Adrenaline pumps through Fransesco’s body as he steps into the starting area. It is Friday evening, 23:00, in Cortina d’Ampezzo. He has been anticipating this moment for months.

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Getting into the lottery of the Lavaredo Ultra Trail was just the first hurdle. Since then he has been training relentlessly. Balancing running with busy work shifts and social life is not easy when you’re working towards a 120K ultra trail. But this is not his first rodeo. It is, however, his longest. And this race is special. It takes place in his home country, Italy, in the Dolomites, to be exact.

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[video wide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_UsEsT60vs]

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As we were witnessing the dedication of our teammate, we wanted to take a look behind the scenes. We sat down to ask him more about the how and why, because when taking on a challenge that pushes your body to new limits, there must be more to it than just running. During our conversation with Fransesco it became crystal clear that he has a goal bigger than himself. And he is so very humble about all of it. He puts all the sweat, hours of training and moments of doubt into perspective.

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We followed him from the flatlands to his homeland and watched him brave the night, conquer the mountains and race the sun. And we put it into a video. We suggest you go watch it.

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Video produced by Bwefar & de Boer

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[photos aspect 4:6 col2 width: 1100px 4,5]

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