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Tom Owens -is the SKY the limit?
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Tag Archives: Marathon
2014 SKYRUNNING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
A recipe for success – the world’s top athletes, a dream location, three challenging events.
Two important firsts are announced by the International Skyrunning Federation today: the 2014 Skyrunning World Championships will include the ultra distance for the first time and Chamonix, the most iconic outdoor sports arena, will host the events at the end of June, 2014.
January 30, 2013
Chamonix, France, offering the most famous and spectacular mountain panorama, will stage the second Skryunning World Championships at the end of June, 2014.
Three distances will be disputed:
– The short, steep Vertical KM – 1,000 metres skywards – by night. A timed race, it will test your VO2 max to the limit.
– The Mont-Blanc Marathon – the 42 km course starts in Chamonix and finishes at 2,016m altitude, gathering 2,511m elevation gain and 1,490m on the downhill, this beautiful trail offers some of the best scenery of the Mont Blanc massif.
– The Mont-Blanc 80KM – an exclusive, new course to be inaugurated this year, it features a challenging 6,000 metres of vertical climb along ridges, over snow fields, crossing into Swiss territory and traversing glaciers in a point to point loop from the town of Chamonix.
The races are open to both individuals and teams. Individual World titles are at stake in each discipline as well as a combined title, based on the best results of two out of three races. Countries will be ranked according to the best results of three men and one woman in all three disciplines.
Held every four years, the Championships represent the second edition since the inauguration of the ISF in 2008 and the first time that the ultra distance is included.
In occasion of the first Skyrunning World Championships in 2010, winners of the individual titles were Urban Zemmer (Italy) and Laetitia Roux (France) for the Vertical Kilometer®; Kilian Jornet (Spain) and Laetitia Roux (France) for the SkyMarathon®, and the combined titles went to Nicola Golinelli (Italy) and Laetitia Roux (France). The country ranking was headed by Italy, followed by Spain and France for a total of 13 nations.
The bid for the 2014 Skyrunning World Championships has been awarded to the experienced and highly competent local organiser, the Club des Sport Chamonix, which manages year-round major international sports events.
Marino Giacometti, ISF President, commented: “We’re proud to present the World Championships in Chamonix and, with the support of the Club des Sport, we’re confident the events will be a perfect showcase for skyrunning and draw the best in the world for some intense competition.”
In 2013, the Vertical KM and the Mont-Blanc Marathon will feature on the Skyrunner® World Series calendar for the first time, an occasion to gather the world’s top athletes and thousands of participants for a preview of what is to come in 2014 – a competition to set your heart racing – starting right now!
Programme, race and entry details will be published at a later date. In the meantime see here for details of the 2013 events. Subscribe to our newsletter for all the news and follow us on twitter and Facebook for updates.
Skyrunning website HERE
OMM – new program 2013
The originators of the two day mountain marathon have announced an expanded program of events for 2013 offering opportunities for adventure to rival any experience.
OMM began the discipline of mountain marathon as the KIMM way back in 1968. Over the years little has changed about the core event and the challenge it represents. Pairs pit their fitness and navigation skills against the course, other competitors and the elements to race across the wild areas of the UK over two days whilst being self sufficient.
The core event continues to be the largest of its type in existence and will again take place in the final weekend in October in Wales. Stu Hamilton, Events Director, said, “This time of year helps set the character of the event. No matter where we are you just don’t know what the conditions may bring. The teams therefore have to be ready for anything.”
In order to appeal to the rapidly growing community of up and coming adventurers and those who find road races, triathlons, ironmen etc yesterdays news OMM have launched a number of supporting events in the UK as well as a couple of truly inspirational international events.
- OMM Iceland 25th – 26th May, The Blue Lagoon, Reyjavik. Entries open
- OMM France 17th – 18th August, Jura Mountains. Entries open
- Extrem Maraton – Denmark. 25th – 26th May. Entries open.
2013 sees the arrival of OMM Lite and OMM Bike in the Peak District on the weekend 18th May,
In order to protect the environment and the experience for the competitors the places are unfortunately limited. Entries for all events will be open by 31st Jan. If you are up for the challenge then go to the website www.theomm.com.
Spartathlon Preview
Twenty fours hours ago I sat down to write just a brief preview of two other races that would be taking place this weekend for those who may not be following Cavalls del Vent (not sure why that would happen). Firstly, Spartathlon.
Spartathlon is due to start as I write this, 0700 Friday. I guess ‘the race’ that got us all running! It is iconic in the ultra world for many reasons. The distance at 153 miles needs no explanation… it’s a long way. Taking place pretty much all on uninspiring road they throw in a tough mountain at around the 100 mile mark just to mess you up a little more oh and then they have cut off times throughout the race that you must achieve if you want to keep going.
