Gran Canaria is known as a holiday island, but it also attracts athletes.
Sascha Pirke took part in the “Trans Gran Canaria” run.
He achieved a top result, but the last few kilometers were a real struggle.
Gran Canaria - Sascha Pirke was completely exhausted, but the joy still had to come out.
On the final step across the finish line, he clenched both fists and let his emotions run free.
The new addition to TSV Penzberg had performed at the “Trans Gran Canaria” running event that TSV trainer Markus Brennauer classified as “sensational”.
Pirke (31) took eleventh place among 214 finishers on the “Advanced” distance with 65 kilometers and 2566 meters in altitude.
In the end, the ultra runner, who is based in both Dachau and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, was only 18 seconds short of a top ten place.
It was snatched from him by the Russian Anton Samokhvalov around two kilometers from the finish.
At that point, Pirke “didn't really care - I was completely screwed,” he said bluntly.
The ultra runner clearly outweighed the joy: The eleventh place "within international competition is really impressive and I am proud of the performance", reported Pirke.
The TSV athlete needed 6:08:21 hours for the route from Artenara to Maspalomas.
The Spaniard David Prades Monfort won the overall victory in 5:47:12 hours.
The time limit to get into the ranking was 15 hours.
Sascha Pirke is based on the elite runners
Due to the corona pandemic, the competition format had been adjusted, the runners were sent out on the track individually at five to ten-second intervals.
Pirke, who finished fourth in his age group at the Zugspitz Ultratrail in 2019, immediately oriented himself towards the Spanish and French elite runners.
“I overtook one after the other of the runners who started in front of me,” said the trail runner.
At the first refreshment station, after twelve kilometers and 700 meters up and down, he was in the twelfth position.
But then he lost time there.
Due to the cold temperatures - at the start it was five degrees Celsius, drizzle and strong wind - he was only able to open his backpack and the gel packs it contained with great difficulty.
"My fingers were more or less frozen so that I could only continue walking after a few minutes."
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Thumbs up: Sascha Pirke defied the difficult weather conditions during the run.
© Private
But he made up the lost places in the second ascent towards the Roque Nublo (1744 meters above sea level).
At the second refreshment station, which was in Garanon, he did not stop, also because the weather was very uncomfortable with temperatures around freezing point and wind.
"You couldn't be more shitty with the short clothes," said Pirke.
Pirke completed the approximately 1000 meters down to Tunte really quickly.
“'Shoot' with a permanent grin,” said the TSV athlete.
At the next refreshment station everything went smoothly, the next short counter climb was climbed in no time at all.
"My legs were doing better than I thought, but my stomach was slowly bothering me," said Pirke.
"The next gel gave my stomach the rest. From then on I could only consume water, but no more carbohydrates." He wanted to avoid having to get out of the car because of stomach problems.
But there were still almost 20 kilometers and 1500 meters of altitude downhill ahead of him, including some counter-climbs.
“I knew it was going to be tough now,” said Pirke.
In this racing phase he was eighth.
Sascha Pirke also has to fight against stomach problems
13 kilometers from the finish, two runners caught up from behind, whom he had to let go after the last downhill.
On the last 5 kilometers in the direction of Expomeloneras, he not only struggled with his body, but also with his psyche.
The section "on the stupid gravel road, the artificial stream bed and the permanent headwind made it my personal struggle," said Pirke.
The ultra runner finally won it.
And Pirke already has other runs in mind: “Off to the next adventure…”, is his closing words.
Information about the competition:
The Trans Gran Canaria running event, which runs across the Spanish island of the same name off the African Atlantic coast, has been around since 2013. This year, a total of eight competitions were on the program.
The royal route is the WAA 360 with 262 kilometers and 11,007 meters of altitude.
The advanced route (65 km / 2566 m) that Sascha Pirke ran is the third longest on offer.
206 men and 35 women crossed the finish line over the distance.
The top times were David Prades Monfort (Spain) with 5:47:12 hours and Maryline Nakache (France) with 6:32:34 hours.
This year there were a total of 16 men and eleven women from Germany.
Andreas Kohlhund from SV Söchering took part in the "Trans Gran Canaria" in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Two years ago Kohlhund ran the Trans-GC competition (128 km / 7400 m ascent) in 27:28:57 hours, which meant 429th place among almost 800 women and men
