Tag Archives: Luis Alberto Hernando

Everest Trail Race by The Elements Pure Coconut Water #ETR2017 – STAGE 3 JASE BHANJYANG to KHARIKOLA

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Day 3 #ETR2017

After yesterday relentless uphill struggle today, day-3 of the Everest Trail Race was all downhill, well, sort of. Starting in Jase Bhanjyang runners passed through Jumbesi, Phurteng, Salung, Taksindu and then from Jubhing the race finishes with a tough climb to the stunning monastery at Kharikola. At 37.4km in length the total descent is a quad busting 4110m in contrast to 2512m of ascent.

Many thought today would be an easier day, however, for those in the know… although descending may be a little kinder on the lungs, descending 4000m+ on tired legs is no easy task. Especially when the terrain has added technicality and steepness.

Suman Kulung and Luis Alberto Hernando led from the front once again and the stage looked all set for an epic battle. Suman a super-fast descender, has Luis Alberto worried before the start. He knew it was going to be tough. Over the early miles they ran together but eventually the Nepali runner broke the elastic and the Spaniard was left pursuing. Although a gap opened, Luis Alberto did an incredible job of holding Suman and then with a tough and relentless final climb, he closed to reduce his losses and still retain the lead. Suman crossed in 3:47:27 and Luis Alberto 3:55:58.

In third place, Sondre Amdahl and Jordi Gamito run together, Sondre using Jordi’s descending ability as a guide to help him down the trails. On the final climb, they stayed together and crossed the line 1-second apart, Sondre remaining 3rd overall.

Chhechee Sherpa, like her male counterpart has an incredible reputation for running downhill. She put this to great use on day 2 basically opening a gap from the moment the race day started all the way to the line. Despite Ester Alves’ incredible mountain experience, she couldn’t match the Nepali runner, Ester crossed the line in 6:03:36, an incredible 36-minutes slower than Chhechee who crossed in 5:27:27.

Elisabet Barnes is not known for her downhill ability and today it tested her to the max, so much so, it opened the doorway for Rebecca Ferry to take 3rd on the stage in 6:28:19 and Elisabet crossing in 6:40:35. However, Rebecca did start in the 0700 wave when she was listed to start in the 0800 wave, therefore, Elisabet was unaware of Rebecca’s position when running. Elisabet still retained her 3rd overall position and now Chhechee has the overall lead just ahead of Ester by 4-minutes 45-seconds

The trails and route for the ETR from Kharikola to Tyangboche and back to Lukla are now on the main trekking routes and in addition to this it is the main transport route for all supplies. Porters, mules and yaks are like cars on a motorway as they move up and down the trail carrying loads that are often beyond comprehension. It’s amazing to see life unfold and I for one feel very privileged for the opportunity to see it and record it in images and memories.

Results top-3

  1. Suman Kulung 3:47:27
  2. Luis Alberto Hernando 3:55:58
  3. Jordi Gamito/ Sondre Amdahl 4:20:39

 

  1. Chhechee Sherpa 5:27:27
  2. Ester Alves 6:03:36
  3. Rebecca Ferry 6:28:19
  4. Elisabet Barnes 6:40:35

I will attempt to upload image gallery asap

Everest Trail Race by The Elements Pure Coconut Water #ETR2017 – STAGE 2 BHANDAR to JASE BHANJYANG

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Day 2 #ETR2017

Starting in Bhandar runners have the pleasure of running downhill along some twisting and technical trail before crossing a suspension bridge that stretches over Kinja Khola River. What follows is a lung busting and leg-sapping climb to Golla at just over 3000m. A little respite and then climbing starts again firstly to Ngaur and then onward to the highest point of the ETR; Pikey Peak at 4063m. From the summit at Pikey Peak an amazing Himalayan vista awaited but the runners had to work for it… really work for it! Dropping down a tough technical descent for several kilometres, a tough short climb is the sting in the tail to the arrival at Jase Bhanjyang at 3600m.

