Scott Jurek in the English Lakes

Posted on October 3, 2013 by talkultra

Scott Jurek - iancorless.com ©scottjurek

Image ©BenMoon scottjurek.com

Scott Jurek, arguably one of the most dominant ultra marathon runners of our time will come to the English Lakes on Friday 04^th October.

Scott Jurek, seven times winner of the iconic Western States 100-mile run, winner of the Hardrock 100 in 2007, winner of the Badwater Ultramartathon in 2005/06, winner of Spartathlon 2006/07 and 08, previous US record holder for the 24-hour running a distance of 165.7 miles in Brive La Gaillarde in 2010 and most recently author of the book, Eat & Run will come to the English Lakes on Friday the 4^th October as part of a whistle stop journey to the UK.

Scott will be attending the London Vegfest on the 5^th/6^th October at London Olympia (here) and will be at the Bloomsbury Institute on Monday 7^th October (here) in the continued worldwide promotion of his book, Eat and Run. Despite an extremely busy schedule, Scott has found the time to coordinate a run and impromptu meet and greet with Ian Corless (photographer/writer at iancorless.com and host/creative director of ultra running podcast, Talk Ultra) in the English Lakes.

Ian has interviewed Scott multiple times and they have often discussed the possibilty to run and enjoy the best of the UK’s trails and mountains. ‘It’s a conversation Scott and I have had several times. He told me the last time we chatted that one day he would make the trip and run in the Lakes. Of course, I never thought it would happen’ Ian explained.

‘It has been extremely short notice, ironically, I was in Colorado when I got Scott’s message. He was literally just ninety minutes away. He expressed interest to run on Friday and so I went to work immediately’ explained Ian, ‘Originally we looked at London possibilities due to time pressures but Scott came back to me and inisisted that it was the Lakes that he wanted to come to. In some respects, this was better for me. I know the Lakeland 100 and 50 routes very well so I contacted Marc Laithwaite, the Lakeland 100/50 race director and a plan was put into place’.

Scott is a legend of ultra running and as such demand to run with him is expected to be high. Therefore Ian is providing the option for eight people to join Scott, Jenny his wife, Marc and of course Ian on the trails this Friday with an estimated start time of 1:00pm. Location and details to be provided via email.

If you’d like to be in with a chance to join the run, you need to email talkultra@gmail.com before midday Thursday 03^rd October providing your name, email address and telephone number.

To avoid disappointment and to maximize the opportunity of Scott coming to the North West, Ian has contacted The Climbers Shop, Ambleside and they will host a meet and greet opportunity at 5pm, Friday 4^th October. This will be an open event allowing everyone the opportunity to get a photograph, autograph or maybe even get a copy of Eat and Run signed.

Ian went on to say, ‘I was well aware of the interest and demand that Scott would bring and of course, just eight peoiple joining us on the trails leaves many people disapponted. So I contacted The Climbers Shop and they have kindly stepped in at the elevnth hour and are providing a venue for everyone to meet’.

The Climbers Shop is located in the centre of Ambleside on Compston Road, LA22 9D2.

Want to run with SCOTT JUREK?

Posted on October 2, 2013 by talkultra

SCOTT JUREK will join myself and Marc Laithwaite (Lakeland RD) in the English Lakes this coming Friday for a run on the Lakeland 100/50 course. We would have liked to make this an ‘open’ event but due to time restraints and logistics we are offering 6-8 people the opportunity to join us.
You will need to make your own way to a central Lakeland location and be available from midday (1200) tbc and able to run 12-18 miles comfortably. How can you join us? Well we want to make this as fair as possible, so, please email talkultra@gmail.com with your name and and telephone number. All emails will be added to a list and 6-8 names will be chosen at random and notified via email, phone and on the Talk Ultra Facebook page.

You can also use the form below.

Needless to say, this may very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity to join an ultra running legend.

On another note, thank you to everyone who provided input for a trail in or around London. This was the initial request and it changed. I really appreciate the effort everyone went to. However, Scott is in London Saturday, Sunday and Monday so you may be able to link into one of the other events. Thanks

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

Kilian Jornet Matterhorn Interview, now in French

Posted on September 29, 2013 by talkultra

Available to read HERE

Many thanks to Fred Bousseau for his help and cooperation

ULTRA RACE OF CHAMPIONS (UROC) 2013 Race Report

Posted on September 29, 2013 by talkultra

All images are available to purchase for personal or commercial use HERE

The 2013 Skyrunner Ultra World Series came to an exciting conclusion in Vail, Colorado on Saturday as many of the top ultra runners in the world lined up against each other for the Ultra Race of Champions. Starting at 0700 in the small town of Breckenridge and concluding in the center of Vail, some 100km later this race was always going to be an exciting nail biter and it didn’t disappoint.

Sunny skies the day before the race turned to dark grey, light rain fell and then snow. So much snow that on the highest sections of the course, particularly in the early stages of the race; eighteen inches of snow covered the ground. At 12,000 feet temperatures in the wind were around -14 deg. It was cold! However, Colorado has never looked so good. Deep blue skies, beautiful sunshine and so much snow it made one feel like Christmas.

