Episode 52 – Fejes, Slaughter, Steele, Kremer

Posted on January 10, 2014 by talkultra

Episode 52 of Talk Ultra We have a full show with two in-depth interviews about running really long… Joe Fejes recently won the Aravaipa Running 6-day event by clocking up 555+ miles and beating running legend, Yiannis Kouros in the process. By contrast, we speak to UK runner Jon Steele who tackled ‘The Hill’ ultra; 160-miles of hill rips on a 2.9m course in under 48-hours. Gemma Slaughter, The Coastal Challenge winner from 2013 talks to us about her expectations as she prepares for the 2014 edition. Emelie Forsberg is back for smilesandmiles, Marc is with us for Talk Training and believe it or not, Speedgoat is on a cruise! That’s great for Talk Ultra as we have the lovely Stevie Kremer joining us as co host.

00:11:31 – NEWS

Rob Krar UROY

Michele Yates UROY

Zach Bitter male performance (11:47:21 for 100-miles)

Rory Bosio female performance (7th at UTMB and new CR)

The Coastal Challenge, Costa Rica is coming (3-wks) up and for the 10th anniversary it has a stacked field – Anna Frost, Mike Wardian, Nick Clark, Julia Bottger, Philipp Reiter and Jo Meek. In addition, we have last year female champion returning, Gemma Slaughter. Gemma turned up at the race in 2013 a novice and exceeded all her expectations. This year she will return, not only to defend her title but to race against tougher competition. I caught up with Gemma to discuss last years race and her expectations for this year!

00:16:08 – Interview – Gemma Slaughter

Breaking news for TCC – Carlos Sa and Martin Gaffuri will join the race!

Aravaipa Running 6-day

Joe Fejes 555.35m – also USA men’s record

Yiannis Kouros 551.15m – World 55-59 record

Ed Ettinghausen 476.61m – USA 50-54 record

1st lady – Liz Bauer 415.72m

I caught up with Joe Fejes for an in-depth chat about the 6-day and you can listen to that later in the show…

Skyrunning UK is launched with the 3x3Ultra

Tour of Helvellyn

Ed Catmur 5:48:17
Andrew Fallas 6:01:50
Anthony ‘Forest’ Bethell 6:15:43

Tracy Dean 6:49:31
Nicky Spinks 7:25:07
Carol Morgan 8:00:29

00:57:22 – Blog of the week – Zach Bitter’s 100-mile report on iRunfar – http://www.irunfar.com/2013/12/zach-bitter-us-100-mile-and-12-hour-track-world-records-report.html

00:57:46 – Talk Training – with Marc Laithwaite

01:33:30 – Interview with Jon Steele

02:25:20 – Interview with Joe Fejes

03:15:17 – Smiles and Miles with Emelie Forsberg

03:31:45 – Up and Coming races for the next two weeks:

Australia

Queensland

Bogong to Hotham | 64 kilometers | January 12, 2014 | website

Hares And Hounds 50k Trail Run | 50 kilometers | January 11, 2014 | website

Victoria

Two Bays Trail Run 56km | 56 kilometers | January 12, 2014 | website

Brazil

BR 135 Ultramarathon | 135 miles | January 17, 2014 | website

BR 217 Ultramarathon | 217 miles | January 17, 2014 | website

Brazil 135 Ultramarathon | 135 miles | January 17, 2014 | website

France

Essonne

Raid 28 | 80 kilometers | January 18, 2014 | website

Semiraid 28 | 50 kilometers | January 19, 2014 | website

Eure-et-Loir

Ultra Raid 28 | 120 kilometers | January 18, 2014 | website

Puy-de-Dôme

Trail du Sancy/ Mont-Dore – 80 km | 80 kilometers | January 19, 2014 | website

Germany

Bavaria

Schwabacher Winter Ultra | 56 kilometers | January 19, 2014 | website

Brandenburg

HallenMarathon 50km Ultra-Lauf | 50 kilometers | January 19, 2014 | website

Lower Saxony

7. Lauf PSV Winterlaufserie 100 KM | 100 kilometers | January 11, 2014 | website

7. Lauf PSV Winterlaufserie 50 KM | 50 kilometers | January 11, 2014 | website

8. Lauf PSV Winterlaufserie 100 KM | 100 kilometers | January 18, 2014 | website

8. Lauf PSV Winterlaufserie 50 KM | 50 kilometers | January 18, 2014 | website

North Rhine-Westphalia

Nord Eifel Ultra | 56 kilometers | January 12, 2014 | website

India

Oxfam Trailwalker India | 100 kilometers | January 24, 2014 | website

Ultra India Race | 210 kilometers | January 15, 2014 | website

Netherlands

North Holland

Dutch Coast Ultra by Night 100 km | 50 kilometers | January 17, 2014 | website

Dutch Coast Ultra by Night 50 km | 50 kilometers | January 17, 2014 | website

Dutch Coast Ultra by Night 75 km | 75 kilometers | January 17, 2014 | website

Dutch Coast Ultra by Night (Summer Edition) | 75 kilometers | January 17, 2014 | website

Dutch Coast Ultra by Night (Summer Edition) – 50 km | 50 kilometers | January 17, 2014 | website

