Zermatt, 25 August 2024 – The 12th Matterhorn Ultraks, held in Zermatt from 23 to 25 August 2024, was once again an international Skyrunning festival of the highest class. The event was marked by the victory of local athlete Martin Anthamatten (39) in the challenging EXTREME race, which is part of the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series. Last year’s winner, Anastasia Rubtsova (32), dominated the women’s race with the 11th best time overall. Additionally, a record number of participants served as excellent publicity for the event in the high-alpine mountain landscape.
Beautiful summer weather and ideal conditions created a unique Skyrunning celebration at the Matterhorn, with a new record of 3,566 participants (compared to 3,200 in the previous year). “These numbers demonstrate the special appeal of the event. The record number of participants provides a great motivational boost for the coming years. We are pleased with a smooth and successful organization,” said Carole Dossetto-Julen, project manager at Human Sports Management AG (HSM). This year, the event organizer from Rickenbach LU hosted the Matterhorn Ultraks for the first time.
Martin Anthamatten: Dream fulfilled
Zermatt’s own Martin Anthamatten (adidas TERREX) couldn’t have launched the start of the 2024 Matterhorn Ultraks better than with a home victory. Anthamatten, the course designer for the EXTREME race - which features 3,175 meters of elevation gain over 27 kilometers - ran the technical sections at high speed, remained focused, and finished without any issues. He said that a long-awaited dream had come true with this success.
The performance of last year’s winner, Anastasia Rubtsova, was also impressive; she distanced the runner-up by more than half an hour and narrowly missed the top 10 among the men, finishing 11th overall. For Rubtsova, the course at the Matterhorn is not only the most beautiful in the world but also the most challenging.
VERTINIGHT, MOUNTAIN, SKY, ACTIVE – something for all levels
The Matterhorn Ultraks offers various routes for all levels and ages across seven distances, including VERTINIGHT, MOUNTAIN, SKY, and ACTIVE.
The VERTINIGHT (4.9 km with 691 meters of elevation gain) is particularly unique, starting in the dark with headlamps. The MOUNTAIN race, a mid-distance route over 32 km with 2,000 meters of elevation gain, saw Swiss victories by Andrin Näpflin of the Beckenried-Klewenalp Ski Club and Magali Vionnet of Team Genève Trail.
The SKY race (49 km and 3,600 meters of elevation gain) leads up to the demanding Gornergrat (3,100 meters) and requires both speed and technical skill. The event finished on Sunday with the ACTIVE course, where victories by Baptiste Lang and Selina Burch also stayed within Switzerland.
