A 44-year-old Norwegian woman was struck and killed by lightning while running a race in Italy over the weekend.

The Südtirol Ultra Skyrace organizers called off the 75-mile ultramarathon due to extreme weather conditions 30 minutes before the incident, but the woman and other runners were in an area near a lake where they could not be reached, according to a press release.

“We are shocked and deeply shaken by this tragic accident,” said Josef Günther Mair, chair of the race’s organizing committee. “We express our deepest condolences to the family of the athlete.”

Other runners immediately called for help and the unidentified woman was transported to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Südtirol Ultra Skyrace is run over three days and calls itself “the most extreme experience in the Alps.”

Victor Oyedu, FNSE, FNIEEE, CPQ.
Power Quality and Energy Management Specialist.
Publisher at Afrienergyonline.com &
CEO, FullSpectrum Energy Solutions Limited, Nigeria.