New Zealand

Hutt River Trail Ultra Marathon | 60 kilometers | January 18, 2014 | website

Réunion

Transvolcano | 52 kilometers | January 19, 2014 | website

Spain

Valencian Community

GR10-Xtrem Valencia Ultra Trail | 93 kilometers | January 18, 2014 | website

Thailand

Columbia Trails Masters – 50K | 50 kilometers | January 12, 2014 | website

United Kingdom

Anglesey

Coastal Trail Series – Anglesey – Ultra | 34 miles | January 18, 2014 | website

Buckinghamshire

Country to Capital | 45 miles | January 11, 2014 | website

Derbyshire

Montane Spine Race | 268 miles | January 11, 2014 | website

USA

Alabama

Nicholas Wilson Memorial Tashka Trail 50K | 50 kilometers | January 18, 2014 | website

Arizona

San Tan Scramble – 50K | 50 kilometers | January 11, 2014 | website

California

Avalon Benefit 50 Mile Run | 50 miles | January 11, 2014 | website

Crystal Springs 50 Km Trail Run | 50 kilometers | January 11, 2014 | website

Pacifica Foothills Trail Run 50K | 50 kilometers | January 18, 2014 | website

San Diego 50 | 50 miles | January 18, 2014 | website

Steep Ravine 50 km | 50 kilometers | January 18, 2014 | website

Florida

Long Haul 100K | 100 kilometers | January 18, 2014 | website

Long Haul 100M | 100 miles | January 18, 2014 | website

Hawaii

Hilo To Volcano 50k Ultra Marathon and Relay | 50 kilometers | January 18, 2014 | website

H.U.R.T. 100 Mile Endurance Run | 100 miles | January 18, 2014 | website

Idaho

Wilson Creek Frozen 50k | 50 kilometers | January 18, 2014 | website

Iowa

Tripple D Winter Ultramarathon Run | 50 kilometers | January 19, 2014 | website

New York

The Beast of Burden Winter 100 Miler | 100 miles | January 18, 2014 | website

North Carolina

Weymouth Woods 100k Trail Run | 100 kilometers | January 18, 2014 | website

Tennessee

Swampstomper 50k | 50 kilometers | January 19, 2014 | website

Texas

Bandera 100km | 100 kilometers | January 11, 2014 | website

Bandera 50km | 50 kilometers | January 11, 2014 | website

Big Bend 50 | 50 kilometers | January 19, 2014 | website

Utah

Snowshoe Festival 50K | 50 kilometers | January 24, 2014 | website

Virginia

Willis River 50K Trail Run | 50 kilometers | January 12, 2014 | website

Washington

Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival 50 km | 50 kilometers | January 11, 2014 | website

Capitol Peak Mega-Fat Ass 34 miles | 36 miles | January 18, 2014 | website

Wisconsin

Frozen Otter Ultra Trek – 32 Miles | 32 miles | January 18, 2014 | website

Frozen Otter Ultra Trek – 64 Miles | 64 miles | January 18, 2014 | website

03:38:00 – Close

03:44:48

LINKS:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/talkultra/Episode_52_Fejes_Steele_Slaughter_Kremer.mp3

ITunes http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/talk-ultra/id497318073

Libsyn – feed://talkultra.libsyn.com/rss

Website – talkultra.com

Trail running in America & mountain races in Europe

Posted on December 30, 2013 by talkultra

Are there really any differences when it comes to racing in Europe & America? Runners from both sides of the Atlantic have their say about trail running on both continents.

When Michel Poletti, president of ITRA, spoke recently at the presentation of the Spain Ultra Cup about what type of international race organizations would de targeted for future membership, he affirmed that the ITRA would be particularly hoping to attract “organisations with long-distance races taking place in natural scenery“. Although this definition may sound a little vague, it is in fact quite difficult to find a common denominator that might aptly describre races taking place on both sides of the Atlantic.

Are we talking about the same kind of race on both continents? It doesn’t seem that way from what some of our top runners have to say. In any case, surely the “variations on a theme” are what make this sport so appealing, right? What are the differences anyway, between trail running & mountain running? According to the ISF, “The difference lies in the terminology itself: trail & montain“.

We’ve asked some of the top runners about what it is that makes racing different on both sides of the Atlantic. Here are their answers, together with our conclusions:

American races, much faster

The main difference, which everyone seems to agree on, is the greater technical difficulty of races in Europe and the faster speed of races run in the US.

As Tòfol Castanyer points out, this means that“American races are more runnable” suggesting that faster ultra-distance racers have the advantage, as opposed to mountain running specialists.

This difference has already been discussed in our article in Spanish, la diferencia entre trail running, fell running y carrera de montaña. In the US the sport is called “trail running“, whereas in Europe, terms such asmountain running, skyrunning or fell running (UK) are used. The term “trail running” obviously refers to the kind of track or path followed, whereas in Europe it’s all about “mountains“. Whereas “trail running” doesn’t necessarily imply elevation gains.

“In Europe the elevation gains are usually greater“says Miguel Heras,“I think that this difference is motivating for us Europeans when we go there, as it is for the Americans when they come over to Europe to compete.

