Sierre-Zinal 2014 – Pre race images

Posted on August 9, 2014 by talkultra

Sierre-Zinal is also known as the “Course des cinq 4000” for the five classic 4,000m peaks, including the Matterhorn, which are above the route. The stunning scenery of Switzerland’s Valais Alps makes for beautiful surroundings and a very demanding course in a race that attracts a top-class international field.

The course is in two distinct sections. The first half, from Sierre to Chandolin, is a seemingly endless, steep climb through forest and alpine meadow, ascending 1500m in just over 10km. The gradient only shallows on the approach to Chandolin, and the next section is faster and much more runnable, over fire roads and along narrow tracks through rocky areas. Nava is the race high point at 2,425m and from then on for around the final 7km, the course is mostly downhill over rocky paths to finish with a steep descent into Zinal – a perfect last section for those who like descending.

Anna Pichrtova is the women’s course record holder and she says, ‘I love the path from Nava to the finish very much, fantastic views and quite fast running, because I love steep downhill, I really enjoy the last 3km on twisty wooded technical trails. The finish is exciting because so many people warmly welcome you as a hero.’

New Zealand and world champion Jonathan Wyatt is the course record holder, and the winner’s roll reads like a who’s-who of mountain running: Ricardo Mejía, Marco De Gasperi, Kílian Jornet, Billy Burns, Angéline Joly, Angela Mudge and Véronique Marot.

Local people support the race enthusiastically: spectators cheer runners on along the route and especially at the end where the entire village seems to turn out to welcome finishers. There is also a walkers’ class which starts in darkness at 5am, four hours before the main race.

READ THE 2014 RACE PREVIEW HERE

Copy (c) Ultimate Running Races

Photos (c) iancorless.com

The Rise of Stephan Hugenschmidt

Posted on May 16, 2014 by talkultra

Transvulcania La Palma, the inaugural Skyrunning event of the 2014 Skyrunner® World Series. It was always going to be a stacked field, so stacked that predicting a winner required an element of guesswork, faith, hope and some good old ultra thinking. It was no surprise to see Kilian Jornet duke it out with Luis Alberto Hernando and true to form, as in 2013, Sage Canaday repeated his 3rd place on the podium. However, who could have predicted the rise of Stephan Hugenschmidt?

Stephan should have been on my radar after his 8th place at the 2013 Skyrunning Matterhorn Ultraks, however, he slipped through. In retrospect it was a huge mistake! His Transvulcania 2014 performance has elevated him to a new level and he is now on the ‘one-to-watch’ list. No longer will he slip through the radar…

Stephan’s 2013 results

March – Trail du Petit Ballon : 3rd
July – Salomon 4-Trails : 2nd
July – Swiss Alpine Marathon : 3rd
August – Matterhorn Ultraks : 8th
September – Sardona Ultra Trail : 2nd
October – Ultra Trail del L’Argo Orta : 1st

Post Transvulcania, friend of Ta;lk Ultra and iancorless.com, Hendrik Auf’mkolk interviewed Stephan and kindly shared for all our benefit.

Dancing on a Volcano by ©Hendrik Auf’mkolk

At Transvulcania this past weekend, Stephan Hugenschmidt ran to the top of the trail running world with a sensational 5th place showing. For insiders, this does not come as much of a surprise, however. The 27-year old German who lives and works in Switzerland already made his mark on the scene last year with top results at Swissalpine (3rd), Matterhorn-Ultraks (8th) and Sardona-Ultratrail (1st), among others. Salomon Germany picked him up for the 2014 season and during the team’s spring training camp he impressed his team mates with sparkling form. In the following interview, Stephan tells us how he got into the sport, why Transvulcania is only a snapshot, and what is next.

Stephan, congratulations on your fantastic race at Transvulcania! You definitely won’t be flying under the radar anymore in the future. Has it sunken in yet ?

Well, the response after Transvulcania was huge and I’m really happy for all the congratulations. But things will calm down in a few days. What remains are all the unforgettable impressions of the race and its unique landscape. But the cards will be reshuffled for the next race and then it does not really matter how I did at Transvulcania.

You ran a very constant, clever pace. How did you feel out there on the course? How did you witness the race play out?

