Kältetechnik’s "Team of Five" finishes in 24 hours
It was an impressive programme: Inline skating, swimming, mountain biking, road cycling and running. Followed by regeneration, sleep and then a repeat of the whole thing again. A total distance of 460 kilometres. The Gigathlon 2012 held on the 30th of June and the 1st of July with its start and finish in Olten, attracted not only around 6000 competitors but also thousands of spectators. Of the 763 "Teams of Five" that reached the finishing line, the "Alpiq Kältetechnik" from Interlaken fought their way to an impressive 89th place.
The weather showed no mercy The captain Markus Wüthrich is an old hand, having already competed in three previous gigathlons with his team. For him, the experience with the team is always something very special. With the 2012 result of less than 24 hours, he is completely satisfied with respect to the sporting possibilities. A new experience for him was the extreme differences in the weather, which subjected the athletes to a tough test. Whereas on Saturday the sky glowed with a hot sun, on Sunday the weather gods subjected them to cold, rain and hail. "We will not forget that in a hurry", recalls Markus Wüthrich. "Just like the many enthusiastic spectators who cheered us on regardless of the weather." What is particularly memorable for him? "The organisation and the feeling of having passed the finishing line. And to travel through the Olten region wearing an Alpiq shirt, something that for our people from Interlaken was a bit like a home game."