The Long Pathway – Jez Bragg

Posted on November 13, 2012 by talkultra

TE ARAROA TRAIL

INTERVIEW available from the press conference HERE

So, Jez Bragg or should we call him ‘Frodo’ is heading off on an epic journey that I am pretty sure we would all love to embark on… 3000+km in New Zealand on the TE ARAROA TRAIL starting at the top of North Island and heading all the way down to the bottom of the South Island. Epic.

He leaves the UK in early December and starts on the trail on the 12th. He has a crew of two and in the new year when he reaches the south, Jez will be joined by his The North Face team mate, Mike Wolfe.

Dedicated crew

But this is no ordinary journey, not only will Jez be running and walklng from top to bottom of New Zealand, he will also be kayaking 100+km to cross all sections of water. He plans to complete the journey in 50 days which equates to 40 miles per day.

His crew will have a mobile home for the duration of the adventure but as Jez explained, he will at times ‘fast pack’ on the route to save time and maximise daily mileage. To this end The North Face have developed some specific kit for Jez that he will be able to use. A new double skin tent, a new sleeping bag, a new ‘base’ layer, new shoes, new packs and new jackets. Some of these items will be in-store 2013 but others will only be available 2014. Before you all ask… the new lightweight race vest will be 2014! I know, nice bit of kit eh!

PRODUCTS: look HERE

Casimir 36 Pack
Alpine Project Jacket
Stormy Trail Jacket
Stormy Trail Pant
Hypertrack Guide Shoe
‘Better than Naked’ Hat, SS shirt and shorts
Capri Tight
Mica 1 PL Tent
Hightail 25 Sleeping Bag
plus other equipment such as the light weight race vest

Journeys of this scale and size are what The North Face are experts in. They love the possibility to test out equipment and develop what is required by consumers before it hits the shops. Jez will have multiple kit options available whilst in New Zealand and use a variety of equipment that will suit the days of changeable weather.

I caught up with Jez at the Press Conference in central London and talked with him about the journey ahead, the preparation and what it is like getting ready for 50 days of running 40 miles a day. This audio will be available within episode 22 of Talk Ultra available for dowload on iTunes and talkultra.com on November 16th. However, you can listen to the interview with Jez HERE (this is the same audio as linked at the top of the page)

Jez_Bragg_Te_Araroa_Special.mp3

Here is a BIO on Jez Bragg:

In a sport when it’s often the older competitors who excel, Jez has stood out for the seven years he’s been running ultras as a youngster on a mission. He arrived in the sport by chance more than anything else. His school and early university days all centred round the rugby field where playing six or seven days a week embedded a high level of fitness from the start.

“I have a little theory that my inner strength – which is so important to ultra running – came directly from my upbringing; playing a lot of rugby, climbing trees, riding my bike, all sorts of physical activities, usually in a relentless fashion. It was undoubtedly the foundations for the level of endurance I have today.”

Jez picked up ultra running as a ‘natural’ progression from the marathon that he trained for as a one off charity challenge 2001. The attraction of ultra distance trail running came from a combination of a love for the outdoors, the excitement of adventure and the endurance embedded from his upbringing.

“Every long run in a new place provides a wonderful opportunity to explore. To me it is one of the greatest attractions of the sport; being able to cover long distances, non-stop, on foot, getting to the places that most can’t reach. To be solo, on foot, creates a wonderful sense of freedom in a world where day-to-day life is increasingly frantic. There are few sports that offer such a pure and unhindered way in which to explore the hills, mountains and countryside. When you run in places such as the Highlands of Scotland, the scenery inspires and gives strength to push you further. That’s what it’s all about for me.”

Jez won his first trail ultra marathon in emphatic fashion and has gone on to win most others he has started since then, establishing himself as one of the world’s leading ultra distance runners, both on the trails and the road.

Jez now has his sights firmly set on the global scene, building on the success of his biggest performance to date, a win at The North Face^® Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in August 2010.

