pass 2,950 m) which have created the myth of the Kima.
THE OTHER RACES – As for the Kima Extreme SkyRace, Kima Trail and Mini Kima, the three races surrounding the Grande Corsa sul Sentiero Roma, registrations are still open.
The two non-competitive sisters enhance the valley floor: the first is a very easy 6 km loop on the cycle/pedestrian path and is ideal for beginners, disabled people and parents with children in tow; the second is a real gem of 14 km that touches the most suggestive and panoramic points of the Val di Mello”.