Alto Sil

[Bierzo Baggie]

Couldn’t finish this thread without telling the story of the race winner, Zaid Ait Malek.

Of course, my view of the race itself is the sedate version from the back of the pack but the guys and girls at the front would tell a very different story. They are at the very top of their games and they are going for it hammer and tongs. Four or five of them are amonst the best in the world.

As I am slipping and sliding through the melting snow above Primout, more than 10km away the almighty battle for the podium places is reaching its climax. The race favourite, the young Colombian athlete Saul Antonio Padua had bonked spectacularly climbing Peña Negra and has been overtaken by his dad. Heroically, young Saul still finished the race when many top runners would have called it a day before crossing the line behind their inferiors. But this sport is thankfully different! Total respect all round.

Padua senior however, pushed on and arrived back in Santa Cruz in 9th position, just behind the first lady, Ana Conde from the Basque Countrty. They say she’s a mountaineer and although fairly new to mountain running she is definitely the lady in form at the moment. The second lady (18th overall) was a 15 year old girl!

Second man was Manuel Melillas, a local kid from a village the other side of the mountain. He holds the best time for the Aquilianos of 5:34, one of the great mountain running records in the north. They’re starting to talk about him in Europe and some, in hushed tones, dare to suggest that one day he could rival King Kilian himself. Not yet though.

And the winner, in 2 hours and 52 minutes Zaid Aik Malek ...the story is at first a Moroccan version of Kes...