By Theresa Fugger

In April, Iris Pessey and Phil Bellingham, Skimarathon Team Austria, spent some time in Iceland competing in five different skiing races and one marathon. During this time, they managed to achieve six wins and a total of nine podium places in only two weeks. 

After the final event of Visma Ski Classics Season XI, Årefjällsloppet at the end of March, most skiers ended the race season and went straight into a well-deserved training break. On social media, they shared precious moments of relaxation and fun. But not all Pro Team skiers took the break right away. 

Australian Visma Ski Classics Pro Team athlete Phil Bellingham and his French girlfriend Iris Pessey planned to compete in the first Visma Ski Classics Challengers race of the new season, Fossavatnsgangan in Iceland. Despite many travel restrictions and requirements, the two athletes from Skimarathon Team Austria made it to Reykjavik in mid-April. 

Almost as exciting as the upcoming races were the onward journey to Isafjordur with the rental car – over mountain roads, past volcanoes, warm springs, and lonely stretches along the coast. Both started in the 25 km skating race of Fossavatnsgangan, not part of the Challengers series, which Iris could clearly win. Phil finished second behind the Icelandic World Cup starter Snorri Einarsson. 

The 50 km Visma Ski Classics Challengers race the day after was a special challenge for all participants this year – strong winds, snowfall, and soft tracks made the race difficult. Iris Pessey was able to win again. Phil Bellingham was in second place for a long time, but due to the wrong choice of wax, the indestructible Australian lost a lot of time in the descents and finally came in fifth. 

Instead of traveling home, the two quickly registered for the Reykjavik Spring Road Marathon over 42 km. Trail run specialist Iris Pessey was able to win this race as well, while powerhouse Phil Bellingham finished in a solid eighth place. 

Pessey and Bellingham after Reykjavik Spring Road Marathon.

Instead of regeneration, a road trip to Akureyri for the Icelandic cross-country skiing championships was on the agenda. A few days later, Phil was able to win the skating sprint ahead of Snorri Einarsson. Iris took second place in the women’s race. In the distance races over 10 km skating and 5 km Classic the next day and the day after that, the fast French woman was again victorious, and “The man from Down Under” Phil Bellingham came in second over 15 km skating. 

Skimarathon Team Austria Team Director Peter Kiene was able, to sum up, more than positively: 
“We are very proud to have Iris and Phil on the team. The two are incredibly strong and enduring, both physically and mentally, five ski races and a road marathon within two weeks, six wins, nine times on the podium; that’s awesome.”

Phil Bellingham has already competed as a Pro Team athlete for Skimarathon Team Austria in several Visma Ski Classics Pro Tour and Challengers events throughout the past years. His girlfriend Iris Pessey has so far focused on trail running and will again join the Scott International Trailrunning Team this summer. Rumor says that she used the prize money she won in Iceland to finance a SkiErg indoor training machine to improve her double-poling skills, which could mean that she enters Visma Ski Classics Season XII as an official Pro Team athlete. 

Skimarathon Team Austria Pro Team Director Peter Kiene leaves us with some more exciting news: 
“In any case, we will shortly be presenting a young female Austrian who might be fighting for the youth bib in two to three years.” 

Vulcano running by Iris Pessey.