An incredible and inspiring weekend in the heart of the English Lakes with a committed team of athletes and employees of inov-8. It’s been a real pleasure to spend quality time discussing the brand, apparel and shoes. Watch out in 2015, inov-8 have some seriously quality products coming your way!
Here are just a small selection of images as a teaser….
all images are ©iancorless.com – all rights reserved
No reproduction please.
Check out inov-8 at http://www.inov-8.com
Day 2 of the inov-8 athlete retreat and after a morning of discussing new products (apparel, shoes and packs) for 2015, the inov-8 team and support staff travelled to Nether Wasdale for Middlefell Fell Race.
Covering 6.6-miles, runners climb to 1,700-feet on an out and back course in the heart of the English Lakes.
Dashing along roads, tracks and fields for approximately 2-miles, after Greendale, runners branched left and and started the ascent following the Wasdale route but after a short sharp and steep climb, the route then branches right at a natural fork and then ascends to the summit of Middlefell. It’s an out and back route so after turning at the cairn at the summit, runners re trace back to the start.
David Schneider ©iancorless.com
Wasdalefell is normally a small fell race, but today, an influx of inov-8 athletes almost doubled the numbers and the pace! With a strong representation from the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Catalonia, France and the Basque country, this small fell race became a truly International affair.
Erik Haugsnes ©iancorless.com
Pre-race discussions had been all about who would take the win and how would ‘Skyrunners‘ from Switzerland, Norway and Catalonia fair against out-and-out fell runner’s?
Aritz Egea ©iancorless.com
With the flat early 2-miles over, it was great to see, Swiss runner, David Schneider leading Baque, Artiz Eregea in the early stages, This strong European representation was also backed up with Erik Haugsnes from Norway. Tom Addison and Orlando Edwards was leading the ‘local’ attack and were closely followed by Gary Priestley and Morgan Connelly.
Early morning low lying mist had lifted leaving a relatively clear day, with light winds and a bite in the air. The push to the summit was followed with a turn and quad busting descent.
Orlando Edwards ©iancorless.com
Orlando was first to appear setting a relentless pace. Looking cool, calm and relaxed; he was giving a masterclass of fell running descending. Erik Haugsnes from Norway followed, closely pursued by Artiz Egea, Tom Addison and David Schneider.
Unfortunately, a wrong turn by Orlando on his way back to the finish messed up his race! Erik followed Orlando but soon realised his error and re-joined the course. With Aritz now in the lead, Erik and Tom followed and with 1km to go, Tom made his move and took out the win ahead of Aritz and Erik.
The ladies race had less runners participating in contrast to the men’s race. Sharon Taylor was a convincing leader from the start and finessed a clear leader ahead of Hazel Robinson and Lyn Thompson.
In true fell running fashion, the race finished at a pub and was followed with a beer and quality plate of local food.
It was a great day! A small quality race unfolded on the fells of Wasdale, and just as we all had appeared from nowhere, within just a few hours, we all disappeared again.
No sooner had I arrived in the English Lakes and in minutes I was dropping my bags and immediately turning around and heading out on the trails with inov-8 athletes for a 2nd run of the day. It was just an hour… up and then down in true fell running style.
It’s just the start, currently 12-athletes have arrived but later today, more runners will arrive and an intensive weekend will start in full.
Back at inov-8 HQ, breakout session are in progress, talking about new apparel, new run shoes and how the products are designed and why!
It’s all about being specific and appropriate to the required purpose. Innovative and committed are two words I hear repeatedly.
Leaving the HQ, our weekend will commence at a Youth Hostel deep within the English Lakes; keeping us close to the trail and at the heart of what we all love… being at one with nature.
More to follow as the weekend unfolds!
Follow on twitter #inov8retreat
All images and content ©iancorless.com
The new team inov-8 recruit has revelled in a phenomenal past 12 months and is now looking ahead to a 2014 calendar stacked with some of the world’s toughest ultra distance races.
Having smashed the course record at the recent 66-mile Pilgrims Challenge, Robbie is now preparing for his Skyrunning debut at Transvulcania La Palma the first race in the 2014 Skyrunner World Series.
