2014 SKYRUNNING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Posted on January 31, 2013 by talkultra

A recipe for success – the world’s top athletes, a dream location, three challenging events.

Two important firsts are announced by the International Skyrunning Federation today: the 2014 Skyrunning World Championships will include the ultra distance for the first time and Chamonix, the most iconic outdoor sports arena, will host the events at the end of June, 2014.

January 30, 2013

Chamonix, France, offering the most famous and spectacular mountain panorama, will stage the second Skryunning World Championships at the end of June, 2014.

Three distances will be disputed:

– The short, steep Vertical KM – 1,000 metres skywards – by night. A timed race, it will test your VO2 max to the limit.

– The Mont-Blanc Marathon – the 42 km course starts in Chamonix and finishes at 2,016m altitude, gathering 2,511m elevation gain and 1,490m on the downhill, this beautiful trail offers some of the best scenery of the Mont Blanc massif.

– The Mont-Blanc 80KM – an exclusive, new course to be inaugurated this year, it features a challenging 6,000 metres of vertical climb along ridges, over snow fields, crossing into Swiss territory and traversing glaciers in a point to point loop from the town of Chamonix.

The races are open to both individuals and teams. Individual World titles are at stake in each discipline as well as a combined title, based on the best results of two out of three races. Countries will be ranked according to the best results of three men and one woman in all three disciplines.

Held every four years, the Championships represent the second edition since the inauguration of the ISF in 2008 and the first time that the ultra distance is included.

In occasion of the first Skyrunning World Championships in 2010, winners of the individual titles were Urban Zemmer (Italy) and Laetitia Roux (France) for the Vertical Kilometer^®; Kilian Jornet (Spain) and Laetitia Roux (France) for the SkyMarathon^®, and the combined titles went to Nicola Golinelli (Italy) and Laetitia Roux (France). The country ranking was headed by Italy, followed by Spain and France for a total of 13 nations.

The bid for the 2014 Skyrunning World Championships has been awarded to the experienced and highly competent local organiser, the Club des Sport Chamonix, which manages year-round major international sports events.

Marino Giacometti, ISF President, commented: “We’re proud to present the World Championships in Chamonix and, with the support of the Club des Sport, we’re confident the events will be a perfect showcase for skyrunning and draw the best in the world for some intense competition.”

In 2013, the Vertical KM and the Mont-Blanc Marathon will feature on the Skyrunner^® World Series calendar for the first time, an occasion to gather the world’s top athletes and thousands of participants for a preview of what is to come in 2014 – a competition to set your heart racing – starting right now!

Programme, race and entry details will be published at a later date. In the meantime see here for details of the 2013 events. Subscribe to our newsletter for all the news and follow us on twitter and Facebook for updates.

Skyrunning website HERE

Episode 27 – Talk Ultra

Posted on January 24, 2013 by talkultra

Episode 27 of Talk Ultra – Fast man of the moment, Sage Canaday tells us about how he got into running and all about his transition to ultra. Joe Grant gives us an update on how his prepartion is going for his attempt at the 350 mile Iditarod Trail Invitational in Alaska. We also speak to Dave James who had a win at Coldwater Rumble recently and heads out to The Coastal Challenge in Costa Rica on Feb 1st. We have talk tainining, a year in the life of, the news, a blog, a Meltzer Moment, up and coming races and we have the start of a new special on the build up to the 2013 Marathon des Sables.

00:00:00

00:00:45 Start

00:10:00 ‘A year in the life of…’ – this week it is Tyler’s turn to tell us what he has been up to since Christmas.

00:21:35 The News

00:33:20 An interview with Dave James who had a recent win at the Coldwater Rumble and heads out to The Coastal Challenge on Feb 1st 2013.

Email from Andrew Bentley – Following the tragedy in Glencoe this last weekend four climbers killed, is there any chance would you be able to put a shout out about this http://www.justgiving.com/Luke-Bradley Chris Bell was a keen bike and triathlon racer, winning numerous races, some of which I was fortunate enough to be his team mate for. Chris was always the faster one- his dedication to being fast was unmatched.

01:00:23 Back to the News

01:05:00 Joe Grant needs no introduction… his 2nd place at the 2012 Hardrock was a great result. In February 2013 he will be taking part in the 2013 350m Iditarod Invitational Trail. He gives us an update on how his preparation is going.

01:37:50 Back to the News

01:43:30 Blog – Gary Robbins – http://www.gary-robbins.com

01:44:10 Talk Training with Marc Laithwaite – running as we get older.

