A selection of images in and around the town of Zegama. This race is a beautiful mountain race with a history. As runners arrive ahead of tomorrows registration day, the locals join in for the build up to Sunday’s race.
Sarah Ridgeway Inov-8 copyright Ian Corless
Sarah Ridgeway needs no introduction to the ‘Zegama’ experience. She raced here in 2012 and placed 6th overall. She loves Zegama and she feels very privileged not only to be back racing at Zegama again but also to be part of the Inov-8 International Skyrunning Team.
Last years race was cold, wet and we had snow. Sarah hopes she gets similar conditions this year… one of the advantages of being a fell and mountain runner in the UK!
YouTube HERE
Links:
Alex Nichols Inov-8 copyright Ian Corless
Alex Nichols has had a long journey to Zegama. However, he has had some time to relax and recover and without doubt he is looking forward to the challenge that will unfold on Sunday.
Without doubt he is excited to be racing Kilian Jornet, Luis Alberto Hernando, Michel Lanne, Marco de Gasperi and more… he is new to racing in Europe and he appreciates the racing and trails are very different to the US. But he is here to race, his form is good and he plans to push at the front of the race!
YouTube HERE
Links:
Stevie Kremer – copyright Ian Corless
Stevie Kremer burst onto the European running scene with a stunning second place at Sierre-Zinal in 2012. She followed this with a win at the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships at Interlaken later that year.
Stevie is extremely modest and humble, she says that she shouldn’t really be a World champion… I don’t agree. She has immense talent. She most certainly has the potential to win at Zegama but it is her first big race of the year and her first big race against some serious competition. She may well use this to ease into 2013 and find her feet. Rest assured, once she has found them she will be a force to be reckoned with.
YouTube – HERE
Links:
I love a good movie! I don’t mind if it is in the cinema or at home. Both have pluses and minuses.
A big plus of the cinema is popcorn from the ticket desk and of course, when I am in my seat, that is it. I don’t move until the movies over… you see, I am always easily distracted. I always have ‘something’ to do!
At home I can kick back, put my feet up, get a glass of wine and hopefully relax. If the movie doesn’t grab me, I often find I am reaching for my laptop and then I somehow multi task. More to the point, my work gets my attention and the movie drifts away from my mind and it becomes a distant memory.
This didn’t happen with the Dragon’s Back Race!
Running movies are a tough call. If you are ‘interested’ and by that, I mean a runner or enthusiastic sports person, you can often continue watching a poor movie because the content enthrals you. Very few running movies have been ale to combine key elements and not only provide a great story but also be able to tell it in a visual way, with thoughtful dialogue and importantly a great soundtrack. For comparison I mention ‘The Runner’ by JB Benna, a story about David Horton running the Pacific Crest Trail (2,700 miles) and most recently, “A fine line – Summits of my life” by Sebastian Montaz-Rosset. As I am sure many of you will know, this movie documents Kilian Jornet over the first of his Summits series. I consider the latter filmmaker, Seb Montaz, a master of his craft.
Lets cut to the chase!
I loved the Dragon’s Back Race dvd. It provides a movie experience for all. I strongly feel, very much like the James Cracknell documentary on the Marathon des Sables, that this movie is extremely watchable and intereting for all concerned.
It really does tick all the boxes.
An epic journey, stunning scenery and locations, thoughtful and meaningful story telling, glory, pain, struggles and strife. Not only that, but for the most part, the sun was shining in Wales… that doesn’t happen often, does it!
Documenting the story of eighty four runners, from fifteen countries, the Dragon’s Back Race takes hold of you from the start as the dulcet tones of a male voice choir and the views on Conway Castle lead us into a journey of 300km over five days and altitude gains of 17,000m. The last year this race was held was in 1992.
The film takes you into the heart of the 2012 race as the competitors navigate an individual path down the spine of Wales. Never has Wales looked so good on film.