Stricter rules in the US

Many of the races held in the US run through national parks, which follow a stricter legislation than we’re used to in Europe, regarding how hikers & runners should use the footpaths or trails. All these measures are imposed with the greater benefit of protecting the lanscape & natural habitat of the species found in the parks. This means that anyone wondering off the trail will be sanctioned (usually with disqualification), something that Europeans are simply not used to.

As Emelie Forsberg jokes, “I think it´s like with everything in America; trail races aren’t any different you know“. Rules are rules!

In Europe, things are very different, where, in most cases,the race course simply follows the most direct route across the mountain.

“In Scotland“, for example, says Andy Symonds,” the hills are steep, there are great open spaces without trees, there is grass and bog all over the place. The result is that fell races go straight through fields and up and down hills. Race routes are driven by the shortest lines rather than by path networks”.

Consecuently, European trail runners find that they have to change their whole approach to racing, as Silvia Serafini states, “I know that in the US there are very strict rules about ‘shortcuts‘. You are out of the race if you don’t follow exactly the signed trail“. Kilian Jornet can testify to this, as he was stripped of his prize money and course record, in last year’s Speedgoat 50k for cutting switchbacks.

In Europa, it’s more competitive

So what’s Dakota Jones take on the subject? He interestingly points out that “ In America, trail running came out of a culture of hiking and mountain climbing that has its roots in solitude and escape“. Whereas, “Europeans accept mountain running more and are allowed to have more people in their races, so the scene is much more professional than anywhere else”. ” When Americans race, they are almost afraid to say they are racing, because they don’t want to betray traditional values about the purity of the sport“.

Sportswear

In an episode of Kilian´s Quest we can see how the young Catalonian runner meets up with running legend, Pablo Vigil. It’s interesting to compare how the two are dressed; Kilian with his specialized gear –Suunto GPS heart rate monitor, Salomon technical shorts & training shoes, while Pablo Vigilcan be found wearing the traditional runners sorts and a pair of Nike road trainers. Although this is a simple anecdote, it does undeline the point that, in general, European runners seem to get moredressed up for the occasion!

Anna Frost comments that “Clothing differs…with fashion and trends. Euro wearing more technical lycra and USA wearing looser fitting comforts.

What’s in common? People, volunteers, the spirit of racing

There seems to be a common agreement among runners that there is one characteristic to be found on both sides of the Atlantic: the spirit of running, be it trail running in the US or fell running (UK), mountain running or skyrunning in Europe, “our mutual appreciation for the mountains & outdoor spaces”, says Alfredo Gil, Spain’s national champion. “I think we all have that in common“.

American, Stevie Kremer, also emphasises this point & recognizes the efforts of all the people, behind the scenes, who support the races: “both have incredible supporters and volunteers, without which these races would never be successful!”

It seems that, as more and more runners make the jump, from one continent to another, things are changing. As Jonathan Wyatt observes, ” We see a lot of North American runners who have learnt a lot from the European style of trail running and they are excited to bring some of these elements to North America including the more technical running trails“.

Finally, let’s just remember the words of Silvia Serafini, who defines the atmosphere of our sport perfectly, “I can’t really choose which I like most, racing in America or in Europe. I love the atmosphere, the welcome of the people, which I have found on both continents“.

LINKS & CREDIT:

This article is a re post from : corredordemontana.com

It is reproduced with the full approval of corredordemontana.com and Nigel John Wilson and has not been altered or adjusted in anyway. The original article is available HERE should you wish to view it.

It is also available in Spanish HERE

All content (inc images) ©corredordemontana.com

Ultra Running Review of the Year 2013

Posted on December 19, 2013 by talkultra

What an amazing time to be involved in the sport of ultra running! The once niche minority sport has exploded to greater heights and distances in 2013. No longer is a long beard and ‘Buff’ a pre requisite of ultra running (unless you’re Rob Krar). Clean cut, young, fast is the new ‘ultra runner’ mixing it up with the old guard.

Just think back to this time last year, had you heard of Zach Miller (not the Zach Miller, but, the Zach Miller; confused?), Michele Yates, Rob Krar, Magdalena Boulet and Xavier Thevenard.

Racing and the opportunity to race has also increased to the extent that it is now possible to race pretty much week in and week out for 12-months of the year. Of course, this brings pluses and minuses, certainly from an elite level, runners need to be far more savvy and race clever. You can no longer race month on month and expect to win. Races now have much higher quality fields and the pace is going up. The growth of Skyrunning has been instrumental in enticing a world audience to test runners of all abilities on tough, technical and high-terrain and the feedback has been incredible. UTWT have launched a series of races above the 100-km distance and in doing so have created a ‘trail’ circuit that offers multiple terrain in multiple locations all over the world. It will be interesting to see how the inaugural year goes when 2014 comes around.

So, what are the highlights of 2013?

