Salomon Fellraiser

Posted on January 30, 2013 by talkultra

Andy Symonds and Ricky Lightfoot very much pioneered the Salomon Fellcross, as the inside of the shoe says ‘Designed in the Alps‘. They tested the shoe and made tweaks to the design that would ensure that a shoe came to the market that was perfect for the job!

In 2013, a Fellcross 2 is certainly on the cards but fresh from the Outdoor Retail Show in the US the Salomon Fellraiser has emerged. Due SS 13?

Low to the ground? The Fellraiser is lower to the ground and apparently more flexible than previous models in the Salomon range. A 7mm drop (tbc) with a supposed12mm of cushioning at the front and 19mm at the back, this shoe will certainly become popular on muddy and gnarly trail. It has aggressive traction and a contragrip outsole with a fast drying and lightweight upper.An EVA midsole should provide great feel and enhance quick transition from one foot to the other.

UPDATE 1st Feb

Many thanks to Gripmaster who has been testing these shoes, he has confirmed the ‘drop’ at 6mm with forefoot cushioning at 6mm and rear cushioning at 12mm. He says “the new profile is quite cool, better on rock than the fellcross 1, so more usable in the alps that way..”

Is this ‘the new‘ Speedcross? Who knows… it certanly seems as though it is an offering in the ‘Speedcross’ arena. Certainly, the lower drop, if confirmed, will be appealing. But I have already seen new colourways of the Speecdross 3 for 2013 so this almost certainly will be an addition to the Salomon range.

It’s also lightweight, current stats are showing 230g for a UK8.5 (tbc)

Of course until I get my hands on a pair of shoes, look at them and test them, I can provide no more information. Rest assured, news will soon follow.

Salomon Website HERE

About Mountain Running…

Posted on January 27, 2013 by talkultra

Yes, I openly admit I work for Skyrunning and I attend the events that they organize. I love the philosophy, the courses and the people.

To be honest, I love our sport. Don’t we all?

The WMRA – World Mountain Running Association, are once again making sure that WE understand what Mountain Running is and I guess what Mountaineering, Orienteering and Skyrunning is…

Taken from the WMRA website – link HERE

Mountain Running is Athletics. Differences with Mountaineering, Orienteering and Skyrunning.

To distinguish the sport of mountain running from mountaineering or orienteering or skyrunning we can look at the philosophy of each sport.

The philosophy of mountaineering is based on contact with and challenge to nature. The time factor is only important in relation to our planning and safety. Climbers seek their adrenalin rush climbing on rock faces, looking for new routes and overcoming the danger inherent in their sport. A considerable amount of technical equipment, (ropes, pitons, etc) is needed. It is a question of combat between man and nature.

The philosophy of orienteering is to work out the quickest router between two points. Speed is important but it is useless without map-reading, compass, and route finding skills. In a few competitions, orienteering moves out of the forest, its natural habitat, and onto the mountains but its philosophy is still distinct from that of mountain running.

The philosophy of skyrunning seems to be an adventure on the mountain, trying extreme difficulties: in fact skyrunning is the discipline of running in the mountains above 2.000 meters, where the incline exceeds 30% and the climbing difficulty does not exceed II° grade. Ski poles and hands may be used to aid progress.

The philosophy of athletics, in our case mountain running, is based on the time factor, how to reach the finish taking the defined way as fast as possible. This is the objective of those who take part in competitive mountain running. Courses are designed to eliminate danger. No equipment is needed, no ropes, no compass. Athletes find their challenge in matching their speed against that of other runners, a competition between man (woman) and man (woman).

Are we clear?

Just to make sure:

WMRA Council: definition of mountain running for IAAF Rule Book

During the final day of meetings for the WMRA Council in Monte Carlo, the definition of mountain running was discussed at length which resulted in proposed language for a new rule to appear in the IAAF rule book: this new rule numbered 251 could replace actual rule 250.10.
It was agreed by the Council that there are extreme variations in conditions in which Mountain running is practiced worldwide. The difference between very successful and unsuccessful events often lies in the natural characteristics of the venue and the abilities of the course designer.
The proposed rule from the WMRA Council is intended as a guide and incentive to assist countries to further develop Mountain running.
Guidelines are included to support worldwide race directors in the organization and logistics of their events.
The proposed rule will be forwarded to the IAAF for consideration with hopes for final approval by the IAAF Congress in August 2013, at Moscow.
The rule would then appear in the IAAF Rule Book

Skyrunning 2012 Elite Listing

Posted on January 16, 2013 by talkultra

ULTRA

The Ultra distance races selected in 2012 were held in the following countries: Andorra, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Réunion, Italy, Spain, USA. The ranking is based on the best three results of the year – or two results, plus one from 2011, taking into account the top 15 men’s and 10 women’s results in each race.