02:13:22 Interview with Sage Canaday

As a 2-time Olympic trials qualifier, Sage has competed at a national class level. In 2007 he was the youngest participant in the Olympic marathon trials at the age of 21.

A native of Oregon, Sage ran for Newberg High School and placed 13th in the state cross country meet his senior year. Determined to run DI in college, Sage traveled across the country to run for LetsRun.com co-founder Robert Johnson at Cornell University. At Cornell Sage not only qualified for the 2008 US Olympic trials marathon (junior year) – he also won the Ivy League Conference title for 10,000m on the track and qualified as an individual for the 2007 NCAA Championships in cross country.

Sage ran as a Brooks-sponsored elite runner on the post-collegiate Hansons-Brooks Distance Project team from August of 2009 to February 2012. His running resume from their website can be found here. During his time at Hansons, Sage placed 17th overall at the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon (8th American in the race), and placed 5th in the 2011 Rock n’ Roll New Orleans Mardi Gras half marathon with a personal best time of 1:04:32. Sage also ran a personal best marathon time of 2:16:52 at the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon that year (2011). In his final race wearing the Hansons singlet, Sage placed 43rd in the US Olympic Trials marathon in Houston with a 2:18:24.

At the start of 2012 Sage started ultra marathons and trail running. In his ultra debut had earned a 2nd place overall finish at the Chuckanu t 50k in Bellingham, WA in March after missing a turn and running off course for 8 minutes. In June 2012, Sage won the Mt. Washington Road Race in 58:27…the fastest time ever by an American on the all uphill course. In July 2012 Sage won the White River 50 in 6:16 and bettered Anton Krupicka’s course record by over 9 minutes on the 50 mile course.

Sage looks to continue competing at a high level on the roads and trails at distances from the half marathon to 100k for the rest of the year with a focus on representing the US at the 2012 World Mountain Running Championships in Italy.

Sage’s Personal Bests and Career highlights:

1500m: 3:55 (2009)
Mile: 4:17 (2009)
3k: 8:22 (2009)
5K: 14:29 (2009)
8k: 23:48 (2008)
10k: 29:47 (2009)
10-miles: 49:01 (2011)
Half Marathon: 1:04:32 (2011)
Marathon: 2:16:52 (2011)

03:00:50 A Meltzer Moment with Speedgoat Karl

03:06:20 Marathon des Sables spécial with Stuart Rae

03:21:05 Up & Coming Races

03:22:40 Close

03:26:06 end

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UROC – Ultra Race of Champions

Posted on January 15, 2013 by talkultra

Registration opens today. Will you be toeing the line (for the Ultra Race of Champions) on September 28th in Breckenridge?

www.ultraroc.com

The season closing race for the Ultra Skyrunning Championships. Of course it’s some 9 months away. But as the race fills up and you are made aware of ‘who’ is taking part in this race, you don’t want to look back and think… I wish I had entered in January!

Vail, Colorado, January 15th, 2013 – Registration for the Ultra Race of Champions, the Championship for the sport of ultra distance running is set to open on January 15th 2013 at 12 noon mountain standard time (MST), or 2pm eastern standard time (EST) at http://www.ultraroc.com. The date for the 2013 Ultra Race of Champions will be September 28th.

“We are very excited,”

says J. Russell Gill III, Ultra Race of Champions Event Director and Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports CEO.

“A lot of work goes into making this event possible, and it will be thrilling to see it all come together on race day. With UROC as the Skyrunner® World Series Ultra Final, I cannot wait to see how to field shapes up this year. We have already been getting inquiries from several top runners, whose names are right now top secret. After we open registration and as we confirm some of the elite athletes, we will be posting them regularly on the race website and on Facebook.”

“UROC is open to everyone,”

says Francesca Conte, Ultra Race of Champions President,

“and I am very excited to see what kind of response we get from the international audience, particularly from Europe. The International Skyrunning® Federation has been promoting the event as the Series final for months, and a lot of our Facebook Likes have been from Europe”.

Several factors contribute to the appeal of the race. As the ultra running championship, the race attracts most of the elite runners from the USA. As the Skyrunner® World Series Ultra Final, the race will now attract an even larger international field, and many of the best European athletes. The spectacular backdrop of the Colorado Rockies and the point to point course from Breckenridge to Frisco, to Copper Mountain, to Minturn and to finish in Vail Village is a big draw for runners of all backgrounds passionate about running in the mountains. Lastly, the Vail name is nationally and internationally recognized as a summer destination location. The point to point course is contingent upon US Forest Service permit approval.

Runners will be able to register beginning on January 15th, 2013 at www.ultraroc.com

So what you waiting for….

