the finish line of the Marcialonga light classification is located. In 2007, 2015, and 2017, due to the lack of snow, the race was shortened to 57 km (starting from Mazzin in the direction of Canazei and back to Cavalese), using of artificial snow. The cost of the snowmaking program, which involves the production, movement and preparation of more than 70-80,000 cubic meters of snow, has cost about 200,000 euros in 2015: however, it has been estimated that the total turnover of the event amounts to about 8 million euros spent by participants, escorts and spectators. Participants Every year many thousands of skiers participate at the Marcialonga: in 2017 6,983 athletes were registered. The competitors who have participated in all editions of the Marcialonga are called "senators" or "pioneers", while the amateur skiers who start in the last step are jokingly called "bisons". The winners of the men's and women's categories are welcomed on finish line by the Soreghina, a girl elected from the towns crossed by the Marcialonga and who wears the traditional dress of her town. The Soreghina is in charge of rewarding the winners with a large laurel wreath, stuck (or sometimes thrown at speed) on the shoulders of the athlete. However, even the last competitor to arrive at Cavalese in the dark of the evening is warmly welcomed with an identical laurel wreath and celebrated as the winner. Since the starting and finishing points are located in different locations (respectively Moena and Cavalese), before the start the athletes have to put their personal belongings in a numbered personal bag (corresponding to the number of their race number), which is delivered to the organization, which will return it on arrival. It is estimated that during the race each skier burns an average of 4,648 calories. Skiing style The race took place in the first editions with the classic technique, the only one used at the time. Later it was introduced the free style: in 1985 Giorgio Vanzetta won the Marcialonga using for the first time the skating style. Since 2003 the race has been returned to the classic technique, which allows to better exploit the width of the track in a race that sees at least 5,000 competitors at the start. In the same year, however, the Auckland brothers introduced for the first time in Italy the so-called "hybrid style" of double poling, the evolution of the