The athletes are listed in alphabetical order according to their nationality.

ELITE MEN

AUSTRIA

Wagner Thomas

CANADA

Campbell Adam

FRANCE

Antolinos Fabien, Bringer Patrick, Buffard Sebastien, Camus Sebastien, Chaigneau Sebastien, Chorier Julien, Clavery Erik, Court Sylvain, Curien Yann, D’Haene Francois, Durand Maxime, Gault Emanuel, Guillon Antoine, Lanne Michel, Le Saux Christophe, Lejeune Arnaud, Lorblanchet Thomas, Martin Nicolas, Pasero Mikael, Pianet Nicolas, Rancon Julien

GERMANY

Reiter Philipp

GREAT BRITAIN

Conway Terry, Symonds Andy, Sharman Ian, Grant Joe (?)

HUNGARY

Nemeth Csaba

ITALY

Cavallo Giuliano, Dapit Fulvio

JAPAN

Kaburaki Tsuyoshi, Yamamoto Kenichi

NEPAL

Sherpa Dachhiri Dawa

PORTUGAL

Sa Carlos, Teixeira Armando Jorge

SOUTH AFRICA

Sandes Ryan

SWITZERLAND

Rey Jean-Yves

SPAIN

Bes Jordi, Castanyer Tofol, Jornet Kilian, Karrera Iker, Heras Miguel, Merillas Manuel, Perez Lopez Oscar, Sanchez Sebas

SWEDEN

Buud Jonas

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Bowman Dylan, Clark Nicholas, Clayton Cameron, Foote Michael, Gates Rickey, Grant Joe, Jaime Scott, Jones Dakota, King Maxwell, Koerner Hal, Krupicka Anton, Mackey Dave, Maravilla Jorge, Meltzer Karl, Olson Timothy, Pedatella Nicholas, Tidd John, Tiernan Zeke, Wolfe Mike

ULTRA

ELITE WOMEN

BRAZIL

Maciel Fernanda

FRANCE

Chastel Veronique, Combarieu Maud, Favre Corinne, Gobert Maud, Herry Karine, Lecomte Emilie, Martin Sandra, Motto Ros Sandrine, Valero Anne

GERMANY

Bottger Julia, Calmbach Andrea

GREAT BRITAIN

Hawker Elisabeth, Greenwod Ellie

HUNGARY

Wermescher Ildiko

ITALY

Canepa Francesca, Fori Katia

NEW ZEALAND

Frost Anna

SPAIN

Fraile Uxue, Iruretagoyena Leire, Martinez Nerea, Picas Nuria, Roca Emma

SWEDEN

Forsberg Emelie

USA

Africa Darcy, Bosio Rory, Bruxvoort Kerrie, Claridge Rhonda, Howe Stephanie, Howard Elizabeth, Kimball Nikki, Lewis Tina, Moehl Kristin, Nordell Ashley

See the 2012 élite listings: Sky and Vertical

Updated January 16, 2013

A year of memories

Posted on January 5, 2013 by talkultra

What a Year 2012 was for Salomon Running! New friends, precious moments, good stories – all there to strenghten the ties that bind us together.

This clip captures 12 months of emotions nicely.

Salomon Sense Ultra

Posted on December 22, 2012 by talkultra

The long awaited ‘Sense Ultra‘ has arrived. THANK YOU Santa……

As many of you will know, the ‘Sense‘ has become the shoe of choice for those who are wanting to run on trail with a minimalist and responsive shoe. However, we can’t all be as efficient as Kilian Jornet or Andy Symonds.

The Sense Ultra offers a little more but holds true to all the elements that have made the ‘sense’ so popular.

The Salomon S-LAB Sense Ultra Racing is one of the lightest trail shoes ever made. It is heavier than the Sense but has added strengthening of the sole for longer and harder races.