Ultra Runner of the Year – Men and ladies

Lets start with Rob Krar. I interviewed Rob just after his incredible ‘FKT’ in the Grand Canyon early in 2013 when he put the Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim record at another level. At the time we discussed Western States, he was intimidated by the ‘Super Bowl’ of ultra and his first 100-miler. “I’ll give it a shot and see what happens”. Well, if you hadn’t noticed Rob pre WSER you did afterwards. Your not supposed to run WSER and get 2^nd overall in your first attempt. UROC, Ultra Race of Champions was the final of the Skyrunner Ultra World Series and for some reason they had bestowed upon themselves the title, ‘The Ultra Running World Championship’. Mmmmm well, it certainly had a quality field but ‘World Championship’? I don’t think so. In the end it came down to a head-to-head between Dakota Jones and Rob Krar. Dakota looked as though he had it sewn up but on the final descent, Rob unleashed a pace that Dakota went on to say was ‘just crazy’. Rob took the win and a pattern was forming. We were all a little surprised to see Rob’s name on the start list for JFK50, primarily with TNF50 in San Francisco just two weeks later. As it happened, Rob dropped at around the 41-mile mark and went on to say that it was either ‘a great training run for TNF50 or the worst decision he had made in a while.’ It was a great training run! Rob ran a super calm, collected and mature race in San Francisco and when he took the front in the last fifth of the race he released a pace that was just incredible. Without doubt my ultra runner of the year!

Kilian Jornet and the Matterhorn ©iancorless.com

Of course, you can’t talk about male ultra runner and not mention Kilian Jornet. Kilian is a phenomenon. He is the star of our sport. Once again he was crowned Skyrunner World Ultra Series Champion with wins at Transvulcania and Ice Trail Tarentaise. In addition to this, Kilian was also champion of the ‘Sky’ series with 4 wins; Zegama, Mont-Blanc, Matterhorn Ultraks and Limone Extreme. Add this a couple VK’s, a win at Canazei Sky race for the European Championships and a win at Trans D’Havet for the ‘Ultra’ Skyrunning European Championships and you would say the deal is done! But wait-a-minute, we haven’t mentioned his records for his ‘Summits’ project. A stunning new FKT for Chamonix-Mont-Blanc-Chamonix but arguably THE highlight of the year was his Matterhorn Summit. It was a sublime and surreal performance that put going to the mountains light on another level. It was without doubt my ‘moment’ of the year. You can read my ‘Matterhorn Summits Interview’ with Kilian here. Kilian is the most complete athlete I know.

Michele Yates – iancorless.com ©bradclayton

Michele Yates hadn’t run an ultra before 2013. Who would have thought that Ms Figure Colorado 2008 would be such an awesome talent? Well her history shows that she is a 2x Olympic Trials Marathon Competitor, she has 9 marathon wins and PB of 2:38:37. To say Michele burst on the ultra scene would be an underestimation. Her win at Indiana Trail 100 (17:35:18) almost went unnoticed but then taking top spot and the $10,000 prize at Run Rabbit Run suddenly made every one stop, look around and take notice. Placing 3^rd at UROC was another sign that Michele was no one trick pony but just like Rob Krar, Michele sealed a quality 2013 with a win at TNF50. She started that race from the front and never relinquished the lead until the line. Is Michele female ultra runner of the year? Well, I would have said yes. That is until the weekend of Dec 13^th/ 14^th. (Listen to interview with Michele on the Christmas show of Talk Ultra, Ep51 out Dec 27^th)
Pam Smith victorious at Western States turned up at the Desert Solstice track meet run by Aravaipa Running and not only took out the win for 12-hours on the track but set a new female record for 100-miles, 14:11:26. Take your pick, Michele or Pam; it’s a tough call.

But wait a minute, what about Emelie Forsberg. Emelie arrived on the run scene in 2012 and instantly had success, continually placing top-3 with Anna Frost and Nuria Picas. However the break through moment came ironically this time last year, she won TNF50 in San Francisco. This seemed to change everything, Emelie arrived at Transvulcania in May 2013 and won, she followed this up with a win in Zegama, Canazei, Ice Trail Tarentaise, Matterhorn Ultraks, UROC and then went on to run her first 100-miler at the super tough Diagonale de Fous (Raid de la Reunion) and place 2^nd. Do you want to vote against Emelie?

Performances of the Year

Rory Bosio blasted around the TNFUTMB course and in the process not only obliterated the female record but placed 7^th overall. Her performance was nothing short of miraculous.
Jon Olson set a new American record for 100-miles on the track and then just as the year came to a close, Zach Bitter broke the record with an 11:47:21 but maybe even more important, Zach set a new World Record for 12-hours (101.66 miles) beating a Yiannis Kouros record. That does not happen very often! (Zach Bitter will be in the Christmas episode of Talk Ultra, Ep 51 out Dec 27th here)
I have already mention Kilian and the Matterhorn but it was so good I am mentioning it twice!
Timothy Olson went back to Western States and won again. You can win a race once but going back and doing it again is always a true sign of a champion.
Seb Chaigneau took a win and CR at Hardrock 100.
Nickademus Hollon became the youngest person ever to not only complete Barkley but also win it. You can listen to his interview on Talk Ultra here.

Julien Chorier Ronda dels Cims ©iancorless.com

Julien Chorier produced a sublime and calculated performance at the super tough Ronda dels Cims. It was a joy and a pleasure to watch someone control and dominate a race from the front and look good all the way.
Sage Canaday, jeez I missed him out and he definitely deserves a mention for Bandera, Tarawera, Transvulcania (3rd), Lake Sonoma and Speedgoat 50k.