Day 2 of the Everest Trail Race is the toughest of the race: fact! It’s a brutal exercise in climbing and one that takes place at attitude stretching each and every participant to the limit. However, despite its severity, today, Luis Alberto Hernando dare I say, made it look it easy! He smashed the old course record and in the process set a new time of 3:35.

It’s difficult to comprehend how the Spaniard climbed to Pikey Peak and climbed 2700m in the time that he did. He arrived at the summit in 3:10 and then flew down the final technical descent and climbed to the finish line in 25-minutes – incredible!

It wasn’t all Luis’s day though, in the early stages he was pushed by Sondre Amdahl. The duo traded the lead over the early climbing and Nepali Suman Kulung tried to hold the pace but the other two were too strong.

Eventually Luis made his move and Sondre new that he could not match the pace, but he arrived 2nd at the summit less than 10-minutes behind. Suman arrived 3rd and then used his incredible downhill ability to not only catch Sondre but pass him, finished 2nd and Sondre was 3rd. Jordi Gamito once again placed 4th, he is running a strong race but just doesn’t have the pace or the form of the top-3.

In the ladies’ race. Ester Alves used her mountain experience and climbing to forge ahead but the Portuguese lady didn’t open up the possible huge gap many had expected. At the Pikey Peak summit, she had only a handful of minutes over Elisabet Barnes. Elisabet the two time MDS champ is not known for her mountain ability but in 2017 she has honed her skills and in particular, she has trained a great deal at altitude.

On the technical descent, Ester extended her lead, her technical running ability is still better than Elisabet’s but the gap is closing. Post-race, Elisabet said, ‘I am really happy with my race, I climbed really well, handled the altitude and after 3400m I was really strong, the training paid off!’

Chhechhee Sherpa was the 3rd lady and I guess somewhat surprisingly couldn’t match Ester and Elisabet on the climb – unusual for a Nepal native. However, she ran a strong race for 3rd with the UK’s Becks Ferry placing 4th.

It was a tough day with many runners coming close to the cut-off time. Eight runners were forced to take the short cut route and avoid Pikey Peak and as the day comes to a close, it looks like we may have one runner who will not make the cut-off.

Results top-3

  1. Luis Alberto Hernando 3:35:14
  2. Suman Kulung 3:49:25
  3. Sondre Amdahl 3:53:04

 

  1. Ester Alves 5:21:07
  2. Elisabet Barnes 5:33:57
  3. Chhechhee Sherpa 5:41:48

 

Day 3 Jase Bhanjyang – Karikola

A brutal day that is a stark opposite to day-2, at 37.4km it has more descending (4110m) than ascending (2512m).

Starting in Jase Bhanjyang runners will pass through Jumbesi, Phurteng, Salung, Taksindu and then from Jubhing the race finishes with a tough climb to the stunning monastery at Kharikola.

Everest Trail Race by The Elements Pure Coconut Water #ETR2017 – STAGE 1 JIRI to BHANDAR

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Day 1 #ETR2017

The Everest Trail Race started today at the stroke of 0900 in the small Nepalese town of Jiri.

Low mist but a relatively mild night afforded everyone a comfortable night’s rest. A local group of musicians, as per usual providing a local soundtrack to the start of the first day. It was one full of anticipation and nerves,

Stage-1 for the ETR doesn’t reach the high mountains or break the tree line, but ha almost 200m of vertical gain and loss in just over 20km.

Luis Alberto Hernando set the early pace but was soon joined by fellow Nepalese, Suman Kulung. The two seemed to work together throughout the stage but Sondre Amdahl, as expected but up a battle. Luis Alberto stretched the elastic though and pulled away from the Nepalese runner finishing in an incredible 2:17:41 – a course record for day 1. Suman held a good pace despite the chase from the Norwegian and they crossed 2:19:56 and 2:21:20 respectively.

For the ladies’ race, Brit Rebecca Ferry was leading the race but unfortunately took a wrong turn and lost all the time she had gained, it was a real frustration for as she was running so strong – she eventually finished out of the top-3. Pre-race favourite, Ester Alves from Portugal took over the front of the race and took a convincing win in 3:22:22 ahead of Neplaese runner Chhechee Sherpa in 3:33:05. Elisabet Barnes, also took a wrong turn but re-traced and got back on route to finish 3rd in 3:36:25.

