Athlete of the Week on RRI – Ultra-marathon runner Iulian Rotariu

Iulian Rotariu won the Ultra Asia Race

Florin Orban, 17.03.2020, 13:45

The amount of news
from sports is quite scarce these days. One particular item grabbed the
headlines however. Vietnam played host to the Ultra Asia Race ultra-marathon
over March 9-12. Runners had to cover 160 km in 4 stages. Due to restrictions
set in place by local authorities due to the coronavirus, the 3rd
stage was cancelled, so the competition totaled only 106 km. Some 18 runners
started the race, of whom only 10 finished the race. The winner was Iulian
Rotariu of Romania, whom we’ve designated Athlete of the Week on Radio Romania
International.

Iulian Rotariu was
born June 16, 1976 in Botosani. He’s married with two children. He graduated
the Public Administration Faculty and works as a firefighter for the Botosani County
Inspectorate for Emergency Situations.

In Vietnam Rotariu
won all three stages of the race, winning 15 minutes ahead of the runner-up,
Danny Switzynck of Belgium. The Botosani County Inspectorate for Emergency
Situations writes that Iulian Rotariu is the first and only Romanian to take
part in this ultra-marathon, organized by Canal Aventure. It was a self-sustained
race, participants having to carry all their equipment and food in their backpacks.
This time as well Iulian’s participation in the race was to raise funds to
support the activity of the Association of Parents of Children with ASD in
Botosani.

Let us further note that
Iulian Rotariu last year won the Ultra Africa Race ultra-marathon held in Mozambique,
at the end of a 200-km race completed over the course of five days.

(Translated by V.
Palcu)