Limone Extreme 2018 Race Summary and Images

Posted on October 13, 2018 by talkultra

Race report by Lauri van Houten, ISF

A star-studded final closed the intense 2018 Migu Run Skyrunner® World Series season in Italy, Saturday, October 13 at the Limone Extreme SkyRace®.

The event attracted 979 runners from 37 countries who gathered in the popular tourist resort on Lake Garda for the tenth and final race of the Sky Classic category. Here, the title was awarded along with the prestigious Overall ranking title.

LIMONE EXTREME SKYRACE® WINNERS
In a deeply stacked international field, youngster Davide Magnini not only took the win but crushed the record by almost eight minutes delivering a memorable performance. He covered the challenging and technically demanding 29 km long course with 2,500m vertical climb in 2h59’24”.

“I’m really surprised by this result. Before the start, I thought I couldn’t finish the first climb, but I found my pace and my legs worked really well. I stayed focused all the time and beating the record held by a legend like Marco De Gasperi is simply humbling,” said the 21-year old Italian. Second man was Switzerland’s Rémi Bonnet, fresh from yesterday’s Vertical Kilometer® World Champion title at the same venue. Spaniard Oriol Cardana closed the podium.

The women’s race was won again by orienteering world champion Tove Alexandersson from Sweden who raced her first skyrunning race here last year. Known to give it her all, today’s win was no different.

“It was so tough for me today. I’ve had a long season with many orienteering competitions so I finished the season last weekend with seven races in four days. I wasn’t sure to come here because I was so destroyed,” said the winner. “When I started I felt terrible but I was just fighting, fighting all the way. I come from Sweden where there was snow and I’m not used to this heat so it was a fight from the start to the finish but now I’m so satisfied that I did it. I really enjoy these challenges and that’s what I love!” She didn’t beat her own record but finished in 3h31’36”, just 25” short. Ragna Debats closed second, triumphant with her new Overall title. Third was Spaniard Sheila Avilés.

SKY CLASSIC CHAMPIONS
The Sky Classic category champions were Pascal Egli from Switzerland and Briton Holly Page. Egli commented, “It’s indescribable. I’m super-happy because I thought I might lose it if some people run really strong today, so I really tried to be smart and stay top ten and not to burn out in the end.

Because it is one year ago that my mother died, I thought I would be very weak emotionally, but I managed to hold on, so I dedicate this win to her. I love skyrunning because it’s an amazing community, so international and the most beautiful races!”

For Page, it was a climb to stardom after racing her first skyrunning race here last year. “It was actually the best start of a race I’ve had of the season. I felt really good on the first climb which is unusual for me and I pushed really hard. After half way I was sick and had to keep stopping so it was more like survival,” said Page. “I came here last year, it was my first sky race and I never thought I’d be here one year later having won the Sky Classic. When I won the first race in China I thought it was amazing but that it would never happen again – and then I won again and again and just tried to stay consistent all season but it’s been very long. I’m looking forward to next year!”

The Sky Classic title was based on the five best results out of ten with an extra 50% bonus pointsawarded here.

OVERALL CHAMPIONS
After winning three races outright, the Catalan king of skyrunning, Kilian Jornet took the Overall champion title, unaffected by his sixth place in today’s race. He said, “This season I was coming back from an injury, so I didn’t have real goals, but I saw I could do the Skyrunning Overall because it was four races, possible with some long and some short races. Today here in Limone I wanted to give it everything and actually with Petter had a nice 14 km of fighting. It’s good to see these guys coming from all over the world and very young. It was like looking at the next generation.

“After Glen Coe I had some problems, so I wasn’t able to run, just skiing and cycling. Today I came here and thought if I do top six I’ll win the Series even if Petter was first. That was my goal today. I knew he was super strong – he’s an amazing runner and very talented I’m so happy for him. Next season? I haven’t thought about that yet but I’m always in the game!”

Ragna Debats was overjoyed by her title, which she had to fight hard for. “I’m really, really pleased and even more pleased to get the Overall which is what I aimed for as I was second last year. I was a bit worried because this year I didn’t do any really good Sky races as I was training for the longer races. I started the year with a very long race so it was hard to get fast for the shorter races. I’m very pleased that I finally did and said to myself (mainly) that I can hard go hard if I want to!” The words of a true champion.

The Overall ranking took into account a maximum of the best two results in each category, Sky Classic and Sky Extra.

The 2018 Migu Run Skyrunner® World Series awarded an end of season bonus pool amounting to € 66,000 across the Sky Classic, Sky Extra and Overall rankings.

Eighteen races across three continents saw a selection of the best skyrunning events with the best runners, great champions and rising young stars. The 2018 Migu Run Skyrunner® World Series has come to a close and it’s time to look forward to the 2019 calendar.

A big thanks go to all the runners that took part, the teams, the race organisers and to our partners for their support with whom there will always be: Less cloud. More Sky!

Limone Extreme results
Men

Davide Magnini (ITA) – 2h59’24”
Rémi Bonnet (SUI) – 3h0414”
Oriol Cardona Coll (ESP) – 3h06’07”
Petter Engdahl (SWE) – 3h06’49”
Stian Angermund-Vik (NOR) – 3h09’56”

Women

Tove Alexandersson (SWE) – 3h31’36”
Ragna Debats (NED) – 3h40’07”
Sheila Avilés (ESP) – 3h45’28”
Michelle Maier (GER) – 3h48’36
Elisa Desco (ITA) – 3h53’30”

Results

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Face de Bellevarde VK 2017 Race Summary and Images – 2017 Vertical Kilometer® World Circuit

Posted on July 7, 2017 by talkultra

Starting at 1600 hours, runners departed on timed intervals of 1-minute for the Face de Bellvarde, VK, part of the 2017 Vertical Kilometer® World Circuit. Temperatures were relatively cool after a morning of sun and cloud cover removed any strong and direct heat thus making conditions excellent for a hard effort.