In his first inov blog, 27-year-old Robbie writes:
“My 2014 season is underway and I’ve already snared two victories, including the two-day Pilgrims Challenge 66-miler on the North Downs Way. Four years ago the Pilgrims Challenge took me a total of 15 hours to complete, and the on the second day alone I was running for nine hours. This year I broke the course record, clocking a total time of 8 hrs 8 mins for the two days combined. Next up is Transvulcania, on the island of La Palma, one of the Canary Islands. This is the first race in the 2014 Skyrunner World Series calendar and all the world’s best ultra-distance mountain runners will be there. I have been to La Palma once before, taking in a few epic days in the mountains before setting off to sail the Atlantic in a boat built by a crazy old man advertising for crew on Gumtree! At 51 miles, Transvulcania is a little bit short for me but it has more ascent – there’s 2,000m in the first 11 miles – than the 24-hour stuff. I will go there, chuck myself in the mix and see what happens. I am always up for challenging myself. After that I have the World 24hr Running Championships. The target this year is a top-10 finish. I’m already feeling good about my chances as I feel fitter and stronger than I was last year. And what year would be complete without a trip to the Alps? The 103-mile TNF Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) was shortened due to awful weather conditions the last time I ventured to Chamonix in 2012, but the atmosphere of the race got into my blood and this year I will return. I can’t wait.”
In 2013, Robbie won the high-profile 2013 South Downs Way 100 miler in a new course record, ran at the World 24hr Running Championships and completed the gruelling 152-mile Spartathlon race in Greece.
Next month Robbie will attend inov-8’s 2014 UK and European athlete retreat, to be held in the Lake District.
It seems a long time ago that I was talking about, photographing and reviewing this new Race Vest from inov-8 (HERE).
I said in November, ‘the next key moment in pack design’ and it certainly looks to have turned a few heads and gained similar feedback from ISPO.
It comes into stores in February and I am aware from some retailers that stocks are already pre sold demand has been so high. So, if one of the new Race Vests is on your ‘yes’ list, don’t leave it too long.
You can read the update and news on the inov-8 website HERE
My head hurts… it’s December, what happened to the ‘off-season’. Not only do we no longer have an off-season but The North Face have arguably assembled one of the most competitive fields in the 2013 season. Way back in April I was writing about the ‘race of the year’. Of course, it was Transvulcania La Palma. This was followed by another ‘race of the year’, Western States. I then followed this with another race of the year, Zegama and so on… you get the picture! Ultra running and mountain running is booming and as such, we are all seeing the benefits, not only from a watching and a following perspective but also from a racer perspective. It is now possible to have several peaks in one year and TNF may very well have hit on a winning formula with such a competitive race in December. It’s late enough in the season to have recovered from recent previous efforts, such as UROC or Run Rabbit Run and equally far enough away from ‘key’ races in 2014 to allow for adequate RnR.
Okay, deep breath… here we go.
Miguel Heras TNFUTMB 2013 ©iancorless.com
Miguel Heras returns after winning the race in 2012. His time of 5:33 in lousy conditions confirmed his ability if any was needed. Having said that, Miguel is used to rough-n-tough weather and as such, may very well have excelled in the conditions over his US contemporaries. Also the 2012 race did have issues over course marking which did lead to several runners going astray. I take nothing away from Miguel, he is a class act and although 2013 has been a difficult season for him, his second place at TNFUTMB proves that he is back. He followed this with a quality performance at Cavalls del Vent so without doubt he is a contender for the win. However, this field is stacked.
Dakota Jones UROC 2013 ©iancorless.com
Dakota Jones is back racing and embracing the trails after a quiet start to 2013 and some escape in the mountains. In addition, Dakota became an ‘RD’ in 2013 which primarily caused him to miss TNFUTMB and refocus on UROC. That refocus nearly worked and certainly with 5-miles to go at UROC he looked as though he had the race in the bag. However, Rob Krar pulled something out of the bag and relegated Dakota to second that day. In fine form, Dakota departed for Japan to repeat his 2012 win at Hasetsune Cup, however, disaster struck and he had a tough day and a dnf. Without doubt, Dakota will be recovered and focused on winning at San Francisco. He will be looking for a repeat performance similar to San Juan Solstice 50m when he broke Matt Carpentar’s record.
Sage Canaday UROC ©iancorless.com
Sage Canaday will bring his speed to this race and along with Cameron Clayton and maybe, Max King. They will be out at the front pushing the pace. Sage has had a mixed 2013 in the sense that he has occasionally pushed and failed below his own demanding standards. His great runs at Tarawera, Transvulcania La Palma and Lake Sonoma may well fall into insignificance in Sage’s own mind as I feel he may well dwell on his performances at Sierre-Zinal and UROC. Don’t get me wrong; I am a big Sage fan. He has all the ability to go out and win San Fran but I just wonder what effect recent performances will have on his confidence. In real terms, caution may well prove a huge bonus allowing him to hold back early on and keep his powder dry for the final 30% were he can use all that natural speed and ability. Unfortunately Sage has Flu – will not start
Cameron Clayton Transvulcania ©iancorless.com
Cameron Clayton will be feeling somewhat inspired and motivated coming into San Fran after his 3rd place at UROC behind Rob Krar and Dakota Jones. Cameron was 3rd at this race last year and although he has had a full season, you can’t rule him out from pulling something special out of the bag for that $10,000 prize. His 2013 season has been fulfilled with top placing’s at Transvulcania and Lake Sonoma, however, he has had a few below par performances which I think ultimately were more due to a niggling foot and other health issues. All looks good now though.