It’s only day-1 and a very tough stage lies ahead tomorrow with some tough climbing to the highest point of the race. The top-3 runners in both the ladies and men’s fields are only separated by 30-miutes so a tough day of running lies ahead.

Everest Trail Race by The Elements Pure Coconut Water #ETR2017 – Travel to JIRI

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Four 16-seater mini buses departed Kathmandu for the 8-hour drive to Jiri and camp one of the 2017 Everest Trail Race. The distance is only 200km but the roads are very slowly and often only wide enough for one vehicle. It can be a rollercoaster ride of twisting left-to-right and up and down, all with a constant soundtrack of car horns.

There is a lack of road rules, which actually makes the journey very safe as drivers are constantly expecting the unexpected.

Taking regular breaks, a prolonged 30-minute break came at two-thirds through the journey and picnic stop next to the river that flows through the impressive valley through which we travel.

Along the road, small refreshment stops appear with locals selling wares from small carts; anything from a vegetarian rice meal to crisps, chocolate and even Red Bull! As is normal in Nepal, the locals are always friendly – they beam with laughter and smiles.

Back on the bus the ride continues for 3 more hours and finally our arrival at Jiri came. The glow of yellow tents was a warm welcome as the day began to lose its light.

Arriving in camp, water and tents were allocated to the runners. These tents are home for the next 6-days as we all make our way towards Everest. Runners settled in and made final preparations as the reality hits home that tomorrow, the 2017 Everest Trail Race starts. The heat of Kathmandu soon disappeared with the arrival of darkness and t-shirts were replaced with down jackets.

Day 1 commences at 0900 Thursday 9th November.

Jiri (1850m) to Bhandar (2050m) – 21.5km 3795m+/-

The stage has two summits, one at 2400m and the high point of the day at Deurali Pass 2700m before descending to the finish at Bhandar.

 

Everest Trail Race by The Elements Pure Coconut Water #ETR2017 – Arrival Kathmandu

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Long-haul flights, red-eye and a journey through the night saw the 2017 ETR runners arrive in Istanbul, Turkey in the early hours of Monday 6th November. But the journey wasn’t over, departing at 0200 an onward flight of 7-hours to Kathmandu waited.

It was midday when everyone arrived in Nepal and visa and immigration went relatively smoothly, it is often a tiresome process! But the noise, colour and sounds of Kathmandu soon impacted on everyone as two small buses fought through the chaos to Hotel Shanker.

aA quiet oasis soon provided some tranquility and an opportunity for the runners to be officially welcomed  and taken through a simple briefing ahead of tomorrow’s equipment checks and official race registration and number collection.

Eager to explore on foot, most dropped bags, freshened up and were soon meandering around the streets of Thamel, a commercial neighbourhood in Kathmandu, that has been the centre of the tourist industry for over four decades.

Tomorrow, two excursions are planned. One exploring the Monkey Temple and the other an opportunity to walk around historical Patan.

Excursions are followed by the official proceedings of equipment checks, bag drop and number collection.

Day 1 of the Everest Trail Race inches closer.

RUN the RUT Sky Ultra 50km 2017 Summary and Images – Migu Run Skyrunner World Series

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An incredible weekend of Skyrunning concluded at the RUT 50km in Montana today and Luis Alberto Hernando and Ragna Debats were crowned champions.

The RUT, part of the Migu Run Skyrunner World Series took place in the resort of Big Sky, Montana. One of the key races in the 2017 World Series and the only race in the USA along with it’s shorter 28km Sky Race.

The 0600 start was mild in comparison to others years and a 500m climb kicked off the race making sure everyone was going to get warm pretty quickly. The first 45-minutes were undertaken in darkness and then a most incredible sunrise welcomed a new day.

Covering 50km (31 miles) the race has 3040m of vertical gain and loss and there are sections of this course, including the ascent and traverse of Headwaters ridge, as well as the ascent and descent of Lone Peak, which are extremely steep and technical. This is a true mountain course!