Francesca Canepa once again had an incredible year with a great performance at Ronda dels Cims but arguably a repeat win at Tor des Geants places her well and truly at the top on ‘endurance’ lady of the year!
Iker Karrera nailed Tor des Geants.
Ricky Lightfoot went over to South Africa and raced at The Otter and not only won but put the course record at a new level, in addition he won the IAU World Title in Wales.

Xavier Thevenard took everyone, including himself, by surprise at TNFUTMB with a controlled and impressive performance against some top competition.

Jez Bragg completed the Te Araroa in New Zealand. An incredible journey from the northern tip of New Zealand all the way down to the southern tip. Listen here.
David Johnston completed the Iditarod trail Invitational in 4 days 19 hours 13 mins.Crazy fast.
Ian Sharman and Nick Clark went head-to-head in the Grand Slam of Ultra Running and produced possibly the most exciting competition of 2013. The pair of them produced incredibly consistent performances and showed us all that it is possible to race four 100-milers back-to-back. They didn’t only ‘complete’ but they competed. They both won a race and were never out of the front rankings. Ian Sharman ultimately had the icing on the cake with the overall fastest time and a new Grand Slam record. Respect! Interview with Ian Sharman here.
Paul Giblin at the West Highland Way race. 15:07 and good beating of Terry Conway’s previous CR.

Stevie Kremer Limone Extreme ©iancorless.com

Stevie Kremer doesn’t do ultras but she is a darn fine trail and mountain runner and what ‘Pocket Rocket’ achieved in 2013 is nothing short of miraculous. Can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store.
Ed Catmur has continued to knock out some great 100-mile performances on the GB scene with wins at North Downs Way and the Winter 100.
Lizzie Wraith new female CR for the Lakeland 100 in the UK.
William Sichel keeps running and running crazy distances and setting new records.
Jonas Buud didn’t win Comrades in 2013 but he ran one of the best paced races I’ve ever witnessed. He was way back in the late 30’s and slowly moved up to 3rd. Wow! Notable mention to Brit ladies, Joanna Zakrezewski and Holly Rush who placed top-10.

Surprises of the Year

Rob Krar – Just one word sums up the bearded warrior ‘Krarnage’.
Zach Miller – no, not Zach Miller, but Zach Miller. Zach rocked up at JFK50, nobody knew him and he didn’t know anyone else. He took over the lead when Rob Krar dropped at mile 41. Not only did he win but also he set the 3^rd fastest time ever. Interview with Zach here.
Xavier Thevenard – TNFUTMB was going to be won by Anton Krupicka, Miguel Heras, Julien Chorier, Seb Chaigneau or Mike Foote. Somebody should have told them all about CCC winner, Xavier.
Michele Yates – wow, what a first year in the ultra world.

Who and what to watch out for in 2014

Cameron Clayton has found his feet, 2013 had some mixed performances but when everything aligns he races with the best. His Transvulcania, UROC and TNF50 performances without doubt elevates him to ‘hot’ for 2014.

Luis Alberto Hernando Haria Extreme ©iancorless.com

Luis Alberto Hernando pushed Kilian close at Transvulcania, Zegama, finished joint first at Trans D’havet and won at Cavalls del Vent. In 2014 he plans to race TNFUTMB, now that will be interesting.
Magdalena Boulet had an ultra debut at TNF50 and placed 2^nd. This sub 2:30 marathon runner may turn a few heads in 2014.
Brit, Stuart Air may raise a few eyebrows in 2014. He had a solid Ronda dels Cims, Ice Trail Tarentaise and Tor des Geants and for 2014 he has a Hardrock 100 slot!
Hardrock 100 had it’s draw and suddenly much of the WSER ‘lottery’ chat shifted focus to the field up at Silverton. The 2014 race is a classic in the making with Kilian Jornet, Sebastian Chaigneau, Julien Chorier, Joe Grant and more. Excited? Just a little.
The Skyrunning World Championships take place in Chamonix with runners from all over the world coming to race VK, SKY and ULTRA in one of the endurance capitals of the world.
Beards – the jury is out. Are beards fast or slow? Rob Krar, Timmy Olson and ‘Clarky’ are certainly great advocates for hairy running but Kilian, Cameron, Sage provide a strong counter argument. What are your thoughts?

And finally…

A review of any year is going to be personal. Without doubt we will all have our own highlights and favourite moments, so, I would love to read your thoughts.

Please use the form below.

On a personal note, 2013 was an incredible year, I feel blessed with all the opportunities I have had. To witness many of the moments I write about is a great pleasure. Of course, it’s nothing without you folks reading, looking at my photographs or listening to my podcast.

A very BIG thank you from me.

Happy Christmas and a wonderful 2014 awaits us all…

LINKS:

Photography from 2013 races HERE

IMAGES book HERE

Calendar HERE

Podcasts HERE

Limone Extreme SKY race video

Posted on October 20, 2013 by talkultra

Great video here showing the terrain, climbing ability and descending ability of some of the best Skyrunners in the world. In particular, make sure you take note about 12-min in, this is why Kilian Jornet is the best in the world; look at his speed!