It has the new lacing system: Quicklace this reduces the weight of Sense.
Dynamic Traction: allows the Salomon S lab Sense optimum grip in all conditions. It wasdeveloped by Solomon with the greatest athletes without any compromise. It has different grip and texture which has been designed to optimize grip when it is necessary.
EndoFit: has an inner liner to the shoe designed for positioning the foot optimally.
Drop: a low 4mm drop to provide a natural contact and feel with the ground.
OS TENDON: Thanks to this system inserted in the sole of the S lab intermediare sense, there is a natural flow with excellent energy return.
Profeet Film: is a protection film that will protect your foot area from angular or sharp objects that are on the trail. The Sense offers maximum protection despite its lightness.
Weight: 240g in 8.5 U.S.

When you lift up the box you think wait a minute… they forgot the shoes! Not so. These ‘runners’ are super light.

The lacing system as with all Salomon in reassuring and holds the foot firm.

The addition of the internal ‘Endofit’ makes the shoe more comfortable than you would ever imagine. They can be a little tight to get on at first and you may initially think; uh oh, wrong size. But once your foot is it is snug and supremely comfortable. The most comfortable shoe I have ever worn.

I am not a small guy and the therefore I always felt the original ‘Sense‘ was maybe just a little too minimal for me… certainly on longer runs! not so with the ‘Ultra’. The additional cushioning is immediately apparent.

The sole has grip but nothing like the ‘SLab Softground‘ or ‘Speedcross‘. The shoe is therefore certainly more suited to road and hard pack (or rocky) trail. If your running in soft ground they perform perfectly but if you are a great deal of mud the added grip of the Soft Ground or Speedcross may be a better choice.

In use they are a dream to wear. On the roads they are light, responsive and provide that feel that I have had with traditional racing flats. The bonus with the ‘Sense Ultra’ is the hold of the foot. The speed lacing and Endofit provide supreme comfort. On the trails this becomes even more apparent as the foot moves from left to right with changes in terrain.

It’s early days in testing but this shoe will not be of my feet for a while… they are so comfortable I would even be tempted to use them as slippers.

Now then, I need to go run…..

As a foot note, (no pun intended) Spring/ Summer 2013 will see a new Sense model – ‘Mantra‘

I saw this shoe earlier this year at Cavalls del Vent. A couple of the Salomon runners tested the shoe (Emelie Forsberg and Philipp Reiter) By all accounts a great edition to the range but too early to provide some detailed feedback.

The Mantra will be an everyday trainer in the same mold as the Sense and Sense Ultra. It’s a door-to-trail hybrid. With it’s 16mm heel and 10mm front (6mm drop as opposed to 4mm) and 260 grams weight, it looks to be a featherweight trainer without requiring the user to go to a 4mm drop shoe. Salomon has been heavily delving into exactly how different heel-to-toe drops effect actual stride speed which has resulted in their “Natural Motion Construction.” A lower heel drop supports a mid-foot or forefoot strike that in turn better enables muscles, instead of joints, to absorb shock. Ultimately, their argument is this builds greater balance and overall running efficiency. More to follow….

Sense Mantra

Looking back, Moving forward – Skyrunning

Posted on November 22, 2012 by talkultra

Looking back over the 2012 skyrunning season, it was, to say the least, an intensive year. It was a year of major transition from the past format of main races and trials, to the introduction of the Ultra distance and separate circuits. The transition was complicated and not without difficulties but it paved the way for a completely revised 2013 format.

The start. Ultra Cavalls del Vent. ©ISF

The season saw triumph and tragedy, great champions, bright young stars, new races and spectacular locations.

At the beginning of the season in May, the introduction of the Ultra Series wrote a new page in skyrunning history. The Transvulcania Ultra Marathon not only perfectly embodied skyrunning’s “sea to sky” concept, but had probably the deepest field of world class runners to date, including American legends like Anton Krupicka, Geoff Roes, Rickey Gates, Mike Wolfe Joe Grant and 21year-old Dakota Jones who went on to win the race. Dakota, Tony and Joe came back for more…

Nuria Picas, winner Kima Trophy. ©ISF

The more gruelling courses typical of European skyrunning have almost surprisingly gone down well with the American runners, giving us the conviction to keep it “tough and technical“ rather than provide a watered-down version to appeal to a wider public – something to look forward to on the other side of the Atlantic next year together with a selection of the best that Europe has to offer…and our first 100-miler.