As I always do in ultras I tried to listen to my body and find my rhythm. I did not let myself be deterred by the usual early speed of the other runners. And then there were all those spectacular views , the completely different terrain and the crazy spectators – things like that really motivate and help me get through the lows. The fact that I was able to consistently pass some of the international top stars, that surely inspired me as well…

As you said, the terrain and the climate on La Palma are very different from anything here in continental Europe. How did you prepare for the race?

By training in foul mid-european weather (laughs). The one-week training camp in Croatia in April with the Salomon Germany team definitely helped. But not in terms of heat-resistance. While we were there the cold and uncomfortable Bora winds were sweeping across Croatia.

You already turned heads with a string of top results last year. How did you get into the sport? What fascinates you about trailrunning?

I would say I am a very passionate runner and I love being in the mountains. As a child I only spent a few weekends a year in the mountains – mostly with my dad. He passed his passion for running and the mountains on to me. Every now and then I would toe the line for a classic mountain run, but I never really felt comfortable with these all-out mountain sprints. Too short and somehow incomplete… I want to run in the mountains and over the mountains, not just up a mountain. I know trail running does not necessarily have to be in the mountains, but for me the two belong together.

What draws me to the sport is being out there running through the most beautiful landscapes. That’s so much better than running through the street canyons of a big city, isn’t it? Also, I am fascinated by the fact that besides a strong physical condition, you need a good technique.

How does your typical training week look like?

Most of my training happens on the weekends. I live in Uzwil, where it’s hilly, but not enough so for serious mountain running. So on the weekends I make the one-hour drive to the mountains as often as possible, mostly to the St. Gallen Rheintal region. That’s an ideal starting point, because you start very low (ca. 450 m above sea level) and can easily do 1.500 m of vertical at a stretch. My training runs in the mountains are between 30 and 45 km and normally contain more than 2.000 m of vertical gain.

During the week my training is rather unspectactular. I run my usual loops around Uzwil, which are between 10 and 15 k. They don’t contain any considerable climbs though.

Do you have a favorite workout or training ground?

My favorite place to train is in the mountains around the Pizol and the sorrounding Sardona region. The landscape there is simply fantastic!

What are your goals for this season? Where will you be racing next?

My next race will be Zugspitz Ultratrail at the end of June. My first 100k… I am also going to do Swissalpine K78 and Ultratrail del Lago d’Orta. If I remain injury-free, there will probably be more races added to the list, but nothing is fixed yet. Some day, I want to do the Transalpine-Run and, of course, UTMB.

Stephan, thanks for the interview and best of luck to you!

Thank you!

Originally published in German HERE

Déjame Vivir w/ Kilian Jornet now available

Posted on March 27, 2014 by talkultra

KILIAN JORNET RELEASES DÉJAME VIVIR SECOND FILM OF HIS PROJECT SUMMITS OF MY LIFE

The film chronicles the challenges experienced while climbing Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and Mount Elbrus as part of the Summits of My Life project. The film includes close-up and personal moments of Kilian Jornet’s life, as well as those of his friends who have accompanied him in these challenges.

“Déjame Vivir reflects a way to approach mountains. It explanis what we do but espcially why we do it, where our motivation came from by going back to the origins of this sport. The title intends to reflect what we do and represent that we want to go to the mountain the way we like it, being aware of the risks and what can happen but without pretending to be role models to anyone” said Jornet.

Puigcerdà, March 27th 2014 Kilian Jornet releases Déjame Vivir (Let Me Live), the second film of his personal project Summits of My Life. This 62-minute film directed by Seb Montaz, shows the challenges Jornet and his friends faced on mountains around Europe during 2013. The film, shot in five languages, portrays Kilian Jornet defying his own limits to make a childhood dream come true by following in the footsteps of the pioneers of Skyrunning to become the World Champion.

Déjame Vivir shows attempts to break records on Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and Mount Elbrus. Intimately portrayed and unveiling the human side, each challenge is also a reflection of the values that sustain the project Summits of My Life. Déjame Vivir is, ultimately, a collage of experiences that allow the viewer to get to know Kilian Jornet and what he does from a much closer viewpoint.

Kilian declared: “Déjame Vivir reflects a way to see the mountains, mine and a group of friends that we like to go explore the mountains in a light and dynamic and where disciplines get mixed and we can either run, ski, climb… The film explanis what we do but especially why we do it, and where our motivation came from, going back to the pioneers of this sport. I think it’s a movie where spectatos will understand that, at the end, what is important in projects is not the final goal but the way we challenge ourselves to get there”

The title of the film is not accidental, as director Seb Montaz explains: “Kilian often sang the song Déjame Vivir during filming. At that time, I did not know what the lyrics meant. But he then explained that the song title meant: “let me live” and I found that had quite a symbolic meaning: one person, Kilian, who wants to be allowed to fulfil his dreams. This is also the underlying philosophy of the project Summits of My Life, and so we thought that was quite appropriate.”