Enjoy!

Link HERE

Limone Extreme Race Preview – the 2013 Skyrunner VK and SKY World Series final.

Posted on October 8, 2013 by talkultra

The 2013 Skyrunner World Series comes to an end in Italy this coming weekend at the Limone Extreme amidst the stunning backdrop of Lake Garda. It has been an incredible year, three disciplines; VK, SKY and ULTRA have been raced throughout the world over a total of fifteen races (five in each discipline). The ULTRA championship was decided in Vail, Colorado where Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg were crowned Skyrunner Ultra World Champions. This coming weekend, world champions will be announced in the VK and SKY disciplines.

The Limone Extreme course was designed by Skyrunning legend, Fabio Meraldi. As one would expect, it is a true Skyrunning race with steep, sharp vertical over technical terrain. For example, the VK has 1,100m gain in 3km, climbing from the shores of Lake Garda, the race is extremely unique as it takes place as light fades and the course becomes illuminated by torches.

The SKY course by contrast is very similar to the course in Canazei. At 23.5km it is a short race, however, in contrast to the Dolomites race it does have less vertical ascent. Starting at Lake level runners will tackle 2002m of vertical ascent over a looped course. At the summit, stunning views of the surrounding area and lake are offered, however, participants will have no time to enjoy the view; a long and technical descent to the lake awaits. Often open and exposed, this course requires 100% concentration. Skyrunning legend, Marco De Gasperi set the men’s record of 2:13:34 in 2012 and Deborah Cardone holds the ladies best in a time of 3:02:08.

THE SKY RACE

MEN’S RACE

Kilian Jornet (Salomon) irrespective of his performance at Limone will be crowned World Champion. His three victories in previous races means he is unbeatable. It once again proves Kilian’s ability as a runner but also his ability over multiple distances. One thing is for sure though, he likes to win and he likes to race. The Limone Extreme course will suit his skill levels and it will also fulfill his desires to be at one with the mountain. Without doubt he is an outright favourite for the win.

With the absence of Marco De Gasperi due to injury, Kilian will have his hands full with Luis Alberto Hernando (adidas). Kilian and Luis have had an incredible season pushing each other to new levels and better performances as they both attempted to win the ULTRA and SKY series. Luis currently second overall on the SKY series will be looking to consolidate that position and coming from a recent win at Cavalls del Vent he will be looking to maybe topple Kilian and finish the series by topping the podium ahead of the Catalan.

Following Luis at Cavalls del Vent, Tofol Castanyer (Salomon) will join the party on Lake Garda. Tofol has had a very mixed season. Plagued with injury and bad luck, the latter half of his season has seen a return to form. The Limone course suits his natural abilities. *not racing 08/10/13

Alex Nichols (inov-8) has the skill level and speed to move up from 4^th overall on the SKY series and move ahead of Jokin Lizeaga Mitxelena (EMF). The two are separated by just 32-points. It will require a top performance by Alex. In the past, Alex has often commented that his descending has let him down, however, just recently he flew down the descent at Pikes Peak proving that he has been working on this!

Erik Dagsson Haugsness inov-8

Unfortunately, Nicola Golinelli (Arc’teryx) who is currently 5^th on the ranking will not perform due to injury; this leaves the door open for Erik Dagsson Haugsness (inov-8) to chase his teammate, Alex. Whatever the outcome, UK brand inov-8 will be extremely happy to have two runners in or around the top five in the first season competing in the Skyrunner World Series.

Zaid Ait Malek – Haria Extreme

One name to watch and look out for in the Limone race is Zaid Ait Malek. This quiet Moroccan has had an incredible season consistently making the podium, often behind Luis Alberto Hernando, however he is without doubt a star for the future. He raced earlier in 2013 at Zegama-Aizkorri and placed an excellent 4^th but he has progressed and matured in the following months.

Finally, David Schneider is making a first time appearance for inov-8 at Limone Extreme and it shows how as a brand, inov-8 are looking to the future. They are already committed to a 2014 season and they are laying the foundation now. David is an accomplished runner and comes from a strong orienteering background. He attracted the attention of inov-8 with an 11^th overall at the highly respected Sierre-Zinal race earlier this year. Limone will be a great initiation into Sky racing and the technicality it brings.

Other names to watch:

~~Dai Matsumoto~~, ~~Ryan Bak~~, Florian Reichert, Eric Diaz Martin, Didier Zago

Fulvio Dapit, and Nicola Golinelli.

LADIES RACE

It is very much a Salomon showdown for Limone with Emelie Forsberg, Stevie Kremer and ~~Silvia Serafini~~ going head-to-head not only for the final race win but the overall title. In real terms, the outright world title will be decided between Emelie Forsberg and Stevie Kremer. These two pocket rockets have had an incredible season and excitement is most certainly building as we anticipate who will come out on top in Italy. Separated by just ten points, 288 to 278, Stevie and Emelie will have a battle royal ahead. I for one can’t wait to see how this one unfolds. Emelie has been Miss Consistent in 2013 showing a skill and ability level beyond her years.