The 2012 SkyMarathon^® Ultra Series has represented the first and most important encounter among top European and American Ultra runners with a level so high that all the mens’ race records in the Series were broken! Legendary ultra runners competing in the Series (apart from those mentioned above) include: Kilian Jornet, Ikker Karera, Andy Symonds, Dawa Sherpa, Francois D’Haene, Erik Clavery, Seb Chaigneau and among the women: Nuria Picas, Anna Frost, Lizzy Hawker, Maud Gobert, Darcy Africa, and Nikki Kimball.

Kilian Jornet the sport’s top star, yet again gave a command performance taking not only the World Series combined title, but also the Ultra Series title, totalling seven outright victories and two third positions in all three disciplines. 2011 World Series champion Luis Alberto Hernando placed second and Britain’s Tom Owens moved steadily up the ranking to take third position. Ultra Series’ runner-up was Andy Symonds and Germany’s Philipp Reiter placed third.

Emelie Forsberg, Nuria Picas, Anna Frost. Ultra Cavalls winners. ©ISF It’s in the women’s field that the most rapid revolution lies however. Young, talented runners with no skyrunning history debut and rise to glory in just one season and, note, women are finishing in the top ten overall, closing the gender gap. Sweden’s Emelie Forsberg is one of these ladies. Twenty-five years-old, she ran her first skyrunning race just this year and in only one season conquered the World Series combined title in a field stacked with highly competitive Spanish runners like Nuria Picas, Blanca Maria Serrano and Nuria Dominguez.

Nuria Picas has finally shown that talent and determination go a long way by winning some of the toughest races on the Series. She finished second after Forsberg in the World Series combined ranking and won the Ultra Series outright. Anna Frost, after a superb start at the Transvulcania Ultra, was plagued by injury throughout the season but fought tenaciously for a second position in the Ultra ranking where Forsberg placed third.

Kilian Jornet & Tony Krupicka, 1st and 2nd at Cavalls. ©Ian Corless

Alongside Forsberg, another star was born: 23 year-old Italian, Silvia Serafini who, like Forsberg, began skyrunning just this year, testing her skills in all three disciplines to climb to third position in the world ranking.

Two world records highlighted the Vertical Kilometer^® Series on the gruelling course in Fully, Switzerland with1,000 metres elevation gain over just 1.9 km distance. The men’s record of 30’42” set by Italian Urban Zemmer is just a short step from climbing at 2,000 metres per hour – upwards! French runner Christel Dewalle set the women’s record in 36’48”. Overall Vertical Kilometer^® Series champions were Urban Zemmer and Spain’s Laura Orgué.

In 2012, prize money amounting to €140,000 (including the Series’ final prizes) was awarded to 148 athletes. The figures are still small for the huge effort and incredible performances involved, but as the sport grows, prize money will do like-wise. Complimentary accommodation, travel subsidies and promotion are more ways that a top runner can benefit – and so will the sponsor. Major industry players are now investing in trail running and many brands have top runners and teams participating in the Series. See Team ranking

Media coverage of skyrunning events reached new heights this year from print to websites, blogs and social media, to videos, podcasts and television on a global level. A big thanks goes to all those who followed the skyrunning heroes through thick and thin, in heat and cold and darkness, breaking news in real time and capturing high-flying emotions in images, text and videos.

Look out for the 2013 Skyrunner® World Series calendar to be announced next week. We’ll be focussing on new events and personalities, a worldwide ranking for runners and races, regulations and safety issues as well as the announcement of the 2013 European and 2014 World Championships.

Les TEMPLIERS race summary

Posted on October 29, 2012 by talkultra

After a light dusting of snow during the night, runners for the 18^th edition of La Course des Templiers had the prospect of a very cold day on the trails.

With a temperature range of -3-4 deg and a very strong wind, cold was going to be a major issue. On the start line runners assembled dressed for cold weather and believe me, they got it! Although the ambient temperature rose above 0 deg’s the general feel was considerably colder.

Stirring music, red flares and the runners left Millau at 0515 for 70+ km’s on trails.