It’s a compelling and beautiful story. Remote, relentless, ruthless but ravishing.
“I expect to suffer much physical pain” says Rob Baker, eventually placing second overall.
As with all races, somebody comes first and somebody comes last. Without doubt, the film follows the battle for the front of the race between Steve Birkinshaw, Rob Baker and Patrick Devine Wright. But for balance, a wonderful insight is provided into Helene Whitaker (she raced the Dragon’s Back in 1992 and won it). She conveys true mountain spirit, “You don’t enter something like this if you know you can finish it”. And she is right, by day four, from the eighty four starters, only 28 people are left in the race.
One of the twenty eight, is no61 and of course, she is sixty one years old, Wendy Dodd. Also a participant in the 1992 race, she personifies true mountain spirit, guts and a desire to achieve, “It is far more harmful to be inactive than active” she retorts, poles in hand as she powers up a climb. On leaving a checkpoint after a well earned rest and refuel, she stops, turns to the camera and says, “Got to get to the post office before it closes, I need to get my pension”.
It is this humility, this passion and I guess the quirkiness of all those who undertake such challenges that gives the Dragon’s Back Race such broad appeal.
If anyone asks you in the future, “What is mountain running like in England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales?”
Point them in the direction of the Dragon’s Back Race dvd. They won’t be disappointed.
Links:
The dvd is available HERE
What others are saying:
“Breathtaking” – Trail Running Magazine
“Awesome endurance and stunning filming” – UKHillwalking.com
“One of the great running documentaries. A must see for any runner” – Sheffield Adventure Film Festival
“A film of epic proportions” – MudSweatandTears.co.uk
“Remote, Relentless, Ruthless and Ravishing” – talkultra.com
Many thanks to Shane Ohly for my advance copy of the dvd and the opportunity to review it, *Please note, I am not connected to the Dragon’s Back Race in any way. This is an impartial review.
One of my images from the 2013 ‘The Coastal Challenge’
“Some races have mountains; some have dense forest; some have beach running; and some, like Costa Rica’s Coastal Challenge, have it all!”
The brainchild of Costa Rican architect and adventure racer, Rodrigo Carazo, the ninth edition of this epic race covered 236k over six days. Starting in Quepos on the coast, and travelling down the coastline of Costa Rica, moving in and out of rain forests and covering a total vertical gain of over 30,000 ft to finally arrive at the stunning Drake Bay.
Entries for 2014 are now available at: www.thecoastalchallenge.co.uk
Running Fitness, June 2013
© Running The Cape
Zemmer and Orgué
2012 Vertical Kilometer® world champions, Italian Urban Zemmer and Spaniard, Laura Orgué win Saturday’s Cara Amòn Vertical Kilometer®, second race in the Vertical Series after Mount Elbrus.
Cold, rain, wind and snow above 1,500m prompted the organisers to choose a safer, alternative route. The new course followed the original 2012 SkyGames® route in Barruera Vall de Boi in the Spanish Pyrenees. Initially the same for the first 500m climb, the course then deviated to summit the Corona del Pina at 2,053m where the runners were greeted with 25 cm of fresh snow. The race totalled 980m vertical climb over 4.8km distance, shorter than the planned event.
Despite the desperate climatic conditions, 200 participants took part. Among the top runners present, three-times skyrunning world champion Agustí Roc, winner of the Vertical Kilometer® category at the 2012 SkyGames, who came a close second to Zemmer. Zemmer’s team mate, Marco Fachinelli, winner of the Mount Elbrus Vertical Kilometer®, now leads the Vertical Series ranking together with La Sportiva.
The women’s field was strongly led from the start by Laura Orgué (Salomon Santiveri), followed by Britain’s Tessa Hill (Arc’teryx) second, and Spaniard, Alba Xandri (FEEC), third.
SWS Team partners Salomon, La Sportiva and Arc’teryx all had an excellent race, featuring in the top five in both men’s and women’s categories.