Home: Dorset, on the south coast of England, with the best variety of trail running I have found anywhere.

Favourite Place to Travel: The Highlands of Scotland – working my way through the Munros and exploring the wild glens where it’s truly unspoilt.

Favourite Food: A home cooked Sunday roast.

Favourite Book: I’m not much of a reader, but I do have a habit of spending hours gazing at maps and plotting routes across the most inaccessible places I can find! I have a unique ability to plan an off road loop quicker than most.

How I Relax: An early morning coastal path run followed by a swim in the sea.

Little known fact: I don’t train to a specific plan, instead I ‘listen’ to my body and run hard when I feel good, and easier when I’m not quite ‘flowing’.

Best Ever Run: The West Highland Way, Scotland, in June 2006. I have run much faster and stronger since, but for pure enjoyment it tops them all.

Where it all began: Riding my bike, climbing trees, adventures as a kid.

‘Running’ Philosophy: Enjoy and feel the transition of the seasons, explore new areas, push yourself beyond your limits, run for a true sense of freedom, drift along and day dream.

Career Highlights:

2011

2nd place – The Highland Fling Ultramarathon, Scotland
1^st place – The Fellsman. Course Record – 10h 06m

4^th place – Western States 100, Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

7^th place – The North Face^® Endurance Challenge Final, San Francisco

2010

1^st place – The North Face^® Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc
6^th place – The North Face^® Endurance Challenge Final, San Francisco

2009

1^st place – The Highland Fling Ultramarathon, Scotland. Course record – 7h 19m

1^st place – UK 100km Championships, Galway, Ireland. Personal best – 6hrs 58m

1^st place – Commonwealth 100km Championships, Lake District, UK

1^st place – The Fellsman, Yorkshire Dales, UK

3^rd place – Western States 100, Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

3^rd place – The Lakeland 100, Lake District, UK

2008

1^st place – Connemara Ultramarathon, Ireland

1^st place – Devil O’ The Highlands Ultramarathon, Scotland. Course record – 5h 22m

1^st place – The Highland Fling Ultramarathon, Scotland. Course record – 7h 24m

2007

1^st place – The Highland Fling Ultramarathon, Scotland. Course record – 7h 26m

1^st place – UK 100km Championships, Edinburgh, Scotland.

18^th place – World 100km Championships, Netherlands.

2006

1^st place- The West Highland Way Race, Scotland. Course record – 15h 44mins

1^st place – High Peak 40/ UK Trail Championships

1^st place – The Long Mynd 50, Shropshire

1^st place – Round Rotherham 50, Yorkshire

Here is the blog post from Jez himself:

Today I was in London to launch an exciting winter project which has been in planning for over a year now. Starting on 12th December 2012 (12/12/12) I will be tackling the brand new Te Araroa trail in New Zealand – a whopping 3,054km in distance – aiming to complete the full route in under 50 days.

This is a completely new type of challenge for me, moving away from the racing scene for a little while to tackle what will be a trully epic and memorable journey down the full length of New Zealand, from the tip of the North island in Cape Reigna, to the tip of the South island in Bluff.

I presented an overview of the expedition at the launch event today. The objective is:

“A solo, fastest time attempt, running the 3,054 kilometre Te Araora trail in New Zealand.”

There will be plenty more information coming out in the next couple of weeks to fill you in on the detail of the expedition but for now check out the official trail website for more information on the challenge that lies ahead for me :o)

The North Face – Breaking News

Posted on November 13, 2012 by talkultra

Te Araroa, The Long Pathway

Jez Bragg, the ultimate New Zealand adventure

Te Araroa is a 3000-km trail stretching from Cape Reinga in the North of New Zealand to Bluff in the South. The trail opened December 3rd, 2011.

In December 2012, The North Face athlete Jez Bragg will emabark on the ultimate New Zealand adventure running the entire 3000km’s of the trail. Down the coastline, through the forests, across farmland, over volcanoes and mountain passes, along river valleys, and on green pathways through seven cities. It’s one of the longest walking routes in the world. Hundreds of volunteers worked over ten years to put the trail in because it wasn’t there.