Prior to the race we had a stacked field of runners but due to a string of late season injuries, several key runners were unable to run. Notably Leadville 100 winner Thomas Lorblanchet and Philipp Reiter. UTMB winner, Francois d’Haene although carrying a knee problem decided to make the start however dropped early in the race.

In the ladies race the notable drop before the race was Francesca Canepa who had started the Endurance Trail (102k) on Friday and stopped midway. For some reason she had planned to run ‘both’ races over the weekend! Anna Frost had been injured since Cavalls del Vent and was 50/50 but after having a short test run the day before. She ‘taped’ her legs considerably prior to the start and like the true competitor she toed the line see how things would go… after all, she was joint leader with Nuria Picas of the Ultra Skyrunning series and ‘Templiers’ would decide the champion.

The Race

Maud Gobert from France had set the early pace but she had been caught by Nuria Picas and passed. Emelie Forsberg and Lizzy Hawker chased. Frosty unfortunately never felt right in the early stages and she told me after the race;

“it was so cold and I just wasn’t performing as I should, it was a tough decision but a correct decision to pull out at the 22k check point before I did more damage”

Maud Gobert and Emelie Forsberg set the early pace followed by Lizzy Hawker. Nuria running from behind, caught Lizzy and passed her and then pursued the front-runners. Once Nuria caught them she pulled away taking Emelie with her. One has to say that if anybody deserved the ‘Champion’ title it is Nuria… she has consistently performed well throughout 2012 not only in the ultra series but Skymarathon and Vertical K. Nuria eventually pulled away from Emelie leaving her being pursued by Maud and Lizzy.

Between 22k and 35k Lizzy caught and passed Maud. Emelie Forsberg now chasing Nuria was caught by Lizzy who rallied. With Nuria crossing the line as race winner with a comfortable margin of almost 10 minutes, a race really was coming together for the 2^nd place. In the end it came down to a sprint finish with Emelie just pulling away from Lizzy to beat her by 9 seconds. Without doubt it was a ‘royal’ podium. Emelie was only recently crowned world Skyrunning champion at Kinabalu and Lizzy Hawker has just had a golden patch with three superb wins at the shortened UTMB, Run Rabbit Run 100 and Spartathlon.

Nuria Picas 7:16:58
Emelie Forsberg 7:26:15
Lizzy Hawker 7:26:24

The men’s race had a clear favourite with last year’s winner; Andy Symonds. However he had a race in front of him. Julien Rancon was an early protagonist and eventually forged ahead of the race with Fabien Antolinos, Miguel Heras and Andy Symonds in pursuit. Julien has had a very successful 2012 with 7 races and 7 victories but no race had been longer than 60k.

With just over 10k to go, Julien Rancon had a 45 seconds lead over Fabien Antolinos and 1 minute over Miguel Heras. As I waited at the finish news came in that Fabien Antolinos had dropped; a real shock at such a late stage of the race. This left the door open for Fabien Antolinos to surge away from Miguel Heras.

He crossed the line in an emotional state. Tears in his eyes… he had run Templiers only the previous year and placed 4^th. This was a sweet victory. Miguel Heras placed 2^nd just over 3 min later and put to bed a mixed season.

On the line Miguel said:

“I am happy with the placing. I ran a good race but Antolinos was better… It’s always nice to run well and todays course was very pleasurable”

Andy Symonds ran into the finish with a massive smile and took an opportunity to dive into a pool of mud just before the finish line much to the satisfaction of the ground. Andy has become very much a hero in France. His win last year at Templiers cemented this.

Fabien Antolinos 6:10:35
Miguel Heras 6:14:54
Andy Symonds 6:23:51

La Course des Templiers was the last race in the Ultra Skyrunning series and as such a final presentation was made. Kilian Jornet and Nuria Picas stood on the podium to receive the respective awards from ISF President Marino Giacometti. Two great champions!

Note:

To add to that magical ambiance, it helps to know that Nant was one of many points in a network of secret trails built by the Knights Templar, the monastic, international military order formed at the end of the First Crusade with the mandate of protecting Christian pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. The Knights Templar, known for their architectural skills and fighting alongside Richard I were the first warrior monks and were prevalent in that part of France until their downfall in 1307.