Rob Krar UROC ©iancorless.com
Rob Krar, wow, what can we say about Rob that hasn’t already been said. Arguably, one of ‘THE’ ultra runners of the year after his rim-to-rim exploits, Western States run (his first 100) and then his incredible win at UROC. He raced just the other weekend at JFK50 and dropped leaving question marks in his own mind. However, the ‘drop’ may very well have just saved his legs and without doubt, don’t be surprised if he is on top of the podium at the end of the weekends festivities.
Timmy Olson TNFUTMB ©iancorless.com
Timmy Olson repeated his victory at Western States, always the sign of a true champion when you can go back to a race and do it again…! He raced at Tarawera and made the podium, he just missed the podium at Transvulcania and dug real deep at TNFUTMB. Surprisingly after such a tough TNFUTMB he then raced Run Rabbit Run on what must have been a tired body. He certainly has an autopilot but I can’t help but think this race will be all about fulfilling sponsorship requirements and showing face. Having said that, showing face will probably still result in a top-10 and should he get his race face on, don’t be surprised if Timmy gets a podium place.
Ryan Sandes Gran Canaria ©iancorless.com
Ryan Sandes has had ‘one of those years’ that he will be keen to get over! I was with Ryan in Gran Canaria in March, he was all fired up for an exciting season ahead and then injury hit forcing him to miss Western States. Healed, Ryan returned to Leadville in the hope of repeating his 2011 victory, however, injury reappeared. He has tackled some personal projects in South Africa and recently raced in Patagonia. Ryan will be looking to finish 2013 on a high and may just well go under the radar after a quiet year.
Max King La Palma ©iancorless.com
Max King has not had a repeat of his 2012 season. Winner of the 2012 JFK and UROC, Max was an unstoppable rollercoaster and along with sage Canaday was just on fire. In 2013 he had planned to mix things up and race at different distances and represent the USA in multiple disciplines, it didn’t go to plan and he has been plagued with an ankle problem. If he is recovered and inform, Max will be up at the helm with Cameron and Sage dropping fast minute miles an looking to be the last man standing at the end.
Alex Nichols Chamonix ©iancorless.com
Alex Nichols placed 5th last year and will come to this race confident after a great 2013 season racing in the Skyrunning calendar. In particular, he has plenty of speed uphill and has improved his down hill speed. 2013 may well just be the year that he moves a couple of places higher on the podium.
Francois D’Haene UTMB ©iancorless.com
Francois D’Haene was last years 2nd place, approximately 13-mins behind his Salomon teammate, Miguel Heras. Francois has raced less in 2013 due to the pressures of owning a vineyard, however, when he has raced, he has been in top form. His was 2nd at Ice-Trail Tarentaise behind Kilian Jornet, he was joint winner at Mont-Blanc Marathon 80k Ultra with Michel Lanne and his recent dominance at the super tough Raid de la Reunion (Diagonale de Fous) means that his presence at San Fran surely means he is a podium contender. *Update “Finally my season ends sooner than expected …since my fall in Death Valley tuesday with a shock in the ribs I hope but I have finally abdicate … So I would support the team tomorrow.”
Michel Lanne Trofeo Kima ©iancorless.com
Michel Lanne is another consistent performer who may well do very well at this race. He had a great run with teammate Francois D’Haene at Mont-Blanc but then picked up an injury. In addition, he has also become a dad! December may well prove to be a great time of year; his life will have settled a little, he will be over his injury and without doubt he will be excited to race in the US.
Dylan Bowman UROC ©iancorless.com
My final hot tip for a podium place goes to Dylan Bowman. Dylan had a great Western States and turned up at TNFUTMB in the form of his life but had a freak training accident, which caused him to miss the race. He has a new coach and he is going to be looking to release some of that UTMB frustration.
So who else… it seems crazy that I am not writing about the names below in more depth. But I have previewed above who I think may well take out the top-3 slots
So, there you have it. A super stacked crazy race to end the year, the top-3 are any bodies guess. I have tried to provide a little insight but just don’t be surprised if we see a completely unexpected performance and a surprise win.
Ladies preview HERE.
What a great show… we speak with ‘Team Redden’ about running and the incredible story of how mum, Sabrina and Teagan (aged 8yrs) tackled 100km’s. We have an in depth chat with David and Katharine who ran 5000 miles across South America in the 5000 mile project. Tim Stevenson joins us for a special Talk Training on Strength and conditioning. Emelie Forsberg is back for Smiles and Miles. The news, a blog, up and coming races and Speedgoat discusses pacers!