We wish Jez all the very best and Talk Ultra will follow his story as it unfolds with regular audio updates every two weeks on our show plus updates via this blog as and when applicable.

Full details and news about Jez’s attempt will be updated asap after the Press Conference. Talk Ultra also plan to get some audio live the PC with Jez so that he can tell you all in his own words about the challenge ahead.

Twitter – @talkultra

Facebook – Talk Ultra

Vertical K Champs

Posted on November 12, 2012 by talkultra

Zemmer and Orgué Vertical Champs

Italy’s Urban Zemmer triumphs in today’s Vertical Kilometer^® Series final in Spain and adds the world champion title to his recent world record. Ladies’ race winner was Spain’s Blanca Maria Serranowhile Laura Orgué maintains the ranking leadership and the title.

Zemmer, fighting a virus, managed an excellent 35’46”, just 3’ more than his course record last year and well over his time set in Fully, Switzerland recently where he established the world record in 30’26” (over a shorter, artificial course).

Second was Slovenian Nejc Kuhar 35’56’’, third, Italian Marco Facchinelli, 36’47’’ and fourth, France’s Didier Zago in 37’49’’.

The women’s podium was all-Spanish: Blanca Maria Serrano 44’33’’, Alba Xandri, 46’53’’, Vanesa Ortega 47’00’’ with Britain’s Tessa Hill fourth in 49’41’’. Race favourite Silvia Leal was fifth – leaving Laura Orgué’s 2011 course record of 44’01” intact.

215 competitors scrambled up the rugged 3.65 km long course to the summit of the Puig Campana. Towering 1,208m above the famous Costa Blanca, the steeper inclines reach 35.5% gradient.

Race results

Race website

Vertical Kilometer® Series Ranking

Men

1. Urban Zemmer

2. Nejc Kuhar

3. Luis Alberto Hernando

4. Marco Facchinelli

5. Didier Zago

Women

1. Laura Orgué

2. Silvia Leal

3. Blanca Maria Serrano

4. Zhanna Vokueva

5. Alba Zandri

With this final Skyrunner® World Series race, the 2012 season closes but stay with us for an overview of the year’s events and, above all, look out for the 2013 calendar out soon featuring all the best races…and some exciting surprises in store!

William Sichel – Monaco 8 day

Posted on November 11, 2012 by talkultra

Orkney-based ultra marathon runner, William Sichel (59) will return to the Monaco “No Finish Line” 8 Day ultra marathon this week to defend the title he won there last year.

In last November’s race (which had over 6,000 participants) William won the event outright and set a new course record becoming the first person to cover more than 1000km/624 miles during this event.

The Monaco event will be started by Princess Stephanie of Monaco, at 1pm UK time on Saturday 17th. The final gun will be fired at 1pm UK time on Sunday 25^th, after which, Albert II Prince of Monaco and Charlene Princess of Monaco, will present the prizes.

Normally William and his team operate on a shoe-string budget for the race, but this year one of the world’s leading hotels – Hotel Métropole Monte-Carlo will be sponsoring William and his support team’s participation in the event. William will also run for the Hotel Métropole team for the first time.

“It will be good to have some local support and back-up, as we usually operate in a very low key manner for this event.”

William is still looking for two more records to complete his Project 60@60.

“There will be a number of opportunities for records in Monaco but, because the course gets extremely crowded for long periods, especially at the weekends, it isn’t really conducive to record setting. Having said that, I’ll be doing my utmost to set more records.”

The 8 Day race is part of a huge festival of running which, last year, saw a total of over 6000 participants, lap the 1 mile circuit around the port in central Monaco, over the 8 day period.

Every lap completed generates one euro for children’s charities, donated by the Government of Monaco. The vast majority of participants come and go, during the 8 day period, amassing a huge sum for charity.