Zegama – Aizkorri

Posted on January 14, 2013 by talkultra

A highlight of the 2012 race calendar and without doubt a highlight of the 2013 calendar.

Zegama – Aizkorri has opened for pre registrations. Don’t hang around. If you want to race in the mountains on some tough technical terrain with the best in the world, then is is one for you!

Go HERE

Part of the 2013 Skyrunning calendar.

The 2012 edition of the race was remembered for many reasons. A stacked field (Transvulcania had happened just 7 days before) that included Max King, Kilian Jornet, Mike Wolfe, Dakota Jones, Nick Clarke, Tom Owens, Joe Grant, Ian Sharman, Luis Alberto Hernando, Nuria Picas, Emelie Forsberg, Zhanna Vokueva, Lauen Jeska, Oihna Kortazar and many more…

The dry and hot volcanic conditions of Tranzvulcania contrasted nicely with the torrential rain, cold temperatures, snow and thick mud of the Zegama-Aizkorri race with tough man of the ultra scene, Nick Clarke saying:

“Now that is a proper mountain race… I wasn’t ready for that!”

Race Information

XII. ZEGAMA-AIZKORRI MENDI MARATOIA

Skyrunner World Series 2013

42.195 kilometres / 5,472 metres of accumulated height gain.

26th of May, 2013

ZEGAMA [Gipuzkoa]

DESCRIPTION

A medium mountain route over the Aratz massif and the Sierra of Aizkorri which includes the four highest peaks in the Basque Autonomous Region ( Aratz – Aitzkorri –Akategi and Aitxuri ). From the town of Zegama ( 296m) you climb up to the high point of Otzaurte (652m ) and then follow a route along paths and mountain tracks of great natural beauty. It combines forests with steep rocky slopes and high grazing land. It is very technical and with a high level of difficulty.

DATE: 26th of May, 2013

START AND FINISH: Zegama ( Guipúzcoa ) –09:00 Start.

TOTAL LENGTH: 42.195 km.

CONTROL POINTS: 14

REFRESHMENT POINTS: 13

FLYING SPRINT: Aizkorri ( 22.58 km )

ACCUMULATED HEIGHT GAIN: 5.472 metres

MAXIMUM ALTITUDE: 1.551m Aitxurri

MINIMUM ALTITUDE: 296m Zegama.

TECHNICAL PERCENTAGE OF COURSE: 70% approx.

CLIMATE: Medium mountain, possibilities of intense heat, strong winds, fog or rain.

TIME LIMIT: 8 Hours.

CLOSING TIME OF CHECK POINTS

RECORDS: 3 hours, 54 minutes, 18 seconds (Rob Jebb, masculine ).

4 hours, 38 minutes, 19 seconds ( Emanuela Brizio, feminine ).

DIFFICULTY: Very high.

MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 450

The North Face Single Track Hayasa

Posted on January 12, 2013 by talkultra

Fresh out of the box, The North Face ‘Single Track Hayasa‘. I am a real fan of TNF products, the ‘Flight Series‘ in particular offers a great range of products that transfer to so many disciplines. Light, functional, well fitting, breathable and ultimately great quality. It’s nice to remove them from the packaging, put them on knowing that they will do the job.

In regard to run shoes, The North Face I guess are still ‘newbies’ and in the past they have received mixed reviews about the footwear they have created. I have to say I had the original ‘Single Track’, you know, the really great looking shoe… black, red & white. Not only did it look good but it felt good.

The ‘Single Track Hayasa‘ is a shoe designed for speed. Greatly influenced by TNF athlete Tsuyoshi Kaburaki from Japan, Hayasa actually means ‘Speed’ in Japenese.

Tsuyoshi Kaburaki

It is a shoe ready for racing and as such sits low to the ground with a 10mm heel to toe drop (8mm toe /18mm heel). Weighing in at just over 8 oz for such a lightweight shoe protection has not been compromised.

At the front of the shoe we have a puncture resistant toe cap and on the tip of the shoe, you do have additional rigidity. This will add some protection from kicking rocks etc. But in real terms and in comparison to other brands the toe bumper is relatively small. When we move to the rest of the upper, we can see that there is basically a lot of mesh. The shoe will drain really well and breathability will be excellent as you might expect.

Seams are extremely low in the upper and the TNF have used welded seams. The lace loops attach to an internal cage (see the silver/white). This fabric is on both sides of the shoe. When you lace up, it pulls on the fabric in and it wraps around your foot to create support.

The shoe when on with laces adjusted feels very snug and the tongue is gusseted and attached to the upper. It is very padded and in conjunction with a plush heel box the shoe is a pleasure to wear.