NEWS
JFK50
Beacons Ultra
BLOGS
Frosty – Everest Sky Love
Blog LINK
“Too much snow and risky conditions stopped us…but not in our tracks. We all continued for more miles in more wonderful scenery. For me, my journey stopped in Namche Bazar. In front of Ama Dablam, Everest and Lhotse. There I rested in the fresh mountain air, absorbing the sun into my tired legs and finding the peace I was so ready for.”
Make sure you check out Frosty in the new Salomon Running video, S3 EO2 HERE
Interview – 5000mile project, David and Katherine running the entire length of South America. – http://www.5000mileproject.org
TALK TRAINING – Tim Stevenson from Kinetic Three Sixty – http://www.kineticthreesixty.com and ONE Athlete http://www.oneresult.com
INTERVIEW
Team Redden. Have to say, I found this interview quite inspiring… we discussed a few episodes ago about young Teagan Redden (8yrs) running 100km. I was on the fence… part of me thought, I’m not sure this is good. Another part of me thought; wow, awesome. What I do know is that it is very easy to have an opinion, fill in gaps and make assumptions. I hope you all, like me, are far more informed after this interview and maybe, just maybe, you will rethink any initial thoughts you had?
(Seth Redden, his ex-wife Sabrina, their five children (three biologically and two adopted) ages 2 to 10 years, and their dog, Baya, are going on the ultimate summer adventure. They’re starting out in Scottsdale, AZ in a big, white, 15-passenger van and heading to Silverton, CO where they’re camping and living out of the van for five(ish) weeks.)
MELTZER MOMENT – Pacers? The pros and cons, or is it just the cons…
SMILESandMILES with Emelie Forsberg – smilesandmiles@yahoo.com
RACES
Australia
New South Wales
Coast to Kosciuszko | 240 kilometers | December 06, 2013 | website
Queensland
Kurrawa to Duranbah and Return – 50 km | 50 kilometers | December 08, 2013 | website
Narawntapu 50 km | 50 kilometers | December 08, 2013 | website
Tasmania
Bruny Island Ultra Marathon | 64 kilometers | November 30, 2013 | website
Victoria
Razorback 58K Run | 58 kilometers | November 30, 2013 | website
Razorback 64K Run | 64 kilometers | November 30, 2013 | website
Razorback 68K Run | 68 kilometers | November 30, 2013 | website
The Full Bull | 75 kilometers | December 08, 2013 | website
Cambodia
Cambodia – The Ancient Khmer Path | 220 kilometers | November 29, 2013 | website
Cape Verde
Boavista Ultramarathon – 150 km | 150 kilometers | November 30, 2013 | website
Boavista Ultramarathon – 70 km | 70 kilometers | November 30, 2013 | website
France
Côtes-d’Armor
Le Grand Menestrail | 53 kilometers | December 01, 2013 | website
Loire
La Saintélyon | 69 kilometers | December 08, 2013 | website
Seine-et-Marne
Trail du Tour du Canton – 82 km | 82 kilometers | December 07, 2013 | website
Germany
Bavaria
Chiemsee-Ultramarathon November – Dezember | 108 kilometers | November 30, 2013 | website
Lower Saxony
2. Lauf PSV Winterlaufserie 100 KM | 100 kilometers | November 30, 2013 | website
2. Lauf PSV Winterlaufserie 50 KM | 50 kilometers | November 30, 2013 | website
3. Lauf PSV Winterlaufserie 100 KM | 100 kilometers | December 07, 2013 | website
3. Lauf PSV Winterlaufserie 50 KM | 50 kilometers | December 07, 2013 | website
Martinique
Le Défi Bleu | 58 kilometers | December 07, 2013 | website
TransMartinique | 133 kilometers | December 07, 2013 | website
New Caledonia
Evolo Kura to Mount | 300 kilometers | November 29, 2013 | website
New Zealand
Kepler Challenge Mountain Run | 60 kilometers | December 07, 2013 | website
Philippines
IBTUR 88 Ultra Marathon | 88 kilometers | November 30, 2013 | website
United Kingdom
Dorset
Coastal Trail Series – Dorset – Ultra | 34 miles | December 07, 2013 | website