To many a Skyrunner, that is a calling card for a full-on, adrenaline packed mountain running adventure. Containing 60% single-track, 25% dirt road and 15% off-trail, the RUT really did provide a spectacular race.

What transpired was a stunning day of racing. Luis Alberto Hernando from Spain was head and shoulders above the competition running early on with Scott Patterson from Alaska but after the traverse of Headwaters Ridge he put the hammer down and left the completion fighting for 2nd. On the climb to Lone Peak, Hernando pushed and pushed, occasionally stopping to look to see how much gap he was opening up, by the summit it was over 10-minutes.

Patterson followed looking consistently strong ahead of a fragmented chasing group – the course, altitude and heat was really having an impact! So much so that the Alaskan faltered and a strong Morgan Elliott moved up from 4th after Lone Peak summit and into 2nd. He held this place all the way to the line crossing in 5:24 to Hernando’s 5:10.

Patterson somehow held on for 3rd but at the line he was shell of his former self. Dehydration took its toll and as he approached the line his legs gave way resulting in him crawling across the line to round out the podium in 5:33.

In the ladies, Ragna Debats followed on her incredible form to take a strong victory. She looked calm and relaxed throughout the day and post race she acknowledged how much she had loved the race, “It was an incredible day, I was looking around and relaxing but I was a little complacent. At the summit of Lone Peak I was caught by the 2nd lady and I had to put the hammer down to win the race.” Not only did she win but in the process set a new course record 6:13.

Continuing to show incredible promise, Brittany Peterson followed Debats all the way to the line. She had looked strong throughout the day, at the finish she looked as though she had energy to spare. Her time 6:18 allowing her a 20-minute margin over Kristina Pattison who placed 3rd in 6:42

  1. Ragna Debats (NED) 6:13
  2. Brittany Peterson (USA) 6:18
  3. Kristina Pattison (USA) 6:42
  4. Anna Dalton (USA) 6:43
  5. Phoebe Novello (USA) 7:42

 

  1. Luis Alberto Hernando (ESP) 5:10’
  2. Morgan Elliott (USA) 5:24’
  3. Scott Patterson (USA) 5:33’
  4. Pere Aurell Bove (ESP) 5:39’
  5. Chad Trammell (USA) 5:43’

RUN the RUT 2017 Race Preview

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3-days, 3 races and 3 incredible experiences, Big Sky Montana hosts the Run the Rut weekend of racing. If ever a race weekend existed that should combine with a holiday experience, this is it, Big sky is located between the idyllic town of Bozeman and the iconic Yellowstone Park.

The isolated Lone Peak mountain provides a stunning backdrop for the Run the Rut races of VK, Sky and Ultra with all races climbing to its summit via technical ridge and difficult climb.

Utilizing what would be ski runs in winter, it’s easy to understand why the Rut has gained a reputation for providing a tough and technical test even for the most experienced runner.

The VK is the next race in the new VK World Circuit and this race takes place on Friday September 1st. The Sky Classic and Ultra continue the 2017 Migu Run Skyrunner World Series taking place on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd respectively.

The Rut races have become flagship races in the USA. And are the only US based races in the 2017 Migu Run Skyrunner World Series. This is primarily due to the technical nature of the trails. You see, access to open land and mountains is not the same as in Europe. Strict land management is in place and ‘off-trail’ races just don’t exist. The Rut have managed to work around this by using the Big Sky resort which does not have to comply with land permission issues.

Vertical K

The VK kicks off the action from the Big Sky Resort up to the summit of Lone Peak at an altitude just short of 3000m gaining 3,632 feet in just over three miles.

SkyRace

The SkyRace is the most pleasing race of the Rut weekend as the proportion of vertical gain and technical running all blend together in the most logical and pleasing course.

The men’s race has all the makings of a classic with some serious competition coming from Aritz Egea who is looking for 2017 SWS victory – he raced last weekend in Switzerland and will be tried.