The toe box is wide and has plenty of room. Maybe too much room for some so it would be wise to check on sizing to ensure that you get the correct feel. I personally went a half size larger but I do wonder if I may well have been better going ‘true to size’.

Starting just behind the toes and going to the back of the shoe is the ‘Snake Plate‘ (green). The snake plate is an alternative method to the standard ‘rock plate’ that you find in many trail shoes. Instead of one large plate, as the name suggests this one snakes in and out. The idea being increased flexibility. Ultimately, protection and flexibility combined that also means a saving in overall weight. The rear of the shoe has a ‘cradle‘. The cradle is created, like a bucket I guess for your foot to sit in. It provides stability and security. I have to say this is one key feature I initially like. Just walking around you immediately notice a firm hold.

Without doubt a neutral shoe with a 10mm drop. You have 8mm of foam at the front and 18mm at the rear of the shoe. In this ‘low drop’ and ‘minimalist’ environment 10mm may very well be snubbed by many but this shoe sits low to the ground and as such provides a very natural feel with protection and cushioning.

My initial concerns with this shoe are with the outsole. It has low profile lug which is ideal for road, hard pack trail and/ or rocky trail but in any mud they will be pretty much useless. The front of the shoe has directional grip so when going uphill you have traction as and when required. In the heel the lugs are reverse facing which will add grip when going downhill (if required). The middle of the sole is void of grip.

Testing?

Well, that is to come.

I have been provided with these shoes to test in a Jungle environment so please keep an eye on my blog for an update in February. Until then I will be running on some road, hard trail and even some mud to see how the Hayasa perform before heading deep into a rainforest…

SPECS

Upper:

Lightweight, minimal upper construction
TPUwelded support overlays
Lightly protective toe cap
Perforated EVA Northotic™ footbed

Bottom:

TPU and EVA CRADLE™ heel-cushioning and stability technology
18 mm/8 mm heel/forefoot heights
Dual-density, compression-molded EVA midsol
Blown rubber forefoot
High-abrasion rubber heel
TPU Snake Plate™ forefoot protection

Shoe Technologies:

NorthFit: The mission of NorthFit™ is to scientifically provide the outdoor athlete with the most precise fit between the human foot and a footwear last, as they both relate to the demands of the specific activity for which the shoe is worn

Snake Plate: The Snake Plate™ consists of a plate that winds back and forth in the forefoot, allowing the foot to flex in a natural manner while delivering protection and rigidity.

Northotic: Biomechanically engineered Northotic™: The North Face® has taken the conventional footbed and elevated it to a superior level with enhanced stability, support and cushioning.

Cradle: The North Face® CRADLE™ technology is engineered to naturally absorb impact, stabilise the foot and promote an anatomically correct stride by supporting the perimeter of the heel and ensuring the fatty tissues under the bursa are biomechanically positioned. CRADLE™ achieves the perfect balance of protection, control and comfort to inspire confidence for any foot on any terrain.

Tenacious Grip: Tenacious™ Grip is a high-abrasion, sticky rubber designed for maximum off-trail traction that will also withstand the rigors of rough off-trail surfaces.

X-Dome: X-Dome™ functions as a heel-cushioning and propulsion mechanism that propels the foot from heel-strike into the subsequent stride stages.

Faces of Ultra

Posted on January 3, 2013 by talkultra

A selection of images from my personal project, ‘Faces of Ultra‘ have been published in the January edition of Running Fitness.

You can view more images at the website www.facesofultrs.com

Pico de la Nieve – La Palma

Posted on December 18, 2012 by talkultra

Today, Niandi and myself ran some of the same trail that we ran last week. Unlike our previous day way had no cloud cover so we ran and hiked in glorious sunshine, blue skies and with crystal clear views. Starting at the Roque de Los Muchachos at 22426m we ran the rim in an anti-clockwise direction taking in Fuenta Nueva, Los Andenes, Pico La Cruz, Pico de Piedrallana and Pico de La Nieve at 2239m.

It’s a stunning technical run over hard and rocky terrain. You are constantly going up and then down….

Every now and again moments happen on the trail. Here is one of those moments capturing the Transvulcania La Palma course running off into the distance and the islands of Tenerife and Gomera in the background. Magical !

Niandi at Pico de La Nieve 2239m

Images of Roque de Los Muchacos and this route are available HERE

Los Llanos de Aridane – La Palma

Posted on December 16, 2012 by talkultra

Day 7 (Friday) Niandi and myself went sight seeing, cake eating and coffee drinking in the beautiful town of Los Llanos de Aridane. Los Llanos is the finish area for the Transvulcania La Palma.

