A nighttime trail race up a Greek mountain turned nightmarish on Sunday after lightning struck, killing one runner and injuring another. As per the Greek police, the incident happened during the Six Peaks race which is held on Mount Falakro in northern Greece.
The Six Peaks race covers the highest points of Mount Falakro and is a 35.7km long trek. As per reports, the race had started from the village of Pyrgoi which is situated 630m up the slopes of the mountain. It began at 7 pm on Saturday and the athletes were reportedly at an altitude of 1,340 meters when the lightning struck.
While a 55-year-old runner died on the spot, another aged 56 sustained injuries and had to be airlifted to a hospital. The injured runner is said to be in a serious condition and is battling for life. The rescue team arrived from a nearby town of Drama to help the running contingent only to find one had already succumbed. None of the two runners were identified.
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As per reports, the weather was good when the race had started on Saturday, however, heavy rainfall during the night resulted in the entire trail becoming muddy and dangerous. At the time the lightning struck, many of the 55 athletes taking part in the race, had already reached the summit point on top of the Falakro Ski Resort.
The lightning struck at around 4 am on Saturday night leaving the athletes scared for their lives as they waited for the rescue team to arrive. Two fire service rescue squads were rushed to the spot by authorities.
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The runners had 12 hours to complete the race, which was the second shortest organised by the Nevrokopi Hiking and Mountaineering Club. The hiking club has been organising the races since 2018 and has already successfully conducted treks of 269, 103 and 46 kilometres respectively.
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