Race results
Men
1. Urban Zemmer (La Sportiva) – 39:26
2. Agustí Roc (Likesport) – 39:34
3. Marco Fachinelli (La Sportiva) – 39:40
4. Didier Zago (Arc’teryx) – 40:35
5. Marco Moletto (La Sportiva) – 41.30
Women
1. Laura Orgue (Salomon Santiveri) – 47:23
2. Tessa Hill (Arc’teryx) – 49:59
3. Alba Xandri (FEEC) – 51:51
Calendar:
VERTICAL
1. RUSSIA: Mount Elbrus Vertical Kilometer®, Mount Elbrus – May 7
2. SPAIN: Cara Amón Vertical Kilometer®, Barruera – May 18
3. FRANCE: KM Vertical, Chamonix – June 28
4. GREECE: Gerania Vertical Kilometer®, Loutraki – September 8
5. ITALY: Vertical Grèste de la Mughéra, Limone sul Garda – October 11
Link:
Skyrunning – skyrunning.com
Shona Stephenson – Inov-8
Natalie White, is the sports and marketing manager for UK Company Inov-8 who this year celebrate 10 years in the business. With less than one week to go to Zegama, I caught up with Natalie to discuss the brand and the expansion for the future. In 2013, Inov-8 has put together an International Skyrunning Team, it is a new departure for the brand, I asked how this has come about and why now?
NW: Yes, when I began at Inov-8 in Feb 2012 budgets had already been set so I had to focus on what people were telling me to do based on the budgets we had. However, in September 2012 I sat down with the European marketing manager and I said that we need to get involved in Skyrunning. It is a passion of mine anyway but all the high profile athletes are at these races and we as a brand needed to be involved. So, it made sense. I set up an International Skyrunning Team with runners from Australia, America, UK and France. Hopefully we are going to make an impact.
IC: It is an ambitious project and one that will test the financial strings as much as the runner’s legs. How do you go about putting something like this together, particularly in this current market?
NW: It takes some serious logistics. I also have a 101 other jobs to plan and budget for. I really need to manage my time well. It’s a case of getting a small International team and focusing and what needs the athletes have. Such as kit, what they expect from the brand, travel expenses and then budgeting all that. We shall review the total cost at the end of the year and then make adjustments for future years. I am a runner myself so I know what the runners want. I need to balance all the costs, hopefully everyone will be happy.
IC: Is part of the project also to develop new products such as clothing and shoes that you can take forward in future years?
NW: Yes! We have just sent our SS2014 workbook to print with some very exciting new products. I can’t talk about that yet…
IC: Your lips are sealed?
NW: Yes, we have our launch this month, in May. We are also working on other new products. It is all very exciting.
IC: In the past, as a company you have been renowned for your shoes and packs but you are moving into clothing?
NW: Yes we launched AW2013 running apparel and showed it in February 2013. Our athletes will be wearing our new mountain running wear in Zegama. I hope it will make retail outlets in July and August. It’s a very exciting time for the brand and the athletes.
IC: How have these products been designed? Do they all have athlete input?
NW: Yes, everything we do has runner feedback and athlete feedback. We put everything together, produce a product and then test it. Our athletes test it in training and our marketing team test the products. We go out at lunch and run on local trails. We debrief and then make adjustments as appropriate.
IC: You have mentioned the athletes. You have some real variety for 2013. Such as Brendan Davies and Shona Stephenson from Australia and then we have Americans, UK runners and then somebody like Joe Grant who is a Brit who lives in the US. Zegama will see the British runners head to Zegama… it is quite a mix.
NW: Yes, it is a mix. Prior to me joining we only had a small team of UK based athletes. To get more brand awareness across the world I thought we needed an International team. So, the best athletes from around the world put them in one team and then send them out to run in the Skyrunning series. We support them and help them travel the world to race. We want to help them achieve.