William is a member of the Orkney Athletic Cluband is currently engaged in Project 60@60 in which he is attempting to have set 60 ultra distance records, at World, British and Scottish level, including age-groups, before his 60^th birthday on October 1^st 2013.

Currently William has set 58 records, including 6 World Age-Group records.

Snowdon Marathon

Posted on November 8, 2012 by talkultra

Emily Gelder winner of the women’s race at the 2012 Snowdonia Marathon Eryri ©Sport Pictures Cymru

After a one of the most successful races ever, the 2012 Snowdonia Marathon Eryri has been party to plaudits from many quarters – from runners, to sponsors, to the media and charity partners. Now in its 30th year the marathon is regarded as one of the toughest and most picturesque in the UK and this year saw one of the most successful events in this iconic race’s history.

This year’s race on the 27th of October produced two great winners in the form of local favourite Rob Samuel and Welsh ultra runner Emily Gelder, who were both effusive in their praise for the organisation of this great race. However, the compliments have been strongest from hundreds of runners and the numerous partners of the event, who flooded social media channels with positive feedback after the race.

National Trust Wales have avidly supported the Snowdonia Marathon since its conception 30 years ago and marked the special anniversary with 10 charity runners from all over the UK running to raise money for the Snowdonia Appeal to fund vital conservation work.

This year also saw yet another a record field of competitors, with over 2000 entrants and almost 1600 hardy runners finishing the race. Sponsors and local businesses were engaged once again, as the event delivered on its promise to put Wales, the local community and local economy foremost. This year the event also began a new charity partnership with Welsh cancer charity Tenovus.

Jayne Lloyd has organised the race since 2004 and has been central to the event’s growth and development in this period:

“The 30th Marathon Eryri is now behind us but the legacy of an event like this is a constant factor to community life here in North Wales. The race is not a huge participation event relative to some of the great city Marathons but the exclusivity afforded to it by the limitation of places makes it one that people are literally desperate to get in to. This is great for the local economy as they are now guaranteed a full entry year after year which, in turn, ensures that visitors come to Snowdonia for a whole weekend at what would otherwise be a quiet time of year. This year we had more international runners than ever from the US, Sweden, Holland and Germany, and they take their stories away from Wales hopefully encouraging even more international visitors in the future.

“Events like this don’t just generate income from visiting participants, but are also crucial in promoting the services of local businesses. Here in North Wales we are lucky enough to have excellent providers of event services from timing and on line entry services,to professional event commentary and communication systems, it’s all available to us locally. We have a duty to try and source as many of our event needs from within the local business sector and we are able to do so 90% of the time.

“However, the legacy of such an event like this is not just financial. Marathon Eryri brings together a huge team of volunteers from various groups and concerns with the local community to work together creating a truly unique race experience for our runners. Year after year they tell us how warm and welcoming they found the people of North Wales to be. This, in turn, means they are more likely to come back which is essential to an area that relies so heavily on tourism. The Snowdonia Marathon is about bringing a community together and creating a sense of well being and pride in the beautiful corner of the World.

“Our race partners are also extremely important to us. Whether commercial sponsors, local authorities or charitable organisations, we have some very long-term relationships. They all encompass the ethic of the race and we feel that year-on-year they grow with us and understand more and more what this event is all about.”

Steve Dunnico lives in Förslov, Sweden, but has returned to run the Snowdonia marathon consecutively since 1995. Running for the Snowdonia Marathon Eryri’s charity partner Tenovus Steve ran to help those who supported his father during his treatment of major skin cancer which was removed last year, meaning his father was given a clean report. Steve said the race was just as challenging this year:

“I’d managed to get a few longer run training sessions in before the race, the last one being in Stockholm the weekend prior. Even so, Snowdownia still managed to force me to walking pace as I got through Waunfawr and up to the last climb.