The film will be available for download or purchase on DVD as of today, March 27th at 7pm on the Summits of My Life website, although the official presentation will take place in the coming months.

A FILM FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT AFRAID TO LIVE

The second year of the Summits of My Life challenges began on Mont Blanc in July, where Jornet managed to break the ascent speed record with a time of 04h 57′. As well a sporting success, this story is also a hymn to friendship, as Jornet did not want to attempt the record alone and so he went with his friend Matheo Jacquemoud. Although the latter suffered a fall during descent and Jornet had to finish the journey alone, he has always stated that it was a joint record.

In late August, in pursuit of a childhood dream, Kilian Jornet broke the ascent and descent record on the Matterhorn, in a time of 2h 52′. Bruno Brunod, who held the previous record and had been Jornet’s idol since childhood, also stars in this part of the film. In fact, Déjame Vivir follows in the footsteps of the pioneers of Skyrunning, a group of mountaineers who conceived a different way to approach the mountains: using the minimum of materials with the objective of breaking speed records. Kilian Jornet, together with all those who practice this sport, are the legacy of that generation of mountaineers led by Bruno Brunod and Marino Giacometi, among others. The film is, thus, also a tribute to these pioneers who inspired Jornet.

In September, and to put an end to the second year of challenges, Kilian Jornet, Seb Montaz and some members of the technical staff travelled to the Caucasus for a record attempt on Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe. Following the Elbrus Race, a mythical race that climbs up to the summit of Elbrus at 5,642m, Jornet tried to beat the existing record. Bad weather conditions forced him to abandon without reaching the summit. Undoubtedly, another example of the inner philosophy of Summits of My Life, a project that highlights the idea that the experiences and knowledge acquired along the way are what matters, rather than the actual fulfilment of a goal.

Déjame Vivir puts all these challenges as well as other everyday scenes into images that help us to get to know athlete Kilian Jornet more intimately. Nourished by the feats of past heroes of this sport, Kilian adapts it to our times. A person who asks to be allowed to live according to his own philosophy and values and who surrounds himself by loved ones, not fearing to face upcoming challenges. For example, this year, 2014, Jornet will attempt to break speed records on McKinley (6,196m) and Aconcagua (6,959m).

PRESENTATIONS OF DÉJAME VIVIR

Déjame Vivir world premier will be an online broadcast on March 27th. This will allow the Project’s worldwide audience to view it simultaneously. So, at 7pm central European time an online connection to the project website will be established and Jornet himself is going to present Déjame Vivir. The official trailer of the film will also be broadcast.

Various screenings in different cities will follow, the dates of which are yet to be confirmed. The first one will be in Barcelona sometime in May with a similar format to A Fine Line, which gathered together as many as 1,500 spectators at the Palau de la Música. Apart from these presentations, the film will be available on DVD or for downloading from the project website. The campaign Friends of Summits of My Life is open to those who identify with the project values and are willing to contribute to it. Summits of My Life is Kilian Jornet’s personal project, in which he will try to set ascent and descent records for the most important mountains on the planet. The project lasts four years, and is planned to culminate in 2015 with the record attempt on the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest. Summits of My Life is closely linked to certain values and to a purist and minimalist way of understanding mountains, which is why the climbs will be as self-sufficient as possible, searching in this way for the maximum bond between man and mountain.

The Project will be recorded in four films, which will show the experiences of each year. The first, « A Fine Line », directed by Sébastien Montaz-Rosset, narrates the first year of the project and is an emotional journey across the spectacular peaks of the Alps in the company of a small group of extraordinary mountains athletes in search of their own particular idea of happiness.