The race route uses the secret paths of the Templars. It has included two long tunnels that had been used as shortcuts to beat enemies to strategic locations. The region has become a popular tourist attraction primarily due to the success of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.

Key points on the course are the old village of Peyreleau, Route Alleyral, St Jean des Balmes, Roquesaltes (a protected site and an usual stone structure with a protected arch), the old castle of Montmejan, old cobbled streets of La Roque Ste Marguerite and Massebiau that has an old bridge.

The course has key points on the course of difficulty:

Cotes de Carbassaa 473m+ at 3km
Cote de Peyreleau 450m+ at 22km
Cote de Pierrefiche 346m+ at 46km
Cote de Massebiau-Le Cade 461m+ at 61km

Salomon Sense ULTRA

Posted on October 26, 2012 by talkultra

The long awaited ‘Sense Ultra‘ has arrived. THANK YOU Santa……

The Sense Ultra offers a little more but holds true to all the elements that have made the ‘sense’ so popular.

The Salomon S-LAB Sense Ultra Racing is one of the lightest trail shoes ever made. It is heavier than the Sense but has added strengthening of the sole for longer and harder races.

When you lift up the box you think wait a minute… they forgot the shoes! Not so. These ‘runners’ are super light.

The lacing system as with all Salomon in reassuring and holds the foot firm.

It’s early days in testing but this shoe will not be of my feet for a while… they are so comfortable I would even be tempted to use them as slippers.

Now then, I need to go run…..

La Course des Templiers – Preview

Posted on October 22, 2012 by talkultra

The final race in the ultra Skyrunning series comes to an end this weekend in Millau, Southern France. The iconic ‘La Course des Templier’ has one of the best fields ever assembled for this race. The inclusion of Skyrunning certainly has made a difference.

The Great Race of the Knights Templar was founded in 1995 with a humanitarian purpose. To financially support an orphanage in Chad

Sighting the Leadville Trail 100 miler in the US as an influence, Odile and Gilles Bertrand decided to embark on this adventure in March 1995. The project was launched and a date was selected, the last Sunday of October.

But the format of 100 miles as at the Leadville race was considered too long and Odile and Bertrand decided to offer a more appealing distance of 65 km.

In October 1995 before the fortress of St. Eulalie de Cernon 500 runners assembled and the first edition was undertaken. La Course des Templiers gave birth to trail running in France. This first edition of Templiers was won by Patrick Fox and Corinne Favre.

Mens field

Andy Symonds the 2011 winner of Templiers knows the course extremely well and after a great 2^nd place at Transvulcania La Palma you can surely expect to see him up at the front. A top 3 placing is a distinct possibility and of course he may well get a consecutive win

Thomas Lorblanchet had a stunning win at Leadville 100 and has figured highly at other significant races in 2012. In particular Transvulcania La Palma and Salomon 4 Trails.

Miguel Heras is without doubt a top performer but he has had a mixed 2012 with injury. He dropped at Cavalls del Vent with hypothermia so he will be looking to put the record straight at Templiers. If he has a good day. Top 5.

Philipp Reiter has gone from strength to strength in 2012. A super talented young athlete with the ultra world ahead of him. In 2012 he has consistently performed at the highest level with wins and top 10 places in pretty much every event he has entered. I think Templiers won’t play to his strengths, having said that I would consider him to place in the top 10.

Terry Conway had his introduction to Skyrunning at Cavalls del Vent and fell victim to the foul weather. However, he knows what is required now and is just back from 2 weeks running in Italy. He has told me that he is ready for this race and he is ready to race!

Tom Owens is the UK’s most consistent performer at Skyrunning events in 2012 and this is reflected in his 3^rd place at the World title. He is without doubt a contender for the overall win at Templiers.

Francois d’Haene has had a great 2012 and with 4^th place at Transvulcania La Palma and the overall win at UTMB he will be coming to Templiers brimming with confidence.

Greg Vollet team manager at Salomon is a top quality athlete and this course will suit him. He has performed consistently well in 2012 and has had some great podium finishes. He is not as experienced at the ultra distance and he may very well just be running Templiers for fun…. You can’t rule him out!

Ladies Field

Lizzy Hawker is a late entry to the race and will without doubt raise heads within the female competition. Within the last 3 months she has had a stunning period of racing with a win at the shortened UTMB, a win at Run Rabbit Run 100 miler and then a win and third place overall at the iconic Spartathlon. Not only does this show incredible consistency but it also shows incredibile ability over a variety of distances and terrain.