“From previous experience, there are always runners to chat with along the way. This year the highlight was Horst Priesler. Herr Priesler, from Germany, has completed more marathons than any other person in the world – while jogging up to Waunfawr I asked him how he was, he answered “Fine thank you, just the same as I’ve been through most of the 1,760 something I’ve completed so far. I’m not likely to reach that many completed marathons, but I hope that the £320 I have raised for Tenovus so far will help those who have been affected by cancer, and I am looking forward to coming back next year to do it all again.”

Lianne Toye, Head of Corporate & Sponsored Events at Tenovus added:

“We are extremely privileged to be working in partnership with the Snowdonia Marathon in their 30th anniversary year, and are excited to continue working with such an established and well-respected event going into Tenovus’ own anniversary celebrations in 2013, which marks our 70th year of supporting cancer patients and their families across Wales. We would like to thank Jayne and Phil (Jones) for making us their partner charity and who do an incredible job year on year with an event that the whole community get involved with and enjoy, and as Wales’ leading cancer charity, we look forward to being an even bigger part of that community in 2013.”

Looking forward to next year’s event, Jayne Lloyd concludes:

“The 30th race was the most successful to date and, once again, Marathon Eryri Cyf will be donating thousands of pounds to local community causes. Runners are already queuing up to enter the 2013 race which will take place on October 26th. We might be small but we have still been voted Best Marathon in Britain, more than a match for our big city rivals!”

Runners World South Africa

Posted on November 6, 2012 by talkultra

Linda Doke and myself had the opportunity to go for an incredible 5/6 hour play in the mountains after the iconic Skyrunning Sierre-Zinal earlier this year.

For me it was everything one could wish for… awesome trail, fantastic views, beautiful weather and the opportunity to take some great images.

One image has been used in Runners World South Africa. The article features Linda writing about 5 International trail races.

Performances of the year 2012

Posted on November 4, 2012 by talkultra

Episode 26 of Talk Ultra will be released on December 28th. In an effort to provide a review of 2012 I would like your help…

I am looking for answers to the following questions:

1 – Male of the year worldwide
2 – Female of the year worldwide
3 – Race performance of the year (worldwide) – Male and Female
4 – Non ‘elite’ performance of the year, male or female (a 15min of fame possibility)
5 – Race of the year worldwide

Please feel free to post comments to this blog, tweet me @talkultra or go to the Talk Ultra FB page and post. Please put the relevant number next to your answers.

Thanks

Hole in the bucket!

Posted on November 3, 2012 by talkultra

Aagh, the bucket list! Is it a good thing or is it a bad thing? Some runners get so obsessed at ticking the races off and working through a list that they actually forget the most important thing; the experience.

I would much prefer to run for a lifetime with targets, goals and a ‘to do’ list than get it all over and done within five years and maybe not be able to run again through an injury.

So, to that end ‘findarace’ asked me what I considered to be the five best ultras in the UK. Now of course I am potentially opening a can of worms here. What one runner likes, another doesn’t. So, instead of trying to second-guess and be politically correct I am going to list five that I would choose.

To clarify, it’s all about experiences, views and challenges for me, so, you are not going to see a road ultra in this list as I don’t think we have anything in the UK that could compete with Comrades. Had London to Brighton still been a road run, it would have almost certainly made the list. Also, your not going to see the GUCR (Grand Union Canal Race) at the risk of some abuse from those who ‘love’ this race I just personally think life is too short to run for hours and hours on a canal tow path. Also, distance isn’t everything. I am not a distance snob and therefore for me, a good race is a good race, 30 miles, 50 miles or 100(+) miles makes no difference.

Here goes in chronological order:

January – The SPINE 268-mile non-stop across the Pennine Way HERE

Having said that distance isn’t everything and then here I go with a ridiculous 268-mile race that takes place in January. yes, January. So, if distance wasn’t enough you have to contend with cold weather, ice, snow, wind and whatever else the UK can throw at you. The appeal? Well this race is non-stop so it brings in a real element of tactics, endurance, planning and basically leave your brain at the door challenge.