The buzz in the small town was tangible as runners wrapped up in puffa’s and beanies waiting for the 0700 ‘GO’. It soon came and the 200+ strong field departed in a rush. Two early cash primes were won by Sage Canaday and Emelie Forsberg, a pattern was unfolding and as many had thought in pre race predictions, two outright favorites had taken the bull by the horns and were starting as they meant to go on.

However, Emelie was certainly suffering from the altitude and had to ease off allowing Stephanie Howe to take an early lead out at the front. For the men though, the field was very much a who’s who of ultra running and Dakota Jones, Rob Krar, Kilian Jornet and Jason Wolfe reeled Sage in.

At Frisco, 14-miles into the race a front group had formed and then the climb to the highest point of the course came. At an altitude of 12,000 feet and freezing temperatures, a winter wonderland awaited the runners. Kilian Jornet and Dakota Jones arrived first, running together matching stride for stride. I was convinced that if conditions remained like this Kilian would for sure dominate!

Less than a minute behind, Rob Krar followed and then Sage Canaday. Sage looked less relaxed and calm in the knee-deep snow; his arms were outstretched as he tried to balance. A string of other top contenders followed, Ryan Ghelfi, Cameron Clayton, Luke Nelson, Mike Versteeg and so on. The descent from the summit was tricky in places as running water had turned to ice.

Emelie Forsberg used the snow to her advantage and reclaimed some time from Stephanie Howe, as she ran past me on the descent she shouted, ‘I feel better now, the altitude was making me feel very uncomfortable’. However, Emelie was still one minute in arrears.

Vail Pass at 33-miles was a significant turning point in the race, Rob Krar used his speed and took hold of the race and started to push. Dakota Jones followed. A flat road section that covered approximately 19% of the course demoralized Kilian; confident that his World Skyrunner Champion title was secure he eased back and allowed Cameron Clayton to run ahead of him.

Emelie reclaimed the lead at Vail Pass and never looked back. She continually pulled away from Stephanie Howe and at the finish in Vail she had secured UROC victory and the Skyrunner Ultra World Championship title with 23-minutes to spare in a time of 12:06:34 (her first 100km). Stephanie Howe ran a great race and considering she very nearly didn’t start due to a potential injury issue, she looked super pleased with her 12:29:26. Third spot for the ladies podium went to Michele Yates in 12:46:24, considering Michele had won Run Rabbit Run 100-miler just two weeks prior, this was an incredible result for her.

The men’s race however was less formulaic. On the descent to Minturn, Dakota Jones came charging through the forests with Rob Krar 1min in arrears. He looked strong and focused.

Minturn, mile 52.5 saw runners turn and head back up the trail. Jones appeared running every step of the way and then 90 seconds later Krar appeared with hands-on-knees powering up the climb. He looked less relaxed than Jones and at this stage one would have most certainly put money on a Jones win.

Cameron Clayton was 3^rd at this point, he was way too far back to contend the top slot and Kilian Jornet was far enough behind in 4^th not to contend the 3^rd place on the podium, so, barring a disaster, Clayton had 3^rd guaranteed.

With less then 4-miles to go, Krar and Jones were together and then Krar unleashed a break neck descent to the line that Jones later went on to say, ‘jeez, that guy was an animal on the descent. All respect. It was a great race, a pleasure to run with one so talented and the better man won’.

The better man did win; Krar broke the Skyrunner tape and then covered his face with his hands. ‘I can’t believe what just happened’. Exhausted, shocked, elated he was embraced by his wife and the victory sunk in. 2013 has been an incredible year for Krar, to put this in perspective, just a couple of years ago he thought he may never run again!

On the line, sitting in a chair, buckle in his hand, cowboy hat shadowing his face he said, ‘It was the hardest effort in my life, possibly the hardest course I have run. The course had a great mix of terrains making it a fair course’ I asked Rob, about the final climb when he was 90-seconds in arrears, ‘I caught him (Dakota) at the top. I was really hurting in Minturn I thought I was down and out but with a mile to go I caught him and pushed.’

The 2013 Ultra Race of Champions was without doubt a great race. It was a fitting finale to the Skyrunner Ultra World Series and of course, excitement now builds as the 2014 calendar in finalized. However, we do have a Vertical Kilometer and Sky Running World Champion to announce at the final race of the 2013 Skyrunner season in Limone, Italy.