Francesca Canepa was 2^nd behind Lizzy Hawker at UTMB and then just one week later went to the brutal Tour des Geants and won that race. Templiers may very well not be tough enough for her but she will figure.

Anna Frost needs no introduction. Always a top top performer but after her 2^nd place at Cavalls del Vent she has had some injury and therefore her performance at Templiers has question marks. If she is in form expect a top three.

Emelie Frosberg has performed and performed at the highest level in 2012. Templiers may very well not have enough vertical gain for her but that descent at the end will suit her abilities and if she is in contention expect he to open the throttle and potentially pull away.

Silvia Serafini is the newbie to the ultra series and this is only her second ultra. However, this race is not as demanding as other Skyrunning races and the ability to open up the engine and run quickly will suit her. She recently won the Royal Parks Ultra and placed highly at Kinabalu.

Nuria Picas is always in form and a fierce competitor. Always smiling, passionate about running she is a pleasure to watch. She has raced hard all year and after her win at Cavalls del Vent she said Templiers would be fun. Even Nuria having fun is a dominant force and I wouldn’t rule her out winning. However, the course is less technical and has less vertical gain than Nuria prefers.

Anne Valero is my outsider and placed well at the CCC in 2012. She runs well on the road and that combination of hill strength and road speed may very well see her pull something out of the bag at Templiers.

THE RACE

THE GREAT RACE OF THE TEMPLARS

. Distance: 72 km – altitude: 3200 m +
. Departure: 5:15 (note time change), Millau, Millau Plage road (attention, 1h 20 ‘night in the morning) and arrive in Millau, Millau Beach Road 1.2 km from city center
. 4 stations (Peyreleau, St André de Vézines, Pierrefiche, The Cade)
. Registration limited to 2500 runners

Sunday, the weather seems to be confirmed with a cold, dry and sunny day but temperatures may even be below zero at times.

Therefore the race organisers have stipulated that runners must have suitable equipment for the cold. However, no equipment is compulsory other than a space blanket.

If the cold continues recommendations are as follows: gloves are essential, also a head cover such as a buff. A light jacket is recommended for the start and long tights/leggings or long shorts short + long socks are a suitable compromise.

A weekend of racing – Festival de l’Endurance

The Templiers race is part of the Festival de l’Endurance. The main event takes place on Sunday, the Grande Course – THE GREAT RACE OF THE TEMPLARS is steep and rocky, so steep that the race organisers place ropes in many areas so that runners can ease their way through rough spots without falling.

The racing at Templiers starts on Friday and goes through to Sunday with a selection of races as follows:

FRIDAY

ENDURANCE TRAIL

. Time limit: 22 hours.

. Distance: 105 km – altitude: 4800 m +

THE TRAIL OF VIADUCT

. Distance: 26 km – altitude: 680 m +

SATURDAY

MARATHON CAUSSES

. Distance: 38 km – altitude: 1600 m +

MONNA LISA TRAIL.

. Distance: 26.5 km – altitude 1000 m +

KINDER TRAIL

. Distance: 1.5 km and 3 km for young

KD TRAIL – JUNIOR TRAIL

. Distance: 9 km – altitude: 300 m + (same course cadets and juniors)

THE Templar

. Distance: 9 km – altitude: 300 m +

VO2 TRAIL

. Distance: 19 km – altitude: 700 m +

SUNDAY

THE GREAT RACE OF THE TEMPLARS

NOTES

The race route uses the secret paths of the Templars which ncludes two long tunnels that had been used as shortcuts to beat enemies to strategic locations. The region has become a popular tourist attraction primarily due to the success of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.

FOLLOW the main race live on Twitter by ‘following’ @talkultra and ‘Like’ our Facebook page and see updates and images as the race unfolds HERE

Trofeo Kima – Running Fitness

Posted on October 6, 2012 by talkultra

The biennial Trofeo Kima is a jewel in the Skyrunning calendar. thanks to its spectacular mountain passes, brutal terrain and its ability to attract the best ultra runners in the world. Ian Corless reports from the cloud laden course and finds that it more than lives up to its reputation….