Taking place on the entire Pennine Way it is arguably the most demanding National Trail in Britain. Beautiful, difficult and challenging it includes the Peak District, Cheviots, Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland National Park – finishing on the Scottish Borders.

Open to anyone with appropriate experience who wishes to test themselves and compete in a truly brutal race. The first edition was in 2012 and only 3 finished.

April – HIGHLAND FLING 53 miles HERE

The Highland Fling Ultra, is a trail race over the southern section of the famous West Highland Way Path (you can cover the full 95 miles in August in the West Highland Way race) Starting in Milngavie (close to Glasgow) and finishing in the scenic village of Tyndrum. The route is almost entirely on trails and thus traffic-free. Varied terrain and stunning scenery makes this a truly enjoyable experience.

In addition to the solo runners, there are club competitions, and a four-person relay race. All runners must be 21 years old or over (18 for the relay). 53 miles you must cover the distance within the 15-hour time limit and you must run unsupported, however, you are allowed drop bags at checkpoints.

June – UTSW 100 miles, 60 miles and 100m relays HERE

The UTSW is a brute… offering two distances at 60 and 100 miles believe me you are no wimp choosing the 60-mile option. The 100-mile race starts in Charlestown in the southwest corner of Cornwall. Heading east on the South West Coast Path crossing the beautiful Fowey estuary by ferry before continuing on to the to the quaint fishing town of Looe. Here you will leave the South West Coast Path for a while and head inland mostly following the Smugglers Way. Continuing north you will come to the famous Jamaica Inn. Bodmin Moor is the next obstacle.

If you plan on the 60-mile option, Bodmin is your start point. Brown Willy the highest point in Cornwall is the next landmark and then you have a cross county trek which comes to an end at Boscastle. Here you head west along the South West Coast Path to Tintage. Now heading west you will hit the Camel Estuary where a ferry will transport you across to Padstow. Padstow to Watergate Bay are the final 20 miles with a finish at the Watergate Bay Hotel. Don’t underestimate this race! This course is brutal, beautiful and challenging.

July – Lakeland 100 and 50 HERE

For me, the Lakeland 100 and 50 is everything that an ultra should be. A challenging course, beautiful course, great organization and an iconic race. In it’s short history the race has become possibly the premier 100 miler in the UK. Taking in a circular route of the English Lakes the race starts and finishes in Coniston. It is a navigation event but you are provided with a detailed route book and you are allowed GPS. For many participants, regular ‘recces’ are essential to ensure that race day runs smoothly. The 50-mile option starts half way around the 100-mile route and is a wonderful race it it’s own right. In actual fact, I would almost tip my head towards the ‘50’ as it can be raced and ultimately a more enjoyable experience may be obtained. It depends what you are after?

The route encompasses the whole of the Lakeland fells, it includes in the region of 6300m of ascent. The route is almost entirely on public bridleways and footpaths but does have one or two small sections of road to make connections with trail. The route takes in the Dunnerdale fells, Eskdale, Wasdale and Buttermere before arriving in Keswick. From here the route heads to Matterdale and continues over to Haweswater before returning via Kentmere, Ambleside and Elterwater to the finish at Coniston.

August – North Downs Way 100 and 50 HERE

The race begins in Farnham at the Western end of the North Downs and works its way through some of the best of the English countryside.

Key landmarks are: Puttenham, Guildford, Ronmore Common, Box Hill, Reigate Hill, Merstham, Oxted, Knockholt Pound, Wrotham, Holly Hill, Medway Bridge, Detling, Hollingbourne, Harrietsham and Charing before dropping down into Wye and the finish.

Organized by Centurion Running this race is part of a ‘Grand Slam’ based around the American system of 4 x 100 mile races in 1 year. The addition of 50 mile options makes this a great series of races and in comparison to UTSW and the Lakeland courses this is an ideal opportunity to tackle 50 or 100 trail miles over an ‘easier’ course.