IC: Skyrunning is a very different sport to a lot of other running. UK runners in particular seem to adapt well particularly if coming from a fell running background… of course fell doesn’t have the altitude but it does have some tough terrain. How do you think Brendan and Shona will handle Skyrunning? It will be very different for them. How do you help them and help them adapt to the challenges?
NW: I speak with Brendan and Shona every other day via email and we have regular Skype chats. Because I have done plenty of Skyrunning I can help them. They are currently preparing with adjustments for altitude. They are in form. Look at the results from UTMF and TNF 100. Incredible! (Brendan just won and set a new CR at TNF100 in Australia, a record previously held by Kilian Jornet)
Brendan Davies – Inov-8
IC: How will Brendan and Shona recover from these high profile and demanding races and be ready for Skyrunning?
NW: To be honest, they both seem to recover very well. I don’t think recovery will be a problem. Of course flying and travel may impact but I think, fingers crossed, they will be fine.
IC: Zegama is the first race that you will attend, yes?
NW: Correct, yes.
IC: Zegama is the classic mountain race. It is famous for the terrain, the racing and a top quality field. What team will run?
NW: Alex Nichols from the US, he is in great shape. We have three UK runners, Ben Bardsley who is coming from a SkiMo season. He has actually been racing Kilian. He has been in the Alps doing some fastest known time attempts too. We have two ladies, Sarah Ridgeway and Anna Lupton. Sarah has been training on the Isle of Skye doing some ridge running. Ana Lupton is in good form too…. Hopefully everyone will be fit and healthy and will be able to have a great race!
Ben Bardsley – Inov-8
IC: Yes, it is going to be a great way to kick off the series for Inov-8. I have just done a race preview and I think Ben and Alex are potential dark horses.
NW: Ben came into our office just the other week and he looks super fit and healthy. He is very keen for the first race. He is very appreciative to be part of this team. It’s a dream come true for him. He is very happy.
IC: As the season progresses the priorities will fall with the Sky marathon and Sky ultra series. What at the end of the year will mean that this year has been a success?
NW: Ultimately brand awareness. We have many plans and we will attend many races. After Mont Blanc marathon we will stay on in Chamonix to do product testing, photography, video and so on. It will be great to have everyone in the same place at the same time. It is taking some planning but I am sure it will be fine! We then have Alex Nichols at Pikes Peak and then we have a team at Ultraks in Switzerland. Shona and myself will race Ice Trail Tarantaise…. Not sure why I signed up for that! Speedgoat and UROC will see some American runners participate and then we will have a team at the last race in Limone, Italy. It will be a great finish to the year. It will be a case of having representation across the world with athletes in the overall rankings. All about developing the brand.
IC: Inov-8 has been going almost ten years. As a company it has achieved a great deal. From a shoe perspective you have always been highly respected. You understood the needs of particular terrain and developed products accordingly. For example, the mud claw, it is a classic. How will the brand develop in the future? Will you have any shoes developed specifically for Skyrunning?
NW: My lips are sealed!
IC: Okay, enough said. That is a yes then!
IC: If we look forward to 2014, do you have a plan to increase your team or do you think you will look after the team you have and help them progress.
NW: We will progress the team we have and build on that. We are always inundated with requests for sponsorship but it is just not possible to help everyone. We just don’t have the budget. We need to look after the people that we have currently. We need them to have the results and we need to help them achieve that.
IC: Much better to have a hardcore team of eight to ten who you can help, finance and support so that they can get results. No point having a team of thirty and no results.
NW: Exactly!
IC: Finally, you have Joe Grant on the team. Joe has done some crazy exploits such as the Iditarod Trail Invitational… a crazy event! 350 miles in sub zero temperatures. Do you plan to help progress ideas like this as a brand, for example, will you create projects that your athletes can undertake. I guess adventures which Inov-8 can help finance.
NW: Definitely, we have Ray Zahab from Canada who is currently taking on a challenge of crossing the Gobi Dessert. He is doing that in June this year and we are helping to support him. We love this sort of thing. Crazy challenges… the crazier the better!