Last years winner Gachet, was never going to have an easy run and strong threats came from Remi Bonnet, finally returning from injury. Pre-race favourite William Bon Mardion also pushed hard with a hope for victory. Gachet held on though, crossing the line in 33:57 to Bonnet’s 34:41 – a convincing victory. Bon Mardion 3rd in 35:19.

In the ladies race, it was all change with a couple of pre-race favourites not starting. This opened the doorway for France’s Jessica Pardin who took a convincing victory over Marianna Jagercikova, 43:08 to 43:43 respectively.

VK specialist Stephanie Jimenez placed 3rd but said she had struggled with the altitude, her time 44:57.

Full results are available HERE

Vertical Kilometer® World Circuit information HERE

Next race on the calendar – VERTICAL CABANERA – SPAIN HERE

Face de Bellevarde VK 2016 Race Summary and Images – Skyrunner® World Series

Posted on July 9, 2016 by talkultra

Christel Dewalle and Xavier Gachet set the trails of the Face de Bellevarde VK on fire yesterday as they not only went in pursuit of victory but the opportunity to win the use of a BMW car for 1-year – a special prize offered by the race!

Dewalle needed to beat Laura Orgue’s 40:52 and Gachet 34:51 set by Skyrunning legend, Marco De Gasperi who was also running in the race.

They did it!

New records stand at 38:11 and 33:34.

Starting at 1700 hours, runners departed on timed intervals of 1-minute. Temperatures were cool and cloud cover removed any strong and direct heat thus making conditions excellent for a hard effort.

Dewalle and Gachet was never going to have an easy run and strong threats came from A. Mollaret and E. Collinge in the ladies race, they crossed the line 40:33 (also under Laura Orgues’s old record) and 41:33.

For the men, A Perret produced a surprise 33:41 and VK and Skyrunning specialist, R Bonnet crossing the line in 34:06.

Bonnet had been a pre-race favourite but a niggling injury was still causing a little stress to the young body of the Swiss man. One runner who we had anticipated to do well was Zemmer – he did not start. Fern Tpeixido, Marco Moletto, Hannes Perkman, William Bon Mardion and Pascal Egli made up the rest of the main contenders in an impressive field.

Attention now turns to the Ultra – High Trail Vanoise which starts in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Read the race preview HERE

Thanks to the support of our Partner Migu Xempower, Sponsor Alpina Watches and Official Pool Suppliers, Scott Running, Compressport and Salomon.

About Skyrunner® World Series
Skyrunning was founded in 1992 by Italian Marino Giacometti, President of the International Skyrunning Federation which sanctions the discipline worldwide and sports the tagline:
Less cloud. More sky.

The Skyrunner® World Series was launched in 2004 and has grown to represent the peak of outdoor running defined by altitude and technicality. In 2016, the Series, composed of four disciplines, features 23 races in 15 venues on three continents.

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Hong Kong and the Lantau 2 Peaks – First Impressions

Posted on October 1, 2015 by talkultra

Hong Kong, it’s a place I have wanted to visit for sometime! The noise, the bustle of life, it has an energy that is far removed from many places that I visit. Nepal I suppose in some ways come close but only on a noise level, here everyone has the latest phone, computer, camera and so on

It’s a long way from the UK or anywhere in Europe. A short 1 –hour flight to Amsterdam, a couple of hours’ stopover and then a 10.5-hour flight through the night and of course 7-hours time difference. You arrive mid morning but you feel like you be wrapped up in bed.

Once you leave the air conditioned confines of the airport or train station, the heat hits you. It’s like someone just turned a hair dryer on and the humidity? It’s uncomfortably high.

Most normal people would get a couple of hours sleep. A little RnR maybe? No, not us. The Salomon team were on my flight; Greg Vollet (team manager), Remi Bonnet, Laura Orgue, Martina Valmassoi and Yngvild Kaspersen. It’s a multi-national bunch with France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain and Norway represented.

Active people don’t like being compressed in a cylindrical tube for any length of time, especially 10.5-hours. So it was a quick turnaround at the hotel, check-in, drop luggage in room, shower and go for lunch before heading out on the Lantau 2 Peaks course. Lunch was an interesting navigation of what felt like a lucky dip. We ticked boxes on a menu card and hoped for the best. Some of our choices were excellent, some average and the less we discuss the pork balls, the better!

Lantau 2 Peaks by Action Asia Events after all is why we are all here. Lantau is the 4^th race in the 2015 Skyrunner® World Series for the SKY distance and the top male and female honours are all to play for.

Our early arrival in HK affords an opportunity to check out the 2^nd section of the course, from Cp1 to the finish; it is one we seize. I get to look at some possible photo spots and loosen off from the travel, the Salomon team get a 13-14k mountain run in.

Running is easy! Navigating our way across Hong Kong via 2 trains, no ‘blue’ taxi’s meant that a bus was the only option. As it turned out it was a great adventure.

So here we are.

We have consumed food, used public transport, christened the trails and as darkness falls the place is coming to life in a glow of neon lights and sounds.

Hong Kong is an exciting place!