Notable others:

West Highland Way (June) 95 miles
Ring of Fire (August) 131 miles in 3 days
Ridgeway (August) 85miles
Dragon’s Back (September) 200 ‘ish’ miles

And I could go on……

Salomon Skyrun South Africa

Posted on November 1, 2012 by talkultra

Ryan Sandes talks about his prep via this link HERE

watch?v=AsFBJj8b6H0

RACE DATE November 3rd

Official website HERE

Who to watch for the 2012 race

This 2012 Salomon Skyrun is going to be a great race! Defending Champion, Bruce Arnett will be back but he is going to have to beat Iain Don- Wauchope who recently won the Otter (Retto) with a sub 4:30 course record and Salomon sensation Ryan Sandes who placed 2nd at the Western States. Others to watch out for are Dreyer van Huysteen, Paul Mokehetsi and Salomon Athletes Jock Green and Lance Chapman. It is 100km of self-supported, self-navigation running so experience really counts!

Several potential winners in the Ladies race with Sue Chapman, Landie Visser Greyling and Yancey Truluck taking on the experience of local Donna Green.

RACE INFO (taken from race website)

The First Official SKYRUN : The first official Skyrun took place in 1997 with 15 maverick ‘Skyrunners’, however Skyrun had to be cancelled at Snowdon Peak due to extreme weather conditions, gale force winds, snow and sleet. At the time we had a TV film crew in attendance with ‘Old Mutual World of Endurance’, motivated by Two Oceans organiser Chet Sainsburry. John Fobian and Brent Robart assisted with a SAPS Helicopter and medical support back up. The following two Skyruns 1998 with 27 finishing and 1999 with 44 Skyrunners, both ended in Rhodes with consistent winner, Bruce Arnett who started his winning streak in 1998, in his first attempt at trail/wilderness running. Helen Collins then editor of Runners World SA labelled Skyrun as “SA’s Ultimate Ultra”, in the April 1998 Runners World, unfortunately in participating in 1998, Helen baled out at Olympus Peak after suffering from altitude sickness, however her companion and good friend, Talia Raphaely completed the Skyrunning adventure in really ‘heavy’ weather getting caught up in lightning strikes and thunderstorms. Articles in the Comrades Magazine Beyond 42 confirmed these initial claims. In the year 2000, 60 Skyrunners started with 41 completing the distance now ending at Tiffindel Ski. 2001 had 82 entries and 2002, 77 entries. 2003 was almost washed out with extreme floods, where many streams could not be crossed due to flooding. We had SANDF, military support from the men in Umtata under the command of Lt/Col Louis Buys.

Running Wild – Flying High : The Tiffindel finnish is too keep Skyrun essentially what I see as a ‘pure’ Mountain Wilderness Run, on an unmarked trail, in as much it follows the main ridge line of the Witteberge and Southern Drakensberg along the Herschel Border fence line, serving as a very basic route indicator. This was the initial route until the ‘short cut’ pioneered by Bruce Arnett for ‘speed’ and ease, became the accepted route, cutting out the Snowdon Annex and the main ridge line through to Avoca Peak, from Snowdon Peak.

The Destination:

The Witteberg is a South African mountain range just off the south-west corner of Lesotho. The range, which rises to 2408 metres, stretches for about 60km from Lundin’s Nek in the east to Lady Grey in the west. The range lends its name to the Witteberg Series, the uppermost fossiliferous sequence of the Cape System of sedimentary rocks in South Africa. The race starts in the town of Lady Grey which is famous for its annual Nativity Play and its quaint houses and incredible scenery. Discover the wonder of Balloch cave along the route with it bushman art and idyllic setting nestled between some of the highest peaks in the Witteberg.

The Witteberg range is one of the most picturesque places in South Africa with some distinctive peaks like Avoca and Halston Peaks dominating the skyline.