Stevie Kremer has been equally impressive. Stevie produced maybe one of the performances of the year with an incredible win and course record at Mont Blanc Marathon. Stevie’s biggest issue may very well be out of her control, she can actually make the long trip from Colorado just two days before the race.

Silvia Serafini has blossomed into an incredibly consistent and dominant runner. She gives herself quite a punishing schedule, regularly racing and regularly winning at all disciplines. Currently 3^rd in the SKY ranking with 226 points she would need a podium finish and Emelie and Stevie not to finish or finish outside of the points to move up the classification. Irrespective of overall positions, Silvia, racing in Italy will be looking to push as hard as possible and hopefully win the race outright. *injured 08/10/13

Oihana Kortazar returns to SKY racing after a quiet 2013 and has all the ability and talent to push her Salomon teammates all the way and don’t be surprised if she is on the podium at the finish. *not racing 08/10/13

Anna Lupton (inov-8) currently placed 6^th overall will be looking for a strong and consistent performance to consolidate her 2013 season. The podium may just be out of reach but keep an eye on her.

Finally I am going to tip a hat to Brit, Tracy Dean. This will be her first ever Skyrunning race. Tracy is a strong fell runner and has recently represented GB at the world trail championships. I don’t think we will see her up at the front end but it will be interesting to see how she performs.

Other names to watch:

~~Maud Gobert~~ and Tessa Hill.

THE VERTICAL KILOMETER

A race within a race! Our attention splits for the Limone VK, for once, Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg are not in contention for the overall World title. However, they will both most certainly be looking for outright victory in the Limone race. Emelie and Kilian have not placed an emphasis on the VK circuit this year and therefore have not accumulated enough points to qualify, however, when they have raced the VK distance they have performed consistently well. Kilian won in Canazei and placed 2^nd at Mont Blanc, Emelie by contrast was 4^th at Mont Blanc and 2^nd at Canazei; both will be up at the front in Limone.

Urban Zemmer leading at Canazei VK

The men’s race is a who’s who of VK racing with the top seven in the rankings performing. Marco Facchinelli is currently leading with 236-points followed by Ferran Teixido Marti Ventosa 2^nd with 216-points. In 3^rd Joan Freixa Marcelo, 180-points and then the real interest starts, Urban Zemmer, 2012 champion and current VK world record holder is chomping at the bit with 168-points. Interestingly, Marco Facchinelli will need to finish in the top three if he wants to keep the world title, however, should Urban Zemmer win and Facchinelli drop to 4^th, the title could be Zemmer’s. It is going to be an interesting race.

Other names to watch:

Oscar Casal Mir 5^th, Xavier Teixido Marti Ventosa 6th, Marco Moletto 7^{th. And} in addition, Erik Dagsson Haugsness (inov-8) will compete in the VK in addition the SKY race.

Antonella Confortola at Canazei VK

Vanessa Ortega Trancon currently leads the VK series with 236-points closely followed by Alba Xandri Suets on 228-ponts and the 2012 VK champion, Laura Orgue is 3^rd with 188-points. Brit Tessa Hill is 4^th with 156-points and it is all to play for. The addition of Emelie Forsberg and Antonella Confortola will add an interesting element to this race as they are both more than capable of taking the 1^st and 2^nd places, if this happens, 3^rd place and the points awarded will be very important in deciding who will be the 2013 Skyrunner VK World Champion.

An exciting weekend of racing is about to unfold; the VK takes place on Friday and the SKY race Sunday.

LINKS

Follow the action as it unfolds on twitter @talkultra on Facebook HERE and via this website.

Skyrunning HERE

Limone Extreme HERE

Episode 45 – Wyatt, Krar, Forsberg, Kremer

Posted on October 4, 2013 by talkultra

Episode 45 of Talk Ultra and on this weeks show we have a great interview with a legend of Mountain running, Jonathan Wyatt. We speak to man of the moment, Rob Krar who has had an incredible 2013. The news, a blog, up and coming races, Smiles and Miles and this week we have no Speedgoat… however, we do have a Talk Ultra favorite, Stevie Kremer joining us to host the show!

NEWS

UROC

Rob Krar – The North Face – 9:29:00
Dakota Jones – Montrail – 9:32:26
Cameron Clayton – Salomon – 10:06:24
Kilian Jornet – Salomon – 10:19:16 2013 Skyrunner World Ultra Champion
Ryan Ghelfi – Rogue Valley Runners – 10:24:38

Results – Ladies

Emelie Forsberg – Salomon – 12:06:34 2013 Skyrunner World Ultra Champion
Stephanie Howe – The North Face – 12:29:26
Michele Yates – Ultimate Direction – 12:46:24
Francesca Canepa – Vibram/Montura – 12:55:06
Kerrie Bruxvoort – Salomon – 12:23:39