West Berkshire
Winter 100 | 100 miles | November 30, 2013 | website
USA
Arizona
McDowell Mountain Frenzy 50K | 50 kilometers | December 07, 2013 | website
California
Calero Park 50K Run | 50 kilometers | December 07, 2013 | website
High Desert 50K Ultramarathon | 50 kilometers | December 01, 2013 | website
Malibu Canyon Trail Run 50 km | 50 kilometers | December 07, 2013 | website
The North Face Endurance Challenge San Francisco 50K | 50 kilometers | December 07, 2013 | website
The North Face Endurance Challenge San Francisco 50 Mile | 50 miles | December 07, 2013 | website
Florida
The Guana River 50K Trail Run | 50 kilometers | December 01, 2013 | website
Georgia
Pine Mountain 40 | 40 miles | December 08, 2013 | website
Louisiana
Big Dog Trail Run 50 K | 50 kilometers | November 30, 2013 | website
North Carolina
Derby 50k Ultra Run | 50 kilometers | November 30, 2013 | website
Ohio
Bigfoot 50K | 50 kilometers | December 07, 2013 | website
Oregon
Civil War Relay | 52 miles | December 08, 2013 | website
Texas
Isle du Bois 54 km Trail Run | 54 kilometers | December 07, 2013 | website
Texas Trail 50K Run | 50 kilometers | December 07, 2013 | website
Texas Trail 50 Mile Run | 50 miles | December 07, 2013 | website
Washington
Ghost of Seattle 50K | 50 kilometers | November 30, 2013 | website
CLOSE
Join Karl on the Wings for Life run HERE
2014 Calendar HERE
IMAGES coffee table book – hard back, eBook and PDF HERE
LINKS:
ITunes http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/talk-ultra/id497318073
Libsyn – feed://talkultra.libsyn.com/rss
Website – talkultra.com
Episode 47 of Talk Ultra and we speak with Dylan Bowman, after placing 5th at Western States, Dylan was looking forward to tackling UTMB, however, things didn’t go quite to plan. Lakeland 50 winner, Ben Abdelnoor talks about training and fell running and we catch up with Tessa Hill who has just had a very succesful season on the Skyrunning circuit. Emelie Forsberg talks Diagonale des Fous in Smiles and Miles, Marc Laithwaite talks winter in Talk Training. We have the News, a Blog, Up and Coming races and Speedgoat talks golf…
Himalayan Trail – Philippe Gatta and Anna – https://iancorless.org/2013/10/29/great-himalayan-trail-philippe-anna-gatta/
00:13:42 NEWS
Diagonale des Fous (Reunion)
Men:
Francois D’Haene 22:58
Freddy Thevenin 25:40:16
Pascal Blanc 25:47:18
Ladies:
Nathalie Mauclair 28:45:32
Emelie Forsberg 31:29:05
Christine Benard 34:19:40
Javelina Jundred
Men:
Hal Koerner 14:56:53
Catlow Shipek 15:59:58
Joe Grant 16:50:10
Ladies:
Rhonda Claridge 18:34
Emz Eliason 20:58:55
Erin Churchill 22:56:21
La Course des Templiers
Men 1 Thomas Lorblanchet 6h43min04 2 Xavier Thévenard 6h47min46 3 Michel Lanne 6h48min34
Ladies 1 Nuria Picas Albets (ESP) 7h57min49 2 Malika Coutant (FRA 8h19min19 3 Aurélia Truel (FRA 8h21min47
Ceasers Camp 100-miles only 10 finishers
Stuart Wilkie 21:42
Mick Barnes 22:31
David Rowe 22:48
OMM
Elite
Mixed -Jasmin Paris and Konrad Rawlik 11:40:00
Female – Heather Dawe and Andrea Priestley 14:43:27
Full results – http://www.theomm.com/events/omm2013/
00:38:50 15 MINS of FAME – Tessa Hill
01:00:00 BLOGS
‘And somehow I reached the finish line of my first 100 miler. I don´t have enough words to describe the feelings. It was bigger than all my races I have done before. This was just something greater.’
01:03:55 Interview – BEN ABDELNOOR
01:24:28 TALK TRAINING – with Marc Laithwaite
01:48:12 INTERVIEW
This week’s interview is with Dylan Bowman. Dylan has not been running ultras for too long, however, he has impressed right from the start. Earlier this year he placed 5th at Western States and was in Europe and ready to run UTMB but unfortunately he picked up an injury while training.
