The second stage of the World Skate Marathon Tour took place at the World Skate Games Italia 2024, attracting more than 800 skaters to the starting line along Pescara’s scenic Lungomare. Pro Teams, Pro Individuals, Masters, Amateurs, and Fitness skaters all came together to celebrate their shared love for inline skating.
11 Pro Teams were present:
NL PREMIUM
SHEA STOKES
SPSPSK WORLD TEAM
ARENA GEISINGEN CCN TEAM
POWERSLIDE VESMACO
WICKED POWERSLIDE
FR SKATES TAX RACING
ROLLERBLADE WORLD TEAM
SUZHOU/NOTHING
DOUBLE FF INLINE TEAM
Bart Swings – Powerslide Vesmaco - and Gabriela Vargas - Arena Geisingen CCN Team - started the race wearing the Green Jersey, which shows they are the top-ranked male and female skaters of the World Skate Marathon Tour.
The marathon course was about 42 km long, passing through Pescara, Montesilvano, Francavilla al Mare, and then back to Pescara for the finish.
The race was not without its challenges, with several falls shaking up the competition. One such fall took out Bart Swings, the overall leader. As the race progressed, several packs took turns leading, but at around 7km to go, it was Giovanni Trebouta from France, along with Patxi Peula and Charly Buchs from the Rollerblade World Team, who managed a breakaway. Unfortunately, Giovanni's crash brought the lead group back together just a few kilometers before the finish.
The race ended in an exciting sprint, with Nolan Beddiaf of the FR Skates Tax Racing Team, showing his class by winning the race. Felix Rijhnen – Wicked Powerslide - came in second, and Jacob Mantilla of Powerslide Vesmaco, took third. This is Nolan's fourth gold medal in the marathon at the World Skate Games (2017 Nanjing, 2019 Barcelona, 2022 Buenos Aires).
The women’s marathon unfolded at a fast pace, with several groups and teams taking turns leading the pack. Like the men’s race, it ended in a thrilling group sprint. The final surge was initiated by the SPSPSK team, but Luz Karime Garzón timed her attack perfectly, passing everyone to claim victory. In a close finish, Lianne Van Loon of the Double FF Inline Team secured second place, followed by Noraly Berber Vonk of the SPSPSK World Team in third.
“It was a very fast race, and I tried to break away a couple of times at the beginning because I was feeling great, but the Pro Teams kept catching me. So, I decided to wait for the final sprint and stayed behind the SPSPSK group, knowing Aura Quintana is strong and very experienced in marathons. I waited for the perfect moment to attack on their right and sprinted as hard as I could! This is my 20th gold medal at a World Championships, and I’m extremely happy. I loved Pescara – the city, the food, the people – everything is wonderful!” said Luz Karime.
And so, the World Skate Marathon Tour has a new leader, with Nolan Beddiaf claiming the Green Jersey, while Gabriela Vargas successfully held onto her lead, finishing 5th in the race.
The curtain now falls on the World Skate Games Italia 2024. This unique event, featuring world championships in 12 sports across 9 Italian cities simultaneously, saw a total of 160 world titles awarded.
In speed skating, Colombia remains the dominant nation with an impressive 19 gold medals. Italy follows in second place with 8 golds, while the Czech Republic secures third with 5 golds, all thanks to Metodej Jilek.
Check out the full medal standings here:
World Skate Marathon Tour – Pescara results:
Women Overall
🥇Luz Karime Garzon Arboleda - COL
🥈Lianne Van Loon - DOUBLE FF WT - NED
🥉Noraly Berber Vonk - SPSPSK WT - NED
Men Overall
🥇Nolan Beddiaf - FR SKATES - FRA
🥈Felix Rijhnen - WICKED POWERSLIDE - GER
🥉Juan Mantilla - POWERSLIDE VESMACO – COL