AUDIO with Rob Krar

Skyrunner Ultra World champion Classification 2013

1° Kilian Jornet 292 points

2° Sage Canady 255

3° Cameron Clayton 208

1° Emelie Forsberg 320 points

2° Francesca Canepa 266

3° Stephanie Howe 206

Spartathlon

Joao Oliveira 23:29:08
Florian Reus 25:29:54
Ivan Cudin 25:54:49

Pat Robbins from UK 8^th 27:09:00

Szilvia Lubics 28:03:04
Antje Krause 30:07:15
Heike Bergmann 30:22:03

Cavalls del Vent

Luis Alberto Hernando 10:23:09
Tofol Castanyer 10:25:41
Miguel Heras 10:27:18

Nuria Picas 12:05:44
Uxue Fraile 12:39:18
Laia Andreu trias 14:09

Bear 100 results aren’t up yet but Speedgoat placed 2nd

Cotswold Way Century 100m

Simon Baker 21:11
Nick Weston 21:26
Damian Hall 21:29

Sarah Morwood 21:51
Hayley Stockwell 27:25
Leanne Rive 28:56

BLOGS

Jon Olson 100m record – http://www.irunfar.com/2013/10/jon-olsens-north-american-100-mile-record-report.html

“Records are meant to be broken and I know this mark will be broken in the near future, but to say that I am the fastest American EVER to run 100 miles is so rewarding. However, it doesn’t define me as a runner and certainly not as a person. I often get asked these days, “What is your training like?” and “What do you eat?” And though my training and diet have changed through the years, I think the difference is this: I don’t race in search of something. When I race, it is a celebration of what God has bestowed upon me. He has given me a gift that allows me to do things with running that I never thought possible.”

TALK TRAINING – with Marc Laithwaite

INTERVIEW

This week’s interview is with Jonathan Wyatt. Jono is a legend in mountain running and as you will hear has incredible diversity and speed

MELTZER MOMENT –

SMILESandMILES with Emelie Forsberg – smilesandmiles@yahoo.com

RACES

Canada

Alberta

Iron Horse Ultra 100 Km (CAN) | 100 kilometers | October 05, 2013 | website

Iron Horse Ultra 100 Miles (CAN) | 100 miles | October 05, 2013 | website

Finland

Eastern Finland

Vaarojen Ultramaraton | 84 kilometers | October 05, 2013 | website

France

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Trail Gapen’Cimes Edelweiss | 52 kilometers | October 06, 2013 | website

Nord

100km des Monts des Flandres | 100 kilometers | October 05, 2013 | website

Pas-de-Calais

Grand Trail du Nord | 143 kilometers | October 05, 2013 | website

Italy

Limone Extreme | VK and SKY races

Réunion

Le Grand Raid | 147 kilometers | October 17, 2013 | website

South Africa

Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon | 250 kilometers | October 17, 2013 | website

The Hobbit 100 | 100 kilometers | October 11, 2013 | website

United Kingdom

England

Atlantic Coast 3-Day Challenge | 78 miles | October 04, 2013 | website

“Round Ripon” Ultra Studley Roger | 35 miles | October 05, 2013 | website

The Longmynd Hike | 50 miles | October 05, 2013 | website

Wales

Pembrokeshire Coast Challenge | 78 miles | October 18, 2013 | website

USA

Arkansas

Arkansas Traveller 100 | 100 miles | October 05, 2013 | website

California

Diablo Trail 50K Run | 50 kilometers | October 05, 2013 | website

Colorado

Boulder 100 Endurance Running Race | 100 miles | October 12, 2013 | website

Idaho

Yellowstone-Teton Endurance 50 Miles | 50 miles | October 05, 2013 | website

Kansas

Heartland 100 Mile Race | 100 miles | October 12, 2013 | website

Heartland 50 Mile Race | 50 miles | October 12, 2013 | website

New York

Can Lake 50 K | 50 kilometers | October 12, 2013 | website

Can Lake 50 Mile | 50 miles | October 12, 2013 | website

North Carolina

Triple Lakes Trail 40 Mile Run | 40 miles | October 05, 2013 | website

Pennsylvania

Blues Cruise 50k Trail Ultra | 50 kilometers | October 06, 2013 | website

Oil Creek Trail Runs 100 Miles | 100 miles | October 05, 2013 | website

Oil Creek Trail Runs 50K | 50 kilometers | October 05, 2013 | website

Oil Creek Trail Runs 50 Miles | 50 miles | October 05, 2013 | website

Tennessee

Rock/Creek StumpJump 50K Ultra | 50 kilometers | October 05, 2013 | website

Virginia

GrindStone 100 | 101 miles | October 04, 2013 | website

Washington

Baker Lake 50k | 50 kilometers | October 05, 2013 | website

CLOSE

LINKS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/talkultra/Episode_45_-_Wyatt_Krar_Kremer_Forsberg.mp3

ITunes http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/talk-ultra/id497318073

Libsyn – feed://talkultra.libsyn.com/rss

Website – talkultra.com

Stevie Kremer – Zegama pre race interview

Posted on May 24, 2013 by talkultra

Stevie Kremer – copyright Ian Corless

Stevie Kremer burst onto the European running scene with a stunning second place at Sierre-Zinal in 2012. She followed this with a win at the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships at Interlaken later that year.

Stevie is extremely modest and humble, she says that she shouldn’t really be a World champion… I don’t agree. She has immense talent. She most certainly has the potential to win at Zegama but it is her first big race of the year and her first big race against some serious competition. She may well use this to ease into 2013 and find her feet. Rest assured, once she has found them she will be a force to be reckoned with.