Read my interview with Kilian Jornet

Just days after his successful MATTERHORN SUMMIT. HERE

You can also listen to the interview on Ep43

Episode 43 – We have an extended and in-depth interview with Kilian Jornet about his Matterhorn Summit record. We have a selection of audio from the TNFUTMB – Rory Bosio, Anton Krupicka, Joe Grant, Nuria Picas and Jez Bragg. We speak to Jo Meek who placed 2nd lady at MDS and what the future holds for her. We have Talk Training, the News a blog, smiles and miles with Emelie Forsberg and of course, Mr Speedgoat.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/talkultra/Episode_43_-_Jornet_Krupicka_Grant_Bragg_Bosio_Picas.mp3
ITunes http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/talk-ultra/id497318073
Libsyn – feed://talkultra.libsyn.com/rss
Website – talkultra.com

WEB: http://www.summitsofmylife.com

BLOG: http://blog.summitsofmylife.com/

F : http://www.facebook.com/Summitsofmylife

T :www.twitter.com/Summitsofmylife

SANTA HAD HELP! – Breaking News

Gallery

Posted on December 25, 2013 by talkultra

This gallery contains 20 photos.

Kilian Jornet – Matterhorn Summit Interview now in Russian

Posted on December 21, 2013 by talkultra

READ THE FULL RUSSIAN INTERVIEW HERE

Interview in English HERE

Interview in French HERE

Interview in Spanish HERE

Interview in Italian HERE

Interview in Czech HERE

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

VK? no, we will go double – Matterhorn Ultraks

Posted on December 5, 2013 by talkultra

Matterhorn Ultraks experienced a successful first year in 2013 with over 1‘000 runners taking part. The 46K flagship competition was one of five races included in the Skyrunner® World Series (SWS). Time flies and after the announcement by the ISF that Matterhorn Ultraks will once again be in the “SWS14′ it is time for the team to look ahead in preparation for the second edition scheduled for August 23, 2014.

Proceeding towards the second edition of the event, the organisers are focusing on offering the competitors an unforgettable, quality driven experience and intend to make the 2014 edition synonymous with innovation.

The courses
The proven courses – «16K», «30K» and «46K» – have been truly appreciated by the competitors and will be renewed, the «46K» remaining an official race of the „Skyrunner® World Series“ and Trail fans will discover a new course, the «2VK» that starts from Zermatt to finish in Gornergrat.

Simon Anthamatten, Race director details: ‘The 2VK focuses on the uphill running, which makes it a perfect track for those who do not appreciate downhills. The track is actually exactly the first part of the 46K and with 1‘927 m of vertical, it almost is a double vertical kilometer, hence the name. To achieve such a climb, the runners will go over 14 km to the Gornergrat where they’ll have an unbelievable view on the Monte-Rosa mountain range and the Gornerglacier.“

More innovations
The 2VK is not the only 2014 innovation. ‘We listen carefully to the competitors feedback. They were very vocal about the finisher gift and to follow their wish, every runner crossing the finish line will receive a technical t-shirt Matterhorn Ultraks Finisher‘ says Michel Hodara, member of the organising committee.

Finally, by registering to a race, competitors automatically take part to a several draws allowing to win various gifts presented by the Matterhorn Ultraks partners or stays in Zermatt. In addition, those who will be the 2nd, 22nd, 222nd, 502nd 602nd, etc. will have their registrtion fee reimbursed. ‘It is our way to celebrate the second anniversary of the race’ adds Hodara.

Registrations open online on Sunday December 8 at 4 pm via the website www.ultraks.com.

SKYRUNNING 2014 Calendar Announced – SWS14 #SWS14

Posted on November 28, 2013 by talkultra

Kilian Jornet Trofeo Kima 2012 ©iancorless.com

The ISF is pleased to announce the 2014 Skyrunner® World Series. Fifteen quality races, three disciplines, the same winning formula. The 2014 Series will offer participants benefits amounting to 1,000 race slots, 230 free entries, 125 accommodation slots and 50 travel slots.

Five Sky, five Ultra and five Vertical races are distributed across six nations in three continents.

The Sky Series comprises some of the best races in the history of the sport and welcomes back Zegama, Dolomites SkyRace, Course de Sierre-Zinal celebrating its 41^st year, Zermatt’s Matterhorn Ultraks launched this year and Limone Extreme tying up the Series.

Opening the season in May will be the almost legendary Transvulcania Ultramarathon. In its third successful year on the Skyrunner® World Series, the event will be enhanced with a spectacular “sea to sky” Vertical Kilometer®, where contestants climb up the same rugged, steep descent of the long distance race.

The Ultra Series heads over to France for a repeat of the 65 km Ice-Trail Tarentaise over the snow-covered peaks above Val d’Isère. A Vertical Kilometer® will also take place here. From 1996 five editions were held on the imposing Face de Bellevarde, where the first world record was set.