But Jan Margarit is a man on form with victories at the Dolomites SkyRace and Comapedrosa, for me, he is the odds on favourite for victory! Remi Bonnet has won in the USA in past years and is the likely contender to give Margarit a tough run. However, Pascal Egli is having great year and he will no doubt be one to watch.

Eugeni Gil Ocana is on fire in 2017 and if he is not too tired after placing 2nd at Matterhorn Ultraks, he is a likely podium placed finisher. Expect strong competition to come from Julien Martinez, Oscar and Marc Casal Mir, Sintu Vives, Marc De Leon, Eduard Hernandez, Pere Rullan and Dai Matsumoto.

Laura Orgue is the hot favourite in the ladies’ race having raced well multiple times in 2017 – victory at Dolomites SkyRace and 2nd place in Comapedrossa. Hillary Gerardi has been a revelation in 2017 with a string of strong and consistent performances. Addie Bracy, Glykeria Tziatzia and Jennifer Asp (still not sure if she will run the Sky or Ultra) are also podium contenders.

SkyUltra 50km

The long course gains over 3000m of elevation and as with all the other races visits the summit of Lone Peak.

The men’s race is an interesting one with Luis Alberto Hernando missing UTMB to run here in the USA and gain valuable points for the SWS. Competition for the Spaniard will no doubt come from Italian Franco Colle who has excelled on this course in the past editions.

BREAKING NEWS (31st August)

I have also had conformation that Timothy Olson and Seth Swanson will also toe the line here at the RUT making the fight for the 50km very competitive. Olson is back to his old days with some great form as of late, he placed 10th at Transgrancanaria, 4th at Power of Four and he won Penyagolosa in Spain.

Equally, Swanson is back on a roll with 4th at San Fran 50 in December 2016, 6th at Hong Kong Ultra 100km early 2017 and 2nd at Lavaredo recently.

Matt Shyrock returns after success in the 2015 racenand a recent run at Tromso SkyRace. Pere Aurell Bove is having a great year but just last weekend raced in Switzerland at Matterhorn Ultraks – he will be tired! Australia’s Caine Warburton will be a contender for the podium as will Johan Lanz from Sweden, Russia’s Dmirtry Mityaev, Czech Republic’s Robert Krupicka and the Portugal’s Andre Rodriguez. Peru’s Remigio Huaman always runs strong and he along with Kiril Nikolov from Bulgaria round off the main protagonists for the podium.

The ladies’ race is headed up by Ragna Debats who won last weekend’s Matterhorn Ultraks. Ragna is on a roll at the moment and in great form but two 50km races in 7 days and a long-haul flight will no doubt take its toll.

 

Strong competition will come from Michelle Maier, Ekaterina Mityaeva, Kristina Pattison and Jennifer Asp.

*****

Race summaries and images will be posted on this website after each race.

Images at iancorless.photoshelter.com

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Luis Alberto Hernando and Elisabet Barnes head to Nepal – Everest Trail Race #ETR 2017

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IAU World Trail Champion and Skyrunning European Champion Luis Alberto Hernando has confirmed he will join the 2017 Marathon des Sables Champion Elisabet Barnes on the start line of the 2017 Everest Trail Race.

Luis Alberto is not new to the ETR (Everest Trail Race), he participated in 2013. After winning the first stage he was unfortunately reduced to a walk but went on to complete the whole race and in the process, he had an incredible experience soaking in the best of what the Himalayas and Nepal must offer. he needs no introduction to the mountain running world, Luis Alberto is the best! His race results, experiences and friendly nature have made the Spaniard one of the most admired and respected runners in the world.

His recent victory at High Trail Vanoise crowned him the Skyrunning European Champion and in the coming weeks he is preparing for the UTMB. Nepal has an impact on a person – the people, the landscape, the scenery, the trails – it really is a magical place and Luis Alberto is obviously keen to return in November to race after his 2013 experience.

Two-time Marathon des Sables Champion Elisabet Barnes is certainly tipping her toe into new experiences and new challenges in 2017. A specialist in multi-day running, the ETR format will suit her.