02:30:54 MELTZER MOMENT
GOOD
BAD
UGLY
02:37:40 SMILESandMILES with Emelie Forsberg – smilesandmiles@yahoo.com
03:02:36 RACES
Argentina
The North Face® Endurance Challenge Argentina – 50 km | 50 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
The North Face® Endurance Challenge Argentina – 80 km | 80 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
Australia
New South Wales
Carcoar Cup Ultra Marathon | 60 kilometers | November 03, 2013 | website
Great North Walk 100 km | 100 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
Great North Walk 100 Miles | 100 miles | November 09, 2013 | website
Queensland
Run to Paradise Ultra Marathon | 74 kilometers | November 03, 2013 | website
France
Aveyron
Trail des Hospitaliers | 75 kilometers | November 03, 2013 | website
Marne
SPARNATRAIL classique | 55 kilometers | November 10, 2013 | website
Germany
Bavaria
Chiemsee-Ultramarathon November | 108 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
Lower Saxony
KILL 50 | 50 miles | November 09, 2013 | website
North Rhine-Westphalia
Bottroper Herbstwaldlauf – 50 km | 50 kilometers | November 10, 2013 | website
Hong-Kong
Salomon LT 70 | 70 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
India
Bangalore Ultra Marathon – 100 km | 100 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
Bangalore Ultra Marathon – 50 km | 50 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
Bangalore Ultra Marathon – 75 km | 75 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
Italy
Tuscany
Eroica Running Ultramaratona | 65 kilometers | November 03, 2013 | website
Morocco
Trans 333 | 333 kilometers | November 15, 2013 | website
Namibia
100 km of Namib Desert | 100 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
Desert Ultra | 250 kilometers | November 15, 2013 | website
Nepal
Everest Trail Race | 160 kilometers | November 03, 2013 | website
NEPAL Action Asia 3 day ultra 100km | 100 kilometers | November 01, 2013 | website
Nepal Action Asia Ultra 3 day marathon 60k | 60 kilometers | November 01, 2013 | website
New Zealand
Steelformers Around the Mountain | 100 miles | November 09, 2013 | website
Taranaki Steelformers 100 mile Around the mountain Solo | 100 miles | November 08, 2013 | website
Taranaki Steelformers 150 km Around the mountain Running and Walking Relay | 150 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
The Taniwha – 60 km | 60 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
United Kingdom
Northamptonshire
XNRG Druid Challenge 2013 | 84 miles | November 08, 2013 | website
Uruguay
ULTRA Maratón Altas Cumbres Serranas 100K Ultra | 100 kilometers | November 02, 2013 | website
ULTRA Maratón Altas Cumbres Serranas 60K Ultra | 60 kilometers | November 02, 2013 | website
USA
Alabama
Pinhoti 100 | 100 miles | November 02, 2013 | website
California
Almaden Hills 50K Run | 50 kilometers | November 02, 2013 | website
Chino Hills Spring Trail Series 50K | 50 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
CTR Lake Chabot Train Run 50 km (Nov) | 50 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
Folsom Lake Trail Run – Fall 50K | 50 kilometers | November 02, 2013 | website
San Lorenzo River Trail Run 50 km | 50 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
Two Cities Ultra Marathon | 50 kilometers | November 03, 2013 | website
Georgia
Georgia Sky to Summit 50k | 50 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
Idaho
NorthWest Nazarene University 100 Mile Run & Relay | 100 miles | November 08, 2013 | website
Illinois
Chicago Lakefront 50K | 50 kilometers | November 02, 2013 | website
Indiana
Owen Putnam State Forest 50K | 50 kilometers | November 02, 2013 | website
Owen Putnam State Forest 50 Miles | 50 miles | November 02, 2013 | website
Maryland
Rosaryville Veteran’s Day 50k | 50 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
Massachusetts
Stone Cat 50 Mile | 50 miles | November 02, 2013 | website
Missouri
Ozark Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run | 100 miles | November 02, 2013 | website
Nevada
Bootlegger 50K | 50 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
Coyote Springs 100K Trail Run | 100 kilometers | November 02, 2013 | website
Coyote Springs 100M Trail Run | 100 miles | November 02, 2013 | website
Coyote Springs 50K Trail Run | 50 kilometers | November 02, 2013 | website
Coyote Springs 50M Trail Run | 50 miles | November 02, 2013 | website
Ragnar Relay Las Vegas | 195 miles | November 08, 2013 | website
New Jersey
NJ Trail Series One Day – 50K | 50 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
New York
Mendon 50K Trail Run | 50 kilometers | November 02, 2013 | website
Oklahoma
Turkey & Taturs 50K Trail Race | 50 kilometers | November 03, 2013 | website
Tennessee
Nashville Ultra Marathon 50 K Race | 50 kilometers | November 02, 2013 | website
Nashville Ultra Marathon 50 Mile Race | 50 miles | November 02, 2013 | website
Nashville Ultra Marathon 60 K Race | 60 kilometers | November 02, 2013 | website
Nashville Ultra Marathon 70 K Race | 70 kilometers | November 02, 2013 | website
Upchuck 50K Trail Running Race | 50 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
Virginia
Mountain Masochist Trail Run | 50 miles | November 02, 2013 | website
Washington
First Call Veterans Day 50K | 50 kilometers | November 09, 2013 | website
03:05:23 CLOSE
03:09:40
LINKS:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/talkultra/Episode_47_-_Bowman_Abdelnoor_Hill_Forsberg.mp3
It has been a long season… the 2013 Skyrunner World Series came to a close in early October on the shores of Lake Garda at the impressive Limone Extreme race. The Skyrunner ULTRA title had been concluded just weeks earlier in Vail, Colorado at the Ultra Race of Champions (UROC) but at Limone Extreme, VK and SKY champions were crowned confirming the closure of an incredible 2013 season.
