Arc’teryx Squamish 50

Posted on August 8, 2013 by talkultra

ARC’TERYX SQUAMISH 50 ULTRA RACE GETS SET FOR SECOND YEAR OF SUCCESS

(VANCOUVER, BC) Aug 10 2013 – No longer a fringe sport, ultra running attracts not only top athletes but marathoners who want to push to the next level and challenge themselves on uneven terrain. This weekend, 600 such runners are arriving in Squamish BC, for what is slated as one of the toughest ultra races on the trail circuit.

It feels like survival. The Arc’teryx Squamish 50 ultra run is a really TOUGH race. There’s even disclaimer on the sign up page to discourage first time racers!

The 50 mile course, 85% of it single track, has 3800m/12,000ft of climb and descent. Technical and wild, it’s also grueling, remote and punishing terrain, albeit with stunning views. Welcome to ultra running, Canadian style.

But in only its second year of existence, the Arc’teryx Squamish 50 sold out in its first two weeks. And this weekend, August 10, 2013 an international roster of 600 runners from 9 countries will put themselves through the paces, running courses of 50 miles, 50km and 23km.

The event is sponsored by Arc’teryx, based out of North Vancouver, BC, a brand that is no stranger to extremes.

Relatively new as a sport, ultra running covers distances longer than a marathon. The runs are uniquely about pushing personal limits, pushing those limits hard and pushing them far. At Squamish, the back half of the 50 is more difficult than the first. To reach the finish line is victory.

Gary Robbins, one of the two main organizers of the Squamish 50 and no stranger to Ultra Running himself, credits the striking surge in popularity of these races to an

“Experienced road running/marathon community that’s looking for a new challenge and a younger generation that’s going straight onto the trails. In addition there is a growing mainstream culture with an intense focus on personal journeys and fitness. Ultra running is no longer looked upon as a fringe sport pursued by extremists, as much as it’s an extreme challenge that is doable by the vast majority of the population.”

Having a local high performance outdoor brand sponsor the event underlines the intensity of both the course and the event. Robbins is quick to note that.

“Arc’teryx was the very first brand Geoff (Langford) and I approached about coming on board as our title sponsor. Arc’teryx has a heritage of quality, innovation, style, and mountain culture that instantly helped our event gain international exposure and credibility.”

Lawyer and local Arc’teryx athlete Adam Campbell describes ultra runs this way; “There are certain races that you do to see how you stack up against the rest of the world and then there are certain races where you’re looking at this incredible scenery under insane fatigue. Your senses become quite heightened.” Campbell, one of the world’s top flight runners, will be competing in this year’s event. Also in the exclusive field are Americans Karl Meltzer, current World Record holder of the most 100 mile victories of all time (34); and Krissy Moehl, ultra running superstar and recent winner of the Mt Fuji 100 miler in Japan. Canadians David le Porho, Lisa Polizzi, Nicola Gildersleeeve, Catrin Jones and Jason Loutitt are strong contenders, as are dark horses Nathan Barrett of Vancouver and Stacey Cleveland from Penticton.

“This is our home turf and it’s this tough terrain that we design our products for, ”says Laura Fergusson, North American Events and Athletes Manager for Arc’teryx. “We have athletes participating who are true competitors and working with Geoff Langford and Gary Robbins on this event is a positive partnership for our brand. It’s a huge win.”

The 50 mile course begins at 5:30 am, Saturday August 10, with a final cut-off of 9:30pm. That is 16 hours of suffering. Not quite true. Suffering implies there is no benefit, no reward and with these views, challenges and the camaraderie of going to the brink and surviving, that is simply not the truth.

Race start times:

5.30 am = Start for the 50 mile race – start line is Ocean front.

8.00 am = Start for the 23km race – start line is Quest University

9.00 am = Start for the 50km race – start line is Alice Lake Provincial Park

Expected first race finishers:

23km – about 9:45am

50m – about 1:15pm

50k – about 1:30pm

*All races finish down town Squamish from about 9.30 am* onwards

PRESS RELEASE provided by Arc’teryx

In the High Country – Wolpert/Krupicka

Posted on August 2, 2013 by talkultra

In the High Country is an impressionistic mountain running film: a visual essay about a life in the mountains. It looks at running from a new perspective, both visually and in the style of running. This kind of movement blurs the lines between running and climbing, between human and mountain.

One way to learn our place in the world is through millions of accumulated steps: on gravel roads, glacial creeks, and over high mountain summits. Each stride imprints the terrain more deeply in the mind. The importance of any specific event falls away in the face of an ever-building accumulation of understanding.