2012 represents the races 30th birthday of the race that is conducted in the footsteps of Pheidippides, the ancient Athenian runner. Pheidippides was sent to Sparta in 490 BC, before the battle of Marathon, to ask for help in the war led by the Greeks against the Persians. According to Herodotus, Pheidippides arrived in Sparta the day after his departure from Athens.
The race has iconic winners and I guess the most notable are Yiannis Kouros who still has the record of 20:25 and Scott Jurek who won the race three times.
Just over 350 will take part this year and they represent over 30 countries. Greece always has plenty of participants but the race is also iconic within Japan. Many of the contenders such as , Noto Kimi winner in 04/05, Akiko Sakamoto winner in 07 and then 4 years earlier in 03, Sumie Inagaki who won in 09 and finally Hiroko Okiyama who I guess is an outsider as she won the race some 12 years ago in 2000. Last years winner though, Szilvia Lubics from Hungary is returning. Notable 2012 entrant is Lizzy Hawker, I spoke to Lizzy several times in recent weeks and months and she is fired up for this iconic race. Her prep was going to be UTMB and then come to Spartathlon, but with UTMB being shortened (she won again) she decided to squeeze in the gap a 100 mile race (as you do) the Run Rabbit Run (which she won). Anybody else and you would think 100 miler just a few weeks before Spartathlon; crazy! But we are talking about Lizzy! Her main issue is a fall she took early in RRR in which she banged her knee seriously. Just a few days ago she sent me a message and I quote:
“Hi Ian, thanks so so much for your good wishes for Spartathlon!!!! I’m really grateful …. need a little bit of magic out there 🙂 knee improves every day, but will it be good enough? & the head & heart?!! enjoy Cavals, I’ll be thinking of you all there :). best, Lizzy”
Lizzy at 2012 UTMB
If Lizzy has a ‘Lizzy’ day then she will be incredible. No doubt. Her 100k and 24hr times are prove enough of what she can do. Another UK entrant, Claire Shelley may well figure well. She has won the Grand Union Canal race in the UK which is 145 miles running up and down the Canal systems of the Midlands (I still don’t understand why?)
The mens race will be a battle. I just wish Mike Morton was toeing the line… after his Badwater performance and his 24 hour record I would love to see what he could do here.
Ivan Cudin from Italy, returns to defend his title but notably Valmir Nunes from Brazil, winner in 01 returns. Valmir holds the CR at Badwater which Morton missed by 75 seconds in the 2012 edition. Markus Thalmann from Austria won in 03 and had great races in 04 and 05.
My money is on Cudin and Hawker… and you?
You can follow the race live HERE
The 2012 program is available as a PDF HERE
Ultra Trail 26 – Montane
We are excited to announce the Montane UltraTrail26 series coming soon to a venue near you. Dates are November 18th 2012, with events to follow March 24th 2013 and May 26th 2013 and the series will take place across the North of England. The 26 mile trail events are designed to provide the perfect opportunity for runners to step up to longer trail distance events and provide great training opportunities for the Montane Lakeland 50 and 100 mile events.
Grizedale
The opening event of the UltraTrail26 series takes place from Grizedale Forest Visitor Centre, close to Hawkshead in the Lake District. Grizedale is a popular location for both trail runners and mountain bikers, due to the varied trails and great scenery throughout the forest.
The route will largely take place on forest trails with some minor sections of road to link the trails together. It offers great views of both Coniston Water and Lake Windermere. If you think the route will be flat.. think again. Grizedale Forest and surrounding areas provide challenging hills and rolling trails throughout the route. This course is a great opener.
Rivington
Event 2 of the UltraTrail26 series moves to Rivington, Lancashire. The event starts and finishes at Rivington High School and takes place on a variety of track and trails. The Lancashire moorland includes landmarks such as Great Hill, Rivington Pike and Darwen Tower and offers a variety of terrain and scenery.
Rivington is perhaps one of the less visited trail running areas in the North West, which is why, for event number 2, we chose to move away from Cumbria. The course is challenging, includes some hard climbing and moorland can be boggy underfoot. It’ll certainly be one to remember.
Howgills
The final event of the UltraTrail26 series takes place in the Howgills, which are ‘just about’ on the Yorkshire side of the Yorkshire and Cumbria Border. The event starts and finishes at Sedbergh School, in the town of Sedbergh, gateway to the Howgills.
The Howgills offer amazing running terrain and are infrequently visited by tourists. The fact that the Howgills are a collection of large, grassy hills, make all the climbs runnable. The fact that many of the climbs are steep and persistent, outweigh the grassy surface underfoot. The views are stunning and the trail running even better. This is a great way to end the series.
IAN CORLESS 