Ledro Skyrace: Interview with SportsShoes athlete Marco Filosi

Written By: SportsShoes

There are those who say “the sky is the limit”, but there are also those who are crazy enough to try and push their limit even further. One such person is Italian trail runner and SportsShoes athlete Marco Filosi AKA. il Condor, who, on Sunday 11 June 2023, won the Ledro Skyrace, an event where you run so high you can almost touch the sky.

We spoke to him about his outstanding achievement and race experience.

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Pictured: Marco Filosi competing in the Ledro SkyRace. Photo by Francesco Bergamaschi.

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Ciao Condor! Welcome to the SportsShoes Running Hub! Before we talk about the race, let's start by learning a little bit more about you? Tell us how you first started running.

Ciao! My name is Marco Filosi, but many people like to call me the Condor. I work as a personal trainer and in my spare time I dedicate myself to my favourite hobby - running! In the past I played football until I was 18 and now I have fully dedicated myself to mountain running (spring and summer) and road running (autumn and winter) for about ten years.

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What does the Ledro Skyrace consist of? What were the most important aspects in preparing for this incredible competition?

The Ledro Skyrace is a spectacular route of 19km in distance and 1600m in elevation. You need to be able to run well uphill towards Cima Parì, navigate technical sections such as the Senter De Le Greste (where you can enjoy a breathtaking view) and descend hard on the paths that lead back to Lake Ledro.

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Pictured: Marco as he crosses the finish line. Photo by: Remigio Fedrigotti.

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Tell us a little about your training: how does it look and what are your "key points" that you can't do without?

I train nearly every day by dividing my week into road days (where I focus on running on the flat) and trail days (where I train for climbing and descending). Let's say I do one long workout a week of about 1h30' and another day or two a little more intense during the week based on the competitions I'm preparing for.

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What was the hardest moment of the race? And the most beautiful?

Let's just say long climbs aren't my favourite, so that was definitely the hardest part. The best moment was at the top where my brother, my girlfriend and many friends were cheering for me. Then on the ridges and downhill I know how to defend myself well, so that was definitely the best part. There is always a lot of support in this race and you feel less tired.

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How did the kit you used help you achieve this result?

For this race, like all the races on the trails this year, I used the very comfortable adidas Adizero split shorts and the Merrell MTL Skyfire 2, which are very light race shoes with excellent grip for running on the trails and on technical sections.

Both pieces of kit look and feel great and I will certainly use them in the next competitions that await me, such as the Fletta Trail and Sierre-Zinal.

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