All images are available to purchase for personal or commercial use HERE

Results – Men

Rob Krar – The North Face – 9:29:00
Dakota Jones – Montrail – 9:32:26
Cameron Clayton – Salomon – 10:06:24
Kilian Jornet – Salomon – 10:19:16 2013 Skyrunner World Ultra Champion
Ryan Ghelfi – Rogue Valley Runners – 10:24:38

Results – Ladies

Emelie Forsberg – Salomon – 12:06:34 2013 Skyrunner World Ultra Champion
Stephanie Howe – The North Face – 12:29:26
Michele Yates – Ultimate Direction – 12:46:24
Francesca Canepa – Vibram/Montura – 12:55:06
Kerrie Bruxvoort – Salomon – 12:23:39

Skyrunner Ultra World champion Classification 2013

1° Kilian Jornet 292 points

2° Sage Canady 255

3° Cameron Clayton 208

1° Emelie Forsberg 320 points

2° Francesca Canepa 266

3° Stephanie Howe 206

Ultra Race Of Champions (UROC) – A race in images

Gallery

Posted on September 29, 2013 by talkultra

This gallery contains 92 photos.

All images are available to purchase for personal or commercial use HERE

AJ Calitz provides insight into the record breaking 2013, The Otter, South Africa

Posted on September 27, 2013 by talkultra

This past weekend the strongest field of trail runners ever seen at a South African event took on The OTTER African Trail Run, a one-day race on the 42-kilometre Otter Trail – a popular multi-day hiking trail. But far from taking five days to complete the scenic route, the fastest runners blitz the course in less than four-and-a-half hours. K-Way athlete AJ Calitz spent the race in the thick of it to take a hard-earned third spot on the podium.

“The race started a lot slower than I expected, with the exception of Ricky, who went off the front immediately,” recalls Calitz. “I decided to run with Iain Don-Wauchope as he is the most experienced and he always sets a good pace.”

Calitz says that Lucky Miya, Kane Reilly and Thabang Madiba went after Lightfoot. He decided to hang back with Don-Wauchope.

“We figured that Ricky would either beat us by a country mile or pop completely and we would catch him.”

For most of the race Calitz ran in a four-man group with Don-Wauchope, Michael Bailey and Stuart Marais. Later, the pair broke away and they were on a sub-4h30 pace, which is what they were aiming for. Last year Don-Wauchope and Calitz were the first runners to break 4h30 at this event on the first running of the East-to-West RETTO route (OTTER in reverse). The RETTO route is said to be harder – by those who have run both; running a faster time on the OTTER course was well within the ability of both runners.

“On top of Andre’s Hut (eight kilometers to go), I had dropped Iain and caught Lucky, Thabang and Kane,” says Calitz, who made good use of his famed ability to run uphill fast.

“Iain recovered supremely well and he caught me again. I just didn’t have the legs on the downs to stay with him.”

Although Calitz caught Don-Wauchope again on another climb, Don-Wauchope pulled away again on another down.

“That proved to be too much for me,” says Calitz. “After the start, we didn’t see Ricky again; it was me and Iain racing for second and third, with Iain coming out on top.”

Back in 2011 Ryan Sandes set an OTTER course record of 4:40:15, taking eight minutes off the previous record. Until last year, when Don-Wauchope and Calitz both ran sub-4:30, it had seemed unlikely that the record could dip much lower.

And then, on Sunday, Great Britain’s Ricky Lightfoot – the recently crowned 2013 Trail Running World Champion – achieved the unthinkable. Blowing sub-4h30 out of the water, he took 25 minutes off Sandes’ record to establish 04:15:27 as the new time to beat. But, it wasn’t just an unbelievably good day out for Lightfoot; the first seven men all beat Sandes’ 2011 record and five of them ran sub-4h30. Don-Wauchope and Calitz clocked 04:24:33 and 04:27:03 respectively.

“This was an incredibly tough day out; I really gave all that I had,” Calitz adds.

Is a sub-4h10 the next holy grail at this race, ‘The Grail of Trail’? Next year, more international runners will join South Africa’s ever-improving best at this marathon-distance challenge. And with course times dropping every year by substantial amounts, it seems that the record is nowhere near the limit of physical ability – yet.

Men’s Results

1. Ricky Lightfoot (Great Britain), 4:15:27 *
2. Iain Don-Wauchope (South Africa), 04:24:33
3. Andre Calitz (South Africa), 04:27:03

* Previous course record held by Ryan Sandes, 4:40:15 set in 2011.

Women’s Results

1. Ruby Muir (New Zealand), 4:55:34 * (new record)
2. Landie Greyling (South Africa), 4:58:57
3. Nicolette Griffioen (South Africa), 5:24:57

PHOTO CREDIT: http://www.jacquesmarais.co.za / SONY

* The previous course record was held by Jeannie Bomford, 5:17:12 set in 2010.

Grand to Grand Ultra 2013 – Stage three

Gallery

Posted on September 25, 2013 by talkultra

This gallery contains 102 photos.

Grand to Grand Ultra 2013 – Stage two

Posted on September 24, 2013 by talkultra

Grand to Grand Ultra 2013 – Stage One

Posted on September 24, 2013 by talkultra

Grand to Grand Ultra 2013

Posted on September 24, 2013 by talkultra

Not much opportunity to upload images from the trail, so apologies. Here are a few images in the build up to the race. More to follow as and when possible.