However, mountains, elevation and technical terrain are all part of a new learning process. In 2017, Elisabet will test her ability at altitude and challenging terrain at Transrockies in the USA. This will be followed with a shorter multi-day race in a colder climate. The two races no doubt providing an excellent base for the 160km journey from Jiri back to Lukla via Tyengboche in November.

Tracing the footsteps of Sir Edmund Hilary, the ETR is wonderful mountain experience that all abilities can embrace. It’s tough for sure – elevation gain, technical terrain and variable temperatures bring a unique challenge. Add to this self-sufficiency (runners must carry all they need for the week but food and a tent is provided) and the race becomes so much more than about wining and times; it’s a journey for the mind and the body. First time participants are changed when they experience Nepal and the Himalayas on foot. The 2017 edition of the race will be no different. Iconic mountains such as Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Tamseku, and Makalu amongst others provide the most stunning backdrop to the race.

Excellent organization and a small field make the ETR one of ‘THE’ bucket list races in the world. Images tell the story and you can view galleries and read reports from the 2016 edition using the links provided.

2016 Image Gallery HERE

You can also read daily accounts of the 2016 edition

Day 1 HERE

Day 2 HERE

Day 3 HERE

Day 4 HERE

Day 5 HERE

Day 6 HERE

For more information and global entries go to www.eversttrailrace.com

and UK entries to www.everesttrailrace.co.uk

 

High Trail Vanoise 2017 Summary and Images – 2017 Migu Run Skyrunner® World Series

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The Migu Run Skyrunner® World Series continued at a pace today with the High Trail Vanoise – 70km in length and 5400m of vertical gain.

Starting and concluding at the iconic ski resort of Val d’Isere, this race marks back to the early days of Skyrunning mixing fast trails, technical trails, snow, ice and altitude. The course has many key features with highlight coming at Grande Motte (3500m) and then a rollercoaster of climbs and descents that finally culminates with Aiguille Pers (2800m) before dropping down to the Col I’seran before the final push to the line.

Departing under darkness at 0400, it was very apparent that a warm and hot day lay ahead. The early hours were always chilly ones, especially as the runners climbed from the start to Grande Motte at 3500m+ in the first 17.5km. In the early stages, a small group of runners pushed the pace lead by Luis Alberto Hernando, Dimitry Mityaev and Aurelien Dunand Pallaz – the trio arrived at the summit with just 90-seconds between them. In the ladies race, Megan Kimmel arrived first and Ragna Debats followed just 4-minutes later with Mimmi Kotka another 1-minute back. It was all too close to call!

From the summit of Grande Motte, the arrival of sunlight facilitated the long fast descent past Lac de Tignes all the way to La Daille at approximately 34km. By now the runners were spread out all over the course but the front of the race saw Hernando, Dunand Pallaz and Mityaev arrive together and it stayed that way up the steep climb.  Megan Kimmel had a 2-minute slender lead over Debats who looked strong and fight for 3rd was between Kotka and the USA’s Hillary Allen.

A 4km climb to Lac Sassier was followed with a rollercoaster descent to Le Fornet at 46km, Hernando had opened up a 2-minute gap on Dunand Pallaz and Mityaev was 11-minutes back. Kimmel also opened the gap over Debats – would 7-minutes be enough?

Now the action was really unfolding and arguably, the next section of the course from Le Fornet to Aiguille Pers via Tete Cema was going to be instrumental as this section climbed for 10km with an altitude gain of 1400m +/-.

From the summit a fast descent to the iconic Col I’seran was followed by a short climb with technical sections before passing through a tunnel through the mountains which was followed by a fast drop to the line and finish in Val d’Isere.

Hernando here put the hammer down and slowly but surely stretched the elastic and took a strong victory in 8:17:05 smashing the old course record. Dunand Pallaz followed in 8:31:04 and Mityaev sealed the last podium place in 8:43:10.

Kimmel’s victory never looked in doubt in the final stages and her 9:46:05 to Debats 9:52:10 showed how close the ladies race was. The battle for 3rd was also close with Kotka and Allen both struggling with fatigue in the latter stages – Kotka held on with 10:30:21 to Allen’s 10:33:52.

