He won the 100-mile Patagonia Run 2023, an extremely difficult challenge that is considered a top race worldwide. To pull it off, he had to battle with Pau Capell, a Spanish trail running legend, for more than 19 hours, managing at the finish line to run ahead by about ten minutes (final time: 19 hours, 25 minutes and 29 seconds) after being at least twenty minutes behind in the first part of the race.
This result came after a great 2022, with excellent placings in iconic trail running races, starting with eighth place at the Lavaredo Ultra Trail, not forgetting 19th place at the Utmb CCC or second place in the short race in Val D'Aran organized by Utmb.
So there is a lot of hype for his performance at the Lut; he does not start as a favorite but could take some nice satisfaction. "Last year I finished eighth," Pereyra tells. "A good result, but I came home disappointed.
When there were about sixty kilometers to the finish line in fact I made a mistake, I got lost on the track and by dint of turning I found myself in thirteenth or fourteenth position, I had lost about twenty minutes. A bad moment, I almost wanted to retire. Then I tried to give my best to recover some positions and I ran at full speed, paying in the last ten kilometers for the effort." Certainly, he will not make the same mistakes again this year. "It will be important for me to acclimatize, it is cold in Argentina at this time. I'm also looking forward to getting to know the athletes of the SCARPA team. The season will be long, I would like to get to Utmb in good shape. But right now I am focused on the Lut."
Challenges of this kind require footwear that provides confidence, capable of cushioning at times of maximum stress on the foot and being responsive when it comes to running in the false floors. Pereyra chose SPIN PLANET. "It will be a wonderful adventure," adds the Argentine athlete, "I am looking forward to facing the Lut again."
SERGIO AND HIS PERSONAL STORY
Pereyra is an athlete who, when he sets a goal, knows how to achieve it. Running is in his DNA, and to become a professional and be able to devote himself full time to trail running he had to make many sacrifices. He had been running since childhood, when he looked after his family's animals in the hills of Costa del Malleo, south of Neuquén, Argentina. By the time he was 12, he had already started working: first in a workshop where he cleaned engines, then in park and home maintenance. Then his family moved to Junín de los Andes: during high school a physical education teacher discovered his running skills, initially on the road. During the day he worked at a construction site, at night he trained. There is still a video on Facebook of him pushing a wheelbarrow. "That's it, I get better at running this way too," he said on the social network. He has since specialized in aluminum carpentry and drywall construction, and his goal is to create a small family business.
LUT THE NUMBERS OF 2023
Now, however, he is focused on the Lut. A total event, one of the most important of the trail running season. Five routes, five race days: from June 21 to 25 in Cortina d'Ampezzo (Belluno) the 16th edition will be held, allowing participants to enjoy a unique experience on the trails of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites, in the presence of the most iconic peaks such as the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Cristallo, Tofane, Sorapis and Croda da Lago. As in past years, the 2023 edition has also sold out: arriving from 89 nations are the 5,700 trail runners, drawn from the 12,500 applications received from 105 countries. This edition's program opens with a novelty: the Lavaredo 10K by night. The other four distances are dominated by the queen race, the Lavaredo 120K (5,800 meters of elevation gain), followed by Lavaredo 80K (4,600 meters of elevation gain), Lavaredo 50K (2,600 meters of elevation gain) and Lavaredo 20K (1,000 meters of elevation gain).