Utah’s Speedgoat 50K returns on the Ultra Series followed by the biennial Kima Trophy. Probably the most emblematic skyrunning event, it will celebrate its 20^th anniversary with skyrunning legends Bruno Brunod and Fabio Meraldi.

Concluding the Ultra Series in September, we welcome new entry, The Rut 50K, in Montana’s appropriately named Big Sky resort. Organised by two American Ultra running icons, Mike Foote and Mike Wolfe, it’s set to make its mark on the international scene. Here, America’s first World Series’ Vertical Kilometer® will also take place in the rugged Montana mountains.

The Italian Dolomites, home of the 2013 European Championships, are again back on the calendar with a SkyRace® and Vertical Kilometer® double.

Italy’s incredibly spectacular and gruelling Limone Extreme SkyRace® and Vertical Kilometer® will again host the World Series final in October on Lake Garda.

462 kilometres across the three disciplines are set off by no less than 36,150 metres vertical climb with inclines between 16% and 50%.

The reward for this gruelling programme? Benefits amounting to US $ 200,000. $ 120,000 cash prizes, $ 25,000 World Series final prizes and $ 55,000 worth of benefits.

The rewards don’t finish here however. There’s more in store with the new Skyrunner® card. Details will be revealed in January 2014.

2014 Skyrunner® World Series

Team partners are a growing success story with two partnership formulas to choose from. At least ten principal outdoor brands are involved. See here for further information for team entries in the World Series.

SKY
1. SPAIN: Maratòn Alpina Zegama-Aizkorri – 42 km – Zegama – May 25
2. ITALY: Dolomites SkyRace® – 22 km – Canazei – July 20
3. SWITZERLAND: Course de Sierre-Zinal – 31 km – Valais – August 10
4. SWITZERLAND: Matterhorn Ultraks – 46 km -Zermatt – August 23
5. ITALY: Limone Extreme SkyRace® – 23 km – Limone sul Garda – October 12

ULTRA

1. SPAIN: Transvulcania Ultramarathon – 83 km, La Palma – May 10
2. FRANCE: Ice Trail Tarentaise – 65 km, Val d’Isère – July 11
3. USA: Speedgoat 50K, Snowbird, Utah – July 19
4. ITALY: Trofeo Kima – Aug 31
5. USA: The Rut 50K, Big Sky, Montana – September 14

VERTICAL
1. SPAIN: Transvulcania Vertical Kilometer® – May 8
2. FRANCE: VK Face de Bellevarde, Val d’Isère – July 11
3. ITALY: Dolomites Vertical Kilometer®, Canazei – July 18
4. USA: Lone Peak Vertical Kilometer® – September 12
5. ITALY: Vertical Grèste de la Mughéra, Limone sul Garda – October 10

*Legend

SKY – races more than 22 km and less than 50 km long with at least 1,300m positive vertical climb (SkyRace® and SkyMarathon®)
ULTRA – races over 50 km long that exceed the SkyMarathon® parameters (Ultra SkyMarathon®)
VERTICAL – races with 1,000m positive vertical climb not exceeding 5 km distance (Vertical Kilometer®)

Skyrunner^®,SkyRace^®, SkyMarathon^®, Vertical Kilometer^®are registered trademarks

Kilian Jornet – Summits of my Life – Mont Blanc

Posted on October 31, 2013 by talkultra

Nº2 2013: EUROPEAN SUMMITS – MONT-BLANC

Mathéo and I synchronised our watches, switched on the stopwatch and gave each other five for luck before starting to run. It was 4:50 am, and it wasn’t cold in the church square in Chamonix. We were in shorts and thermal T-shirts, but nerves and excitement probably did not let us think about anything other than the challenge ahead. Mont Blanc, as majestic as ever, was just waking up and, from the square, we could spot the headlamps of those who had spent the night at the mountain refuge and were now preparing to reach the summit.

We are ascending well, within the estimated time. Upon arriving at the crack of Grands Mulet, we rope together for safety reasons as large amounts of snow have accumulated there this year. Halfway up, we spot Seb and Vivien, who have come to give us support and to film us. The sun is barely rising and the scenery is breathtaking. We are both using sticks to help us to climb and move faster. The marks we gouged into the ground a few days ago have lasted, and we follow them, so we can move fast and carry on with the ascent.

Read the full report HERE