The Moab 240 - Michele Graglia
Michele Graglia, a La Sportiva Team ultra runner, triumphs in the States winning the iconic Moab 240...
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Michele Graglia did it again. The former Italian top model reached another incredible milestone.
A former mining settlement, now tourist hub, nestled among the canyons of southern Utah, Moab is the logistical and organizational headquarters of the grueling Moab 240 Endurance Run, a 240-mile foot race through the desert, canyons, slick rock, and mountains.
After a victory in the ice of the Yukon region and in the torrid Death Valley’s canyons, where he won the famous Bad Water Ultra Marathon in 2017; after the record-breaking traverses of the Atacama (Chile, 2018) and Gobi (Mongolia, 2019) deserts, on Sunday, October 11, 2020, Michele hopes to do the same in the Moab 240.
But let's take a step back to Friday, October 9, early morning, in the beautiful town that hosts the start and finish line of this race. According to the national directives about COVID-19, at the start, the runners are separated into time slots, with the obligation to wear a protective mask and maintain social distancing, before "enjoying" the boundless wonder of Utah’s canyons: a dry and rocky land hot by day and icy at night that provides additional difficulty and suffering to all 200 participants. The race, still little known outside the States, has in its length its main characteristic, which together with the large temperature changes and the trampling, a bit 'earthy and a bit' gravelly, contributes to making it one of the toughest competitions in the country. Then there is the altimetry, a jagged profile that from the 4025 feet of the start, goes up and down in a succession of changes of direction that leave little room for the flat line that we usually associate with these places. Multiple times along the course, the runners gain vert all the way over 9800 feet of altitude and then descend again towards Moab, an iconic town known well for being an adventurer’s playground.
Michele starts strong, knowing that this is his first race of this distance and aware that he hasn't had time to prepare himself as well as he would have liked, but knowing that he can rely on his experience. He knows that the most important muscle in these situations is the brain.
From the start, it was a tight race with David Goggins, former Navy SEAL, and now an ultra runner and renowned mental-coach. The choice to never sleep, a slippery descent between sharp rocks, sore legs, and the first symptoms of an Achilles tendon inflammation made the last 40 miles an unexpected pain. Abandoned the idea of breaking the 60-hour record and after a particularly treacherous and terribly hard third day, Michele Graglia arrived in Moab by night, crossing the finish line victoriously, tired but happy. Total time: 61h43'15" of uninterrupted running, just short of the race record still set at 57:55:13 by Courtney Dauwalter. With this outstanding performance, Michele becomes the first runner to win both the Badwater 135 and Moab 240
Michele ran the whole race using La Sportiva Kaptiva!
Michele Graglia: Moab240 First impression
A race like no other! It's been like experiencing a whole lifetime of emotions compressed in just over 2 extremely intense days. The distance is mind-boggling, almost 400km and that is what intrigued me since I first heard of the Event in 2017. Pushing beyond certain boundaries is a journey of self-discovery, and being able to do that while submerging yourself completely and exploring the stunning setting of southern Utah on your own two feet is such a blessing!
I must admit the Moab240 has been, by far, the most intense experience of my life! The endless rollercoaster of highs and lows. All the emotions, packed hours spent kicking sand and red rock while watching the sunrise and fall over the horizon for 3 days straight. No sleep. No rest. Just running. The scorching heat of the day and the freezing cold nights dictated the pace in the stunning setting of this southern Utah gem. Honestly, I still have to process all the euphoria followed by moments of complete exhaustion and despair that I experienced out there. It's just like what the 100 milers represented a decade or more ago. A new limit. A test of our potential. And now that the 100's are becoming so popular, a new breed of ultrarunners search for what's next and the rise of the 200's is happening as a true testament of the ultra spirit. Finding out for ourselves how far we can actually go. In just one go. This is the true essence of an ultra running. A true adventure!
All photos by ®Scott Rokis