IC: It creates a story and it creates a buzz. Ultimately that is great for you as a brand. You need your name out in the arena and that comes from inspiration. It filters back to consumers.
NW: Yes, exactly. We are all about making the brand the best it can be and ultimately providing the customers with the right footwear and clothing for them to achieve!
IC: Natalie, it has been great chatting with you and I am looking forward to Zegama this coming weekend. Best of luck for you and the team!
Calendar:
SKY
1. SPAIN: Maratòn Alpina Zegama-Aizkorri – 42k, Zegama – May 26
2. FRANCE: Mont-Blanc Marathon – 42k, Chamonix – June 30
3. USA: Pikes Peak Marathon – 42k, Manitou Springs, Colorado – August 18
4. SWITZERLAND: Matterhorn Ultraks – 46k, Zermatt – August 24
5. ITALY: Limone Extreme SkyRace® – 23k, Limone sul Garda – October 13
ULTRA
1. SPAIN: Transvulcania Ultramarathon – 83k, La Palma – May 11
2. ANDORRA: Ronda dels Cims – 170k, Ordino – June 21
3. FRANCE: Ice Trail Tarentaise – 65k, Val d’Isère – July 14
4. USA: Speedgoat – 50k, Snowbird, Utah – July 27
5. USA: Ultra Race of Champions “UROC” – 100k, Vail, Colorado – September 28
Links:
Race Elite 230 – Inov-8
Brendan Davies TNF100 supplied by Brendan Davies
I first spoke to Brendan Davies (36) in the latter part of 2012. A schoolteacher, he was motivated by the escape that running provided. On the horizon was the Tarwaera Ultra in New Zealand. This race was being billed as the really big kick-start to the 2013 season. It had a stacked field with Sage Canaday, Timothy Olson, Anton Krupicka (who didn’t race), members of the Salomon International Team and of course all the local talent such as Vajin Armstrong, Mick Donges and Grant Guise. Brendan was relishing the opportunity to race… deep down though he had a bucket list. Brendan had a desire to travel and to race the best ultra runners in the world. As 2012 came to a close and 2013 started, Brendan was rewarded for his commitment, dedication and ability with a position in the Inov-8 International Team. Dreams would become a reality…
IC: Brendan, it is great to catch up with you once again.
BD: Thanks Ian, it is great to be back
IC: The last time we spoke you had aspirations for racing in Europe and a calendar that would fulfill your bucket list. 2013 is looking great… you must be happy.
BD: Absolutely. I have some great races planned. I have raced at Tarawera, UTMF and now TNF100. I go to Europe in June for Mont Blanc marathon and I hope to do UTMB.
IC: That would be awesome; UTMF was quite a race and a new experience. You had a great race in 5th place but I guess very different to racing in Australia?
BD: Definitely, the amount of elevation and the length of the climbs is just something else. You can’t get that in Australia. We don’t have the high mountain ranges. Our mountains are hills in world standards. We have hills not long climbs. I was certainly tested on the long climbs… what I found is that European men can go uphill so much quicker. They had a better technique. Something I really need to work on. I was slower on the climbs.
IC: I guess from your perspective when you train at home in NSW (New South Wales) you always run. I know that may sound stupid but if you train in the high mountains you have no option, particularly around Chamonix; it just isn’t possible to run everything. You must become efficient at hiking and walking. I guess you are going to work on that?
BD: Absolutely, that is probably the most important thing I learnt at UTMF. If I had the opportunity to race at UTMF again that is the thing I would really work on. I made the mistake of not doing enough research but I never anticipated the walking aspect. It is something I am now going to work on and I will find tough climbs and I will work and work to get stronger for the European races.
IC: What is it like racing in Japan; I would imagine the Japanese are passionate?
