The Swissalpine Marathon is more than just a sporting event

The Swissalpine Marathon in Davos (25th occasion on 31 July) is more than just sport. It also means culture, nature and tourism. At every turn, the runners are following in the footsteps of the Graubünden heraldic animal, the ibex.

The Swissalpine Marathon in Davos (25th occasion on 31 July) is more than just sport. It also means culture, nature and tourism. At every turn, the runners are following in the footsteps of the Graubünden heraldic animal, the ibex.

By Anita Fuchs

What do runners in the K78 and the ibex have in common? Both are persistent creatures that feel at home in the mountains. But that's not all. Both runners finishing the 78-kilometre longest distance race of the Swissalpine Marathon and the ibex (especially when it comes down from the summer mountain pastures for the winter) have many miles behind them. Besides, both are very agile and move (for the most part) with ease through virtually impassable country and are not very fussy about what they eat. The runners primarily eat carbohydrate-rich solid foods and drinks, whereas the ibex has a preference for grasses, herbs and low-growing woody plants which it finds in Alpine meadows and on rock faces.

Ibex trophies for the winners

The ibex knows where it is going. So does the runner, because of the routeing he is to follow. Both are heading up towards the mountain peak – the athlete from Bergün, where the climb to the Keschhütte (2,632 m above sea level) starts. He scales up to the culmination of the Swissalpine Marathon just like an ibex, in other words with an assured gait and without stumbling. If you believe sporting horoscopes, it is no accident that many of the K78 (and K42) runners were born under the sign of Capricorn. "The ibex (i.e. Capricorn) loves to travel around in open countryside and tends to be a lone warrior. Running, and in particular running marathons, has presumably done something to him. Because he has sufficient endurance and is on the look-out for exercise that challenges him accordingly," is how he is described.

Of course, participants in the Swissalpine Marathon are not going to run into an ibex. In spite of this, the (proud) heraldic animal and symbol of Graubünden is ubiquitous. This is because of the corporate design, which consists of elegant black, fiery red, a stylised ibex and – in line with the trend for all things Swiss - the Swiss cross in the logo. In this respect, the Graubünden provincial government is dotting the "i" on the occasion of the Silver Anniversary: It is sponsoring ibex trophies for the two winners of the longest distance race. "The king of the mountains in the animal kingdom is the ibex, and in terms of mountain running it is the winners of the K78," comments founder and Organising Committee President, Andrea Tuffli.

For nature-lovers and culture-vultures

Even if you do not meet an ibex, the Swissalpine Marathon, whose main section runs through varied and idyllic surroundings in a unique mountain world, guarantees an unforgettable encounter with nature. However, culture fans who are active sportsmen and women also get their money's worth, and in particular those that contest the classic mountain run, the C42. This is the first cultural marathon in Switzerland and runs from Davos to Tiefencastel.

The cultural diversity of the region is demonstrated in a supporting programme under the name of "Highseven". So, on 27 July there is a visit to the Convent of St. John and the day after a trip on the Bernina Express railway. Both the Convent of St. John and the section of the Bernina railway from Thusis to Tirano are part of a the UNESCO world heritage and are consequently amongst the local tourist attractions. Yet again, this shows that the Swissalpine Marathon does not just attract day-trippers, but also generates a large number of overnight stays, and is therefore more than just a pure sporting event.