It would be nice to sit back, relax and reflect. Oh no, time stands till for nobody, the 2014 Skyrunner World Series needs to be confirmed and announced, in addition, 2014 has the Skyrunning World Championships taking place in Mont-Blanc (here) at the Mont-Blanc Marathon weekend. Champions, male and female will be announced for the distances of VK, SKY and ULTRA.
An exciting year awaits!
Luis Alberto Hernando at Matterhorn Ultraks
The growth os Skyrunning has exploded in the past 2-years, the catalyst, Transvulcania La Palma in May 2012. Arguably, the worlds ‘best’ descended on a small island in the Canaries and although the ULTRA distance was new to Skyrunning, a transformation was made and suddenly, Skyrunning became the next big thing! The foresight of Marino Giacometti (President ISF) and Lauri Van Houten (Executive Director ISF) was rewarded with a big thumbs up from all who attended!
La Palma, Transvulcania La Palma 2012 ©iancorless.com
Skyrunning today is growing and at an alarming rate. The Skyrunner World Series has now established itself as one of ‘the’ series to do and we are seeing this reflected in the diversity of the nations taking part but also the diversity in the athletes. We are seeing many runners participating in several disciplines and in certain scenarios, such as Kilian Jornet, we are also seeing them crowned champion in multiple disciplines.
We are not only seeing the ‘regulars’ perform. Skyrunning are being rewarded with new athletes and teams, take a look at Arc’teryx and inov-8. They have taken the bull by the horns and seized an opportunity, not only have they created teams to perform at this high level but they have created apparel and shoes that work in this demanding sport. In 2013, Arc’teryx had UK based athlete, Tessa Hill create some stunning results in the VK and SKY distance, in addition, inov-8 had great success with UK based Anna Lupton and with Alex Nichols (USA) who placed third on the Skyrunner SKY World Series podium.
Tessa Hill and Anna Lupton, Limone Extreme ©iancorless.com
For years, the UK have provided a hard core of athletes who have raced and won on this world stage; Angela Mudge, Ricky Lightfoot, Andy Symonds, Tom Owens and so on… in many respects, these UK runners progressed from a minority sport in the UK, ‘Fell Running’ and participated in a minority sport in Europe called ‘Skyrunning’.
That is all changing and the time is now right, for the UK to progress and not only create a UK based series but also create stimulus within the UK to encourage UK based runners to travel to Europe and farther afield to experience Skyrunning on a global scale.
Salomon athlete, Andy Symonds sums it up very well,
‘Skyrunning was born in Italy, twenty years ago. For me it’s always represented the best of European and until recently – mainly Italian – racing. It’s about racing high up, on real mountains, on real mountain terrain. The fun comes from the race courses which go to summits, along exposed ridges, gaining incredible views, and from moving fast in a competitive environment over this sort of terrain.
Andy Symonds Trofeo Kima ©iancorless.com
The UK may lack the altitude of the Italian Alps, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t do the same thing on our own moderately sized mountains, fells and hills! It’s great to see the sport branching out of Italy, with national series now launching in France, Australia/NZ the UK and no doubt shortly elsewhere.
The future of proper mountain running will probably lie in the hands of the Skyrunning Associations and I’ll be supporting that growth and hoping to help guide things in a good direction!’
Andy is right! the time is perfect.
Welcome to Skyrunning UK
It is early days for Skyrunning UK and 2014 will almost certainly be a transformative year. We are well aware that Skyrunning in the UK will be a challenge… we don’t have too many 2000m+ peaks! However, as Andy says, ‘The UK may lack the altitude of the Italian Alps, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t do the same thing on our own moderately sized mountains, fells and hills!’
To that end, an athlete commission has been created to help guide the sport within the UK from a grass roots level. We already have established and respected runners signed up and confirmed:
Within the coming weeks, several other athletes will be added to the commission and this will guarantee that the direction of Skyrunning in the UK is not only in good hands but will also consider the well established traditions of fell and trail running.
Skyrunning UK will work in harmony and respect existing races and traditions within the UK.
To interact and get involved, please make sure you:
It was always going to be a classic race… the male SKY Skyrunner World Series title was sewn up with a dominant Kilian Jornet securing maximum points form three out of five qualifying races. However, the ladies race was a completely different story. Just ten points separated the leader, Emelie Forsberg from fellow Salomon teammate, Stevie Kremer.
At the finish line on the shores of Lake Garda, Kilian Jornet once again proved his supremacy with another stunning victory. For the ladies, Stevie Kremer confirmed her incredible mountain running and descending ability to take not only the victory in Limone but also the Skyrunner World Series title.