BD: Oh yes, they love the running. We had Japanese men in the field and the crowd really got behind them. Great organization and the RD put loads of effort into making everyone feel welcome. The race itself was very difficult. 9000m+ of elevation but I thought it may have been runnable… it definitely wasn’t. It was scrambling and rock climbing in sections. Massive climbs that gave you no opportunity for a rhythm. Thankfully road sections between climbs kept me in the race. Early on I was in 3rd place and then on the first big climb the European men such as Seb Chaigneau and Julien Chorier just pulled away. They cleaned me up on the climb. The race fluctuated for me. I finally settled into 5th place and I held that.
IC: I presume weather was an important factor. Japan at this time of the year must be chilly.
BD: It was nice during the day. The locals said how lucky we had been to get sunshine. However at night it dropped below zero. At the highest point of the course it was very cold.
IC: The experience at the finish, they had a local winner so I guess that must have been fantastic for the locals, however, for you it must have been emotional. This was a big race and big learning curve.
BD: I was absolutely over the moon. I can’t explain the emotions. It was just such an epic and brutal event. When I saw the finish I took my pack off, threw it in the air and high fived the crowd. It was such a relief. I was overcome by emotion. It was such a tough event. I used every trick in the book to get to the finish. My body and mid were absolutely smashed at the end… I had given it everything!
IC: Nice to hear that even the elite have to fight hard and dig deep to reach the finish line. What was your lowest point?
BD: I don’t think I really had a low point in the race. My nutrition and hydration went really well. I was happy. If I had a low point it was probably the last leg. It had the most brutal climb I have ever done in my life. This beat everything and I am including rock climbing. I had to scramble, it was muddy, it was so tough and it went on and on. At the top it went on for 7km and switched back on itself repeatedly. It was just incredibly tough. My quads were smashed to oblivion.
IC: How was your recovery post UTMF?
BD: I had some rest and I had some massage. Everything post UTMF was all about getting ready for the TNF 100. It is Australia’s biggest race.
Brendan Davies – Inov-8
IC: TNF 100, what an incredible race eh? Not only did you win it but also you set a new CR!
BD: I feel pretty good today; I think it is all just sinking in. It has hit me what I achieved. I never expected it, a real bonus to set the new CR too. Actually I had no idea of my time in the race. It was only when I finished that I found out the time. I knew I was having a strong race because I know that course and I was running sections that sometimes I walk, so, I knew it was going to be good.
IC: What do you put it down too? You have been super motivated this year. In our previous chats you have said what you would like to do and achieve. Everything is now falling into place with Inov-8, the International Team, a top five at UTMF, do you think that you are in a really good place with your running at the moment? Also, UTMF was only a few weeks ago but you obviously recovered and came back stronger from that experience?
BD: I truly believe that everything I have done in the last six years has been building to the performance at the TNF 100. This year in particular I have been so focused about my running and where and what I wanted to achieve. All those little 1% gains and ticking boxes. It is paying off. I have been waiting for a performance like this; I knew it wasn’t far away. Certainly UTMF and TNF were two big races. I was always going to run both and race them. Months ago I treated them like a block of races. I planned a way to recover from UTMF and use it as a way to benefit the TNF 100. I truly believe UTMF prepared me mentally plus having the aerobic capacity to run 100 miles almost made 100km insignificant. Instead of struggling at the back end of the 100km I had a lot more power in the 80-100km section. So, doing 100 miles as most definitely helped. The hills at UTMF were so much harder, the course was tougher and in comparison TNF 100 was easier so it put me in a great place.
IC: After UTMF that was one thing we discussed, UTMF was such an eye opener for you that it made you realize what else was out there. Suddenly what was difficult on home ground suddenly became easier and your mental balance shifted
BD: Absolutely. Shona Stephenson and I both said the same thing after UTMF. Of course, you can’t just say that and not have a plan. I went straight into recovery mode post UTMF, I didn’t train much but I kept my race legs by doing a half marathon and a 10k. I thought it was a good plan. Both high intensity races that would keep my race legs. The TNF 100 is the no1 race in Australia. It is what counts.
