Mountopia: The winners of 3 Peaks - 3 Days

The Mountopia finals boasted 10 top athletes. Over the course of 30 days, they covered 2,991 kilometers in running shoes (1,859 miles) and completed 119,971 vertical meters. But just four in the end made the cut and now can realize their big dream of making their Mountopia come true.

In September 2018, the mountain dream will become a reality for the winners: These four athletes will climb the three highest peaks in Germany and Austria -- Zugspitze (2,962 meters/9,718 feet) and Grossglockner (3,798 meters/12,461 feet) – as well as Ortler, which at 3,905 meters (12,812 feet) is the highest in South Tyrol. They will be accompanied by experienced mountain guides and our athlete Javier Martin de Villa. So, who are the four winners?

Christoph from Germany is a mountain endurance athlete through and through. Long technical courses are what he really loves since they challenge him both physically and mentally. Be it an alpine crossing or 100-kilometer races such as the Zugspitz UltraTrail, he’s been there and finished.

Dreams for him are part of an athlete’s existence: Currently, he is training for a trekking tour to Everest Base Camp. Thus, the Mountopia Project finale 3 Peaks -- 3 Days fits in perfectly because Speed Mountaineering is his thing. He’s not only looking forward to meeting the other winners, but also to climbing Ortler, which will be the highest mountain he has tackled to date.

For Iga from Poland, it’s quite simple really: She loves the mountains. That was the reason why she registered for the Mountopia Challenge. Her second passion is running. In combination, she has all the requirements needed for the Mountopia Project finale 3 Peaks -- 3 Days.

Of course, being with the others for Iga plays a big role, because shared emotions are double as good. That’s why she is not training alone for the big Mountopia Project in September. She combines group CrossFit training with targeted running workouts. But of course a race is a must during training too. In the Spartan Race Ultra Beast in Slovakia, Iga will take on 50 kilometers in the mountains. Iga is a bundle of energy who loves to try out new things. And she holds to the motto of basketball legend Michael “Air” Jordan:

What is normal? That’s what Aramis has asked himself since childhood. Whatever it is, it has nothing to do with him. Born in Croatian and raised in Italy, the familyman lives today in Sweden. And it was there that he discovered his love for running. Not too many years ago he weighed more than 100 kilos (220 pounds). A crucial experience with his son sparked him to do something about it. “My first running experience was horrible,” he says. He couldn’t run more than two kilometers at a snail’s pace at a time. Indeed, he increased that, and step by step, kilometer by kilometer, he ran head on into his own personal Mountopia.

Today Aramis is a solid ultrarunner with a long resume of race experience. Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB) in 2017 covering 170 kilometers and 10,000 meters of vert, “100 miles from Istria” in every year from 2015 to 2018, Aktivitus Trail Race with 161 kilometers, and much more.

Now, you have met the winners of the fourth Mountopia Challenge in Summer 2018. So what can they expect during 3 Peaks -- 3 Days? Will they work together as a group? We are excited to climb Grossglockner, Ortler and Zuspitze in Speed Style. Stay tuned. Starting Sept. 13, 2018, we will cover it live on our Social Media channels. #speedup