We have witnessed some incredible performance in the 2013 Skyrunner World Series over three distances; VK, SKY and ULTRA. Limone Extreme provided a stunning close to the 2013 season and we are left with some well-established names confirming that they are true champions but in addition, we have several new names on the Skyrunning scene that will most certainly build anticipation for the 2014 season.
Antonella Confortola leading on the first climb
Antonella Confortola after taking second place in the VK on Friday night had been unsure if she would start the Sky race on Sunday. Start she did and using her impressive abilities at climbing she led the way on the long steep and technical climb. Stevie Kremer followed closely in second and Emelie Forsberg was third and already loosing some ground. Emelie has had an incredible season and just over one week ago took victory and the overall Skyrunner World Series title for the Ultra distance. UROC in Colorado was Emilie’s first 100k-race and as such, she openly admitted it had taken far more out of her than she anticipated.
Stevie by contrast had raced a couple of shorter races the weekend before and arrived at Limone ready for action. After alternating the lead with Antonella, Stevie finally made her move and although she says that she can’t descend very well, she used every ounce of her ability to hold off Antonella and Emelie to win by over seven minutes. On the line Stevie said, “I was running down that final descent scared, it was twisty and technical but I just didn’t want to look back. I ran as fast as I could. It worked!”
Stevie Kremer with Skyrunning legend and Limone course designer, Fabio Meraldi
Kilian Jornet bided his time in the men’s race but when he made his move he just pulled away and secured not only another impressive victory, but also another World Series title. Kilian didn’t have it easy though.
On the first climb, new signing for inov-8, David Schneider led the way followed by Aritz Egea and Ionut Zinca. Salomon team manager, Greg Vollet (finally finished eleventh) was showing some stunning climbing ability holding a top five place along with up and coming star, Zaid Ait Malek from Morocco all the way to the summit.
Greg Vollet leading Zaid Ait Malek
One of the pre race favourites and second overall in the Skyrunner World Series, Luis Alberto Hernando was having a tough day protecting an injury, however true to his great sportsmanship he soldiered on knowing full well that I had no possibility to make a top ten position. A true champ!
Luis Alberto Hernando
Kilian made his move and a battle followed for the second and third podium places. Ionut Zinca finally pulled away from Aritz Egea and finished just one minute behind Kilian and thirty seconds ahead of Artiz. Showing great potential for 2014 season, David Schneider turned a few heads with a great fourth place with Zaid Ait Malek fifth.
Ionut Zinca second place
The 2013 season has shown some incredibly diverse and consistent performances, Alex Nichols from the US in his first season participating in the Skyrunner World Series placed eighth at Limone Extreme and this elevated him to third overall in the World Series.
Alex Nichols third overall in the Skyrunner world Series
A similar story for Arc’teryx athlete, Tessa Hill, not only did she have a great VK on Friday but she placed fourth on the day. Anna Lupton (inov-8) from the UK also proved that fell/mountain runners can perform with the best on high and technical mountain courses in Europe.
Tessa Hill with fellow Brit, Anna Lupton
The influx of new names such as Thorbjorn Ludvigsen and Leire Aguirezabala and responding great performances show all of us that Skyrunning is not only in a great place for the future but that the participants are eager for true mountain courses that test the mind as well as the body,
Roll on 2014!
IMAGES from the Limone Extreme race are available to view HERE or purchase HERE
Skyrunning website HERE
WIN, Stevie Kremer’s signed race number HERE
Results taken from ISF website:
Limone Extreme race results
Men
1. Kilian Jornet (ESP) Salomon – 2h17’03
2. Ionut Zinca (ROU) Valetudo Skyrunning Italia – 2h18’27”
3. Aritz Egea (EMF) – 2h18’53”
4. David Schneider (AUT) inov-8 – 2h20’40”
5. Zaid Ait Malek – 2h21’09”
Women
1. Stevie Kremer (Salomon Agisko) – 2h46’13”
2. Antonella Confortola (GS Forestale) – 2h53’58”
3. Emelie Forsberg (Salomon) – 2h54’54”
4. Tessa Hill (Arc’teryx) – 2h58’20”
5. Leire Aguirrezabala (EMF) – 2h58’54”
Sky Series Final Ranking (provisional)
Men
1. Kilian Jornet (ESP) – Salomon
2. Luis Hernando (ESP) adidas Trail Running
3. Alex Nichols (USA) invo-8
4. Jokin Lizeaga (ESP) – EMF
5. Aritz Egea (ESP) EMF
Women
1. Stevie Kremer (USA) – Salomon Agisko
2. Emelie Forsberg (SWE) – Salomon
3. Silvia Serafini (ITA) – Salomon Agisko
4. Nuria Dominguez (ESP) – Buff
5. Anna Lupton (GBR) – inov-8
Teams
1. FEEC
2. Salomon
3. EMF
4. inov-8
5. Salomon Agisko
IAN CORLESS 