IC: Makes perfect sense. When you have raced 100 miles and then three weeks later you are not going to get any fitter, what you need is recovery and maintaining your top edge. Exactly what you did!
BD: Exactly my plan. UTMF essentially was my last long, long run for UTMF. I saw that as a positive.
IC: Going into the race, Ryan Sandes was without doubt the favorite so what was your thought process when he dropped at CP2?
BD: No, no way. I met Ryan last year and he is a great guy. I have always welcomed international guests to our races. I want the sport to grow in Australia and Ryan is a real powerhouse in the sport. I look at it, as he is someone to test myself against. I have been able to run against Kilian and Ryan, I have watched them, studied them and I have emulated what they have done. I have listened and learned and I have got a little bit closer each year.
IC: Well you surpassed your expectations this year. It is quite incredible. When Ryan dropped at CP2 that left you out in front dictating the pace is that something you don’t mind?
BD: I lead from the front, pretty much from Km 1. You have a little out and back section just after CP2 and it is great as you get to see the competition. I turned and expected to see Ryan. But it was Vajin Armstrong and I had no sign of Ryan so I assumed something must have gone wrong. I didn’t let it affect my performance. I have raced Vajin several times and he has had the better of me, so I respected him as much as Ryan. It kept me motivated to keep going. I didn’t look back; I don’t believe it is a good thing. I needed to keep going and run my own race. Even at the finish I was asking if anyone was on my tail. Running at the front you run scared, you need to be motivated.
IC: The Blue Mountains are your home territory; I guess you know these trails like the back of your hand. What’s it like to win and set a CR on home soil?
BD: It is so special for me. I was in a race that has a small community. The ultra running community is small. I know so many people in the race, front, middle and back. It was so special to share the moment with so many people. The race is in my back yard. It is very significant. A very special moment to be able to share it.
IC: Southern Hemisphere running is going through a renaissance, you, Shona Stephenson, Beth Cardelli, Ruby Muir, Vajin Armstrong amongst others are leading the way. What does the future hold in store for you all?
BD: We are going to be more of a force in international big races. We are going to encourage a new generation of ultra trail runners. I was speaking to people after TNF 100, I spoke to a guy who was 21yrs old who finished seventh, he came up to me and humbled me by saying that I was his inspiration. Many others said this. That touches me and it also signifies how the sport is growing. We are going to get a new breed of runners that are faster, better and more focused than myself. They will lead to the way and it will go from strength to strength.
IC: You are in Europe for the Mont Blanc marathon in June. You will be representing Inov-8 as part of the International Team, how excited are you about being part of this team but also running in the Skyrunning calendar.
BD: I am honored. I have always worn inov-8 so when I was asked on to the team it was such a great honor. To be around other international runners will be a great experience. I also think my Inov-8 teammate Shona Stephenson will really prove what a great runner she is when she gets to Europe. She has gone from strength-to-strength. The longer the race the better she goes. I am really excited to see the other athletes too to see what they can do. I will be a great experience. I am just really happy that Inov-8 has backed us.
IC: Brilliant, what lies ahead for you post Mont Blanc?
BD: Possibly Ice Trail Tarantaise but I am not sure it will fit in my schedule, we shall see. Maybe I will come back to Australia and then I will focus on the road. I want to get my road marathon time under 2:30, I did a 50k in Canberra two weeks before UTMF and I could have gone under 2:30 in that race. So, that will be on my agenda leading up to the world 100k championships in late October in South Africa. I would like to be in the 6:30’s for 100k. So, the latter half of 2013 will be about road running.
IC: Look forward to catching up in Europe. Certainly 2013 is going to be a really exciting year for you.
BD: Thanks so much Ian.
TNF 100 Results:
Men:
Ladies:
Links:
IAN CORLESS 