The Terrain:

The Salomon SkyRun is true mountain running with a variety of terrain from hiking paths that lead you up to the tower, some jeep track is a welcome relief from the majority of the terrain which is on the mountain side as this is a self-supported and self-navigation the route choice is very much in the hands of the individual competitors. Once you have left the town of Lady Grey behind the beauty and remoteness of these mountains soon engulfs you and it is not uncommon to run for the entire race without seeing much civilization around you except those involved in the race.

The fauna and flora is incredible and there are over 650 plant and 80 animal species know to habitat the mountains of the Witteberg.

The Trail:

The Salomon SkyRun and SkyRun Lite are unique in that they are truly self-supported and self-navigational races, where athletes tackle the remote terrain of the Witteberg Mountain range with a Map a Compass or GPS unit and a back pack containing all there food, water and compulsory equipment that will enable them to survive in this harsh environment, while operating at an average height of between 2200-2500 meters above sea level.

The trail starts in Lady Grey and the first 65km of the route is the same for both races, after the compulsory stop and medical check at Balloch are the Skyrunners allowed to continue while the Lite runners have completed their journey. The route climbs sharply out of Lady Grey to the first check point at the Tower; this is about a 12km run and is a combination of hiking trails and mountain running. As you climb the trail to the tower the majestic landscape unfolds in front of you and it now feels as if you are on top of Africa. Following the fence line you make your way along the ridge line to the second check point which is at Olympus, this is another 10km and the terrain is now devoid of paths and trails and athletes must decide which is the best route to the check point. After Olympus the athletes can pick up a small trail that will lead them to Snowden

which is check point 3 another 11km or so, there is a natural spring just past Snowden where you can fill up your water bladders (does depend on how much rain has fallen so not always guaranteed a lot of water) before making your way to Avoca Peak the highest point (2756m) on the race. The climb up Avoca peak is challenging as the gradient is steep and the terrain is rough especially after good summer rain. From Avoca the route takes you over the “Dragonback” a ridge line that is about 3 meters wide with steep descends on either side, a fantastic formation of rock that is a feature of the race and a spectacular viewing point on a clear day. The route flattens out for a while as you move towards CP6 at Skidor which is again a leg of about 10km. At Skidor you descend into the valley down a technical descend before picking up the river that will lead you to the compulsory stop at Balloch Cave having now covered about 65km of the race.

Once Athletes have done their medical and been give the all clear by the doctor, it upwards and onwards as they take on the challenge of Balloch Wall a climb with a vertical ascent of over 500m in just 3km and back down the other side on the way to CP 8 at Edgehill Farm. Most athletes will now be operating in the dark as night fall will have replaced the harsh African sun. Navigating through the Bridal Pass from EdgeHill to the turn is tricky with a lot of athletes losing a lot of time trying to find the correct entrance into the pass that will lead them onto the ridgeline again. The Bridal pass has now been included as a waypoint on the route to assist athletes in negotiating the pass. A steady climb up the Pass will take you onto the ridgeline and to the check point at the Turn. From here you will double back toward the Wartrail Country Club via Halston Peak which is the last check point on the route. The climb down from Halston’s is technical and is made more difficult by the fact that you are very fatigued at this stage but buoyed by the fact that you are now heading to the finish at Wartrail Country Club.

The Event:

The Salomon SkyRun is an Epic Mountain run of 100km considered by many athletes to be the toughest Trail Run in South Africa. The event is made up of two options the SkyRun Lite a 65km one day run or the big daddy of trail the 100km SkyRun. The event takes place in early Nov each year and is unique in that the event is self-supported and athletes must navigate themselves between the check points on the route. This is one of the few runs that is unmarked and un-supported and this is one of the reasons that it is considered to be such a challenge and a must for most serious trail runners. Entries are limited to 250 athletes for both events.

The 100km run is not recommended if you are a novice/beginner trail runner, and proof of previous trail event finishes may be required. Rather opt for the 65km run presented on the same weekend.

LIVE race tracking HERE