Notably, the High Trail Vanoise was the Skyrunning European Championships and Luis Albert Hernad and Ragna Debats were crowned 2017 Champions.

Full results HERE

Attention now turns to Italy to the Gran Paradiso race, the first ‘extreme’ race in the 2017 Migu Run Skyrunner® World Series.

All images ©iancorless.com

 

 

High Trail Vanoise Preview – 2017 Migu Run Skyrunner® World Series

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The 2017 Migu Run Skyrunner World Series arrives in Val d’Isere, France this wwekens for the High Trail Vanoise and the Face de Bellevarde VK (VK World Circuit) kicks off the action at 1600 on Friday when runners will climb this classic downhill ski route all the way to the summit.

Skyrunning legend Marco De Gasperi, held the record of 34:51 set on this course many years ago last year Xavier Gachet broke it! This year, Nejc Kuhar will be looking to set a new benchmark along with Marco Moletto. The young runner won’t have it all his own way though, Ferran Teixido, current leader in the SWS rankings will be looking for a strong performance and the ever-present Hannes Perkmann, William Bon Mardion and Marc Faccinhelli will push all the way to the summit.

For the ladies, Francesca Rossi ultimately may be the one to beat! Ekaterina Mityaev and Stephanie Jimenez will be putting on a hard-fought battle along with Corinne Favre and Jennifer Fiechter, but can they beat Laura Orgue’s time of 40:52?

High Trail Vanoise is the main event of the weekend – Ice, snow, glaciers, high altitude, the High Trail Vanoise course has it all. Crossing the iconic Col D’Iseran at 2764m is merely just a taster, at 67km in length, runners will climb and descend many 1000’s of meters with a total vertical gain of 5400m – the high point of the course is the impressive Grande Motte at 3653m.

Luis Alberto Hernando heads up the men’s field, he recently became IAU World Trail Running champion for a 2nd year in a row – Luis has excelled in Val d’Isere in recent years and he is without doubt the one to beat!

Nicolas Martin won the race last-year and apparently, HTV is a priority race for 2017. It’s going to be interesting to see Luis and Nicolas go head-to-head, a little like a few years ago when Francois d’Haene and Luis raced each other – that day Francois won.

Aurelien Dunand-Pallaz recently lead the Ultra Skymarathon Madeira but was pipped to the line by Skyrunner Extreme Champion Jon Albon, we can expect Aurelien to figure at the front of the race along with 3rd place at USM, Dmitry Mityaev who is having a strong year in the world series, he also knows HTV well having podium last year.

Remigio Huaman, Andre Jonsson, Daniel Garcia Gomez, Jan Bartas, Nuno Silva and Scott Hawker head up the competition for the front of the race but it’s a stacked field and we can’t rule any of the runners below making an impression on what is a very tough race – patience pays dividends!

Xavier Teixido, Alexey Kurochkin, Artem Rostovstev, Clement Ripoll, Marc Puig, Francesc Sole Duocastella, Lars Olaf Haaheim and Nicola Alfieri.

Megan Kimmel fresh from victory in Chamonix will be looking to for maximum points in France, her form is great now, she recently beat Transvulcania champion Ida Nilsson by over 10-minutes! Local French lady Anne-Lise Rousset may well have other thoughts though, she won the race last year with a dominant performance and she knows this course well – it will be a tough race! Travelling from the USA, Kristina Pattison will be looking to repeat her performance from last year and hopefully better it.

Ekaterina Mityaeva is moving un from the ‘classic’ distance in 2017 and has already showed some great results, particularly at USM recently. HTV will be a tough challenge but the podium is there for the taking. Nuria Dominguez, Manikala Rai, Eva Maria Moreda and Ildiko Wermescher are all names to watch.

But the greatest threat for the podium will come from Ragna Debats who recently won with a new CR in Greece, Francesca Canepa who took victory at the tough Scenic 113k, the USA’s Hillary Allen who won USM and Gemma Arenas who was the world series champion in 2016 – it’s going to be quite a battle!