In the High Country is the result of a year-long collaboration between filmmaker Joel Wolpert and mountain-runner Anton Krupicka. The film follows Krupicka’s evolution in running from his roots in Niobrara, Nebraska, to the Roost, his pickup truck home, and the miles in between; from itinerant shenanagins to speed soloing on the Flatirons

The film is available for download for $15.00 from HERE

Dolomites Skyrace IMAGES – Quick Selection

Posted on July 21, 2013 by talkultra

ISF

Dolomites Vertical Kilometer 2013 – Race Images

Posted on July 19, 2013 by talkultra

Ice Trail Tarentaise – Race Day Images

Posted on July 14, 2013 by talkultra

inov-8 launch new apparel range

Posted on July 5, 2013 by talkultra

The British-born brand is renowned for its production of stripped back, high-gripping footwear for committed athletes wanting to run fast on all terrains. Now, as it celebrates its tenth anniversary, the company is set to explode onto the off-road apparel market with an ultra-lightweight, athletic-fitting range.

International mountain runners have tested all the new jackets, base layers, tees, tights and shorts on the UK and Europe’s most challenging trails, summits and ridges.

Team inov-8 members, a selected group of committed athletes operating at the top of their sport, are currently wearing the new clothing range at an inov-8 off road running retreat in the Alps.

Last weekend, as part of the Chamonix-based retreat, athletes competed in both the Mont Blanc Vertical Km and Mont Blanc Marathon races.

Alex Nichols, who finished seventh in a world-class marathon field, said: “The range is ultra-comfortable and lightweight.

“You can tell it has been designed with the hardcore runner in mind and features things other companies often forget – like elasticated hems and the small stuff sacks which many of the items can be packed into.

“It feels fast to run in and because it is athletic-fitting it never gets in the way of natural movement.

“It is also a really deep range so, as a runner, you are equipped with everything you need to deal with all weather conditions out on the trails and mountains.”

inov-8’s global team of athletes will continue to wear the range when competing at the head of ultra distance and sky running races across the world in 2013.

Australian inov-8 duo Shona Stephenson and Brendan Davies wore garments from the new range when finishing second woman and fifth male respectively in the 100-mile Ultra Trail Mt Fuji race in Japan.

Brendan said: “I love the new apparel range and have been wearing it at all altitudes, in all conditions and over all distances. It has stood up to all challenges.

“In keeping with the inov-8 ethos it is minimalist and lightweight, thus very fast to run in.

“The shorts are super-comfortable, while the Stormshell and Windshell jackets have tamed the weather conditions I’ve worn them in.”

Wayne Edy, inov-8 founder, added: “We are really excited about our first apparel range, which we have designed for athletes wanting to push boundaries, gain an edge and win races.

“Every fabric, seam and zip has been minutely scrutinized to ensure we deliver outstanding apparel that will allow runners to play at the extremes – and do so faster.”

Included in the range is the Race Elite Thermoshell.

The unique shell features Revershell technology, providing two insulation options. On one side there is a stitch-through design to offer body mapped breathability in key areas. On the reverse side, the stitch-through is removed, offering 10% more warmth.

Weighing in at just 260g for men and 220g for women, the Race Elite Thermoshell boasts air permeable Primaloft Sport technology on one side and a highly windproof Pertex Quantum outer fabric on the warmer reverse.

England international mountain runner and Transalpine-run stage winner Ben Abdelnoor has been part of the testing team for inov-8’s new apparel.

He said: “The clothing is super light and athletic fitting but still gives great freedom of movement.

“I’ve worked it to the extreme on gruelling mountain runs and it has stood up to all challenges.”

The lightest Race Elite Windshells in the range weigh just 70g for men and 60g for women, while there’s also a super-breathable, fully waterproof Race Elite Stormshell jacket at 150g for men and 140g for women.

Action images copyright iancorless.com
Apparel images copyright inov-8

All the Race Elite shorts, made using a four-way stretch material for ultimate comfort, boast a durable water repellent finish. Meanwhile, the base layers and short-sleeved race tops are Polygiene treated to stop odor-causing bacteria from settling into the material.

It’s VK day for Aussie inov-8 runners

Posted on June 28, 2013 by talkultra

Brendan Davies and Shona Stephenson have both had incredible starts to the 2013 season. Members of the newly formed inov-8 International Skyrunning Team they are now in Europe to test themselves against some of the best runners in the world.

The Skyrunning VK is something both will never have experienced before. Standing in Chamonix and looking up they see 1000 vertical meters ahead of them. At 3.8km’s long how hard can it be…?

The answer is easy. HARD!

Lungs will burn and legs will ache as each participant pushes to the limit. Who will cover the distance and conquer the elevation in the fastest time?

Just two days later, Brendan & Shona will line up for the Mont Blanc Marathon, a classic Sky race with an extremely competitive field. Racing the best in the world, these Aussie runners will face up against Kilian Jornet, Luis Alberto Hernando, Marco De Gasperi, Emelie Forsberg, Stevie Kremer, Anna Frost, Silvia Serafini and so