It’s a great place. It has a mixture of modern shops, traditional architecture and one has the opportunity to see local life unfold. Thankfully no signs saying “English Pub” or “English Breakfast served here”. It is as a Spanish town should be; Spanish!

For me with all the pastel coloured buildings it has a feel of Cuba. Now I haven’t been to Cuba so I am make some serious assumptions here…. however, I am happy with my speculation!

I left Niandi at surfing and answering emails at ‘Tasca El Patio‘. A great little cafe in one of the many side streets in Los Llanos. I went to KN Sports situated in the town. No matter how much sport kit I get I still love checking out whats available. These guys had a great selection of Salomon kit so I did wonder if I would be parting with some money….

In the store I was greeted like a celebrity. It was a real random moment. I was asked to be photographed with each of the staff one by one and the manager in front of a huge ‘Kilian’ poster. At first I was confused… I thought it must be because I was British. As it turned out they are big followers of Facebook and my blog. Funny!

The relaxing morning was followed with Niandi taking some chill and relax time at our villa but I needed a fix. I went out for just a couple of hours on local trails in the late afternoon sun. Taking the LP13 trail I ran down the valley and went rock and boulder hopping.

Our evening was spent with some friends in Tazacorte Port eating and drinking the local specialities. A perfect day in La Palma…

You can see a selection of images HERE

Fuencaliente – La Palma

Posted on December 12, 2012 by talkultra

Day 4 of our La Palma, Transvulcania La Palma experience and today we started our run at the official start area of the race next to the sea on the southern most tip of the island with the Fuencaliente lighthouse in front of us.

Yesterday Niandi and myself did a 3 hour hike on some trails within walking reach of our apartment. To say our legs are a little beat up would be an underestimation. Niandi usually doesn’t get quad sore but she has found that running down hill on technical terrain for 2.5 hours really does batter your legs…. For me, my worry was my knees but I am pleased to say with taping and being careful I am really positive with the progress. Of course 16-18 weeks away from running also meant that my muscles were not quite ready for the beating I gave them. C’est la vie. I am on beautiful trails, the sun is out and it’s great to have one to one time with Niandi. If that means sore legs, so be it.

From the light house you head up and up and continue to head up for almost 50k. This is what is so unique about the Transvulcania La Palma race. As I mentioned earlier, we are not able to do point to point runs as we have no means of collection so our runs are all out and backs. No bad thing. We get to see the trail both ways.

The contrast in the course is quite amazing. Today we stared in black, gritty, lava with rocks everywhere (the first 2 miles of the race are tough going) and then when you pass through the town of Los Canarios you are then running through forests for miles upon miles until you finally break through the clouds and run along Cumbre Vieja with a highest point of 1923m at Pico Nambroque and to the left you have the viewpoint of the Crater del Hoyo Negro.

Navigation is easy, follow the red/white paint flashes on the rocks or markers that say GR131.

We spent 6 hours on the trails and had an incredible day. You can see a full set of images HERE

But here are some highlights:

Roque de los Muchachos – La Palma

Posted on December 10, 2012 by talkultra

After yesterdays 8 hour epic on the trails starting at sea level and going up; straight up to 2400m both Niandi and myself decided on a shorter run today. Or plan was to drive to the summit of the Transvulcania la Palma course at Roque de los Muchachos and run around the rim of the Caldera de Taburiente all at above 2000m. We would run ant- clockwise of the Transvulcania course and then turnaround and come back.

The drive from Los Lllanos takes just over an hour on some twisty winding roads but one bonus, at least for Niandi was that she noticed the Sunday market in Tazacorte en route… at a risk of sounding sexist; women and markets go together (I like them too). So Niandi could fulfil her shopping needs, usually local and typical jewellery and I could get some photos. I love to capture the people at markets. Not stop and and ask them to pose but sneak up on them and capture them incognito. You can see all of them HERE

Back in the car, onward and upward we finally reached the summit at ‘Muchachos’. I kept telling Niandi how incredible this place is. As she got out of the car her expression changed as she saw a blanket of cloud cover the mountains and peaks breaking through. It brought back memories of May when I watched Kilian Jornet, Dakota Jones and Andy Symonds race around the rim and come towards me before finally dropping for the descent to Tazacorte (our run yesterday).

We spent 30 minutes being ‘tourists’. This summit area is like a James Bond film set with a lunar landscape and observatories dotted here and there.

Time to run! The first thing that was noticeable was the altitude and secondly in comparison to yesterday when we had lterally climbed for 5 hours, today we could run much more. A stunning day.

A full selection of images are available HERE