Text: Paul Halford
A dry course led to course records and fast times overall in the 2019 Bodom Trail on May 3-4 as Henri Ansio and Hanna Jantunen secured wins in the main event.
Ansio stepped up from second last year to break the course record by more than a minute in the 21km on Saturday, while 2018 runner-up Jantunen dominated the women’s category.
The Finn had started favourite after the withdrawal earlier in the week of defending champion Jere Pajunen, who had set the course record 12 months ago.
Toni Valido, who would eventually win the incorporated 12km event, forced the pace from the gun, but then Ansio took the lead after 4-5km and stretched out on his own.
Ansio, who will race on home soil in the NUTS Karhunkierros 55km, Nuuksio Classic and Vaarojen Marathon this year, was using this event as part of his build-up to next month’s Comrades Marathon.
Russia’s Ivan Bogdanov was second in 1:29:26 and Finland’s Antti Parjanne was third in 1:29:44.
Jantunen, who lost out last year when Swedish elite runner Emelie Forsberg set the still valid course record, was quickest on this occasion, running 1:44:51. Jantunen was six minutes 44 seconds ahead of Yvonne Gunell, while Oona Hilkamo completed the Finnish one-two-three another 17 seconds back. Jantunen says she will probably run the Nuuksio Classic in September, organised by the team behind Bodom Trail.
Valido opted to finish at 12km to secure the win in that event in 48:14, finishing nine seconds ahead of Tuomas Tervo, while Antti-Pekka Leskinen was third in 50:47.
Maija Hakala, better known as a cross-country skier, was the clear women’s winner in the 12km category, timed at 58:57. Jenni Laine (66:18) and Hilla Rudanko (66:55) were next across the line.
The night before his third place in the main event, Parjanne set a course record of 42:37 in the Bodom Night by Lupine race over 10km.
Lotta Kirvesmies also set new figures in finishing first woman, clocking 50:33 as competitors covered technical terrain with just their headlamps to light the way.
Almost 2000 runners took part over the weekend’s events in the Pirttimäki recreation area just outside Helsinki.
The weekend also included Bodom Team races, won by KPMG Trail Runners (10km) and Eaton Power Quality Oy (7km).
The 21km event represented the first leg of this year’s Buff Trail Tour Finland series.
See this link for results of Bodom Trail and Bodom Night.
The link for results of Bodom Team.
See the photo gallery.
