The fourth edition of Garda Lift on Fire in Riva del Garda will take place on Saturday 26 September, with dozens of firefighters running along the steep stairway beside the course up to the Torrione veneziano. The international vertical race, created and organised by the Corpo dei Vigili del Fuoco Volontari di Riva del Garda, brings together technical rescue personnel in an extreme test of physical endurance.
The race route covers 500 metres in linear distance with a positive elevation gain of 150 metres, including an average gradient of 28% and final sections reaching up to 91%. Competitors start at regular intervals from the historic centre in Piazza III Novembre, take Via Monte Oro, and then climb the 600 stone and metal steps near the ascensore panoramico del Bastione, the inclined lift linking the lakeshore to the Renaissance fortification.
Participation involves mandatory operational equipment: the full personal protective device for structural fire interventions, including a multi-layer fireproof suit, certified boots, protective gloves, a helmet with visor, and an open-circuit compressed-air breathing apparatus with mask and cylinder. The total weight of the gear is around 25 kilograms. The event is part of the European circuit of vertical races for firefighters, with safety managed by volunteer teams providing medical assistance and decompression points along the ascent and at the finish; starts are scheduled for the morning, with awards in the early afternoon in the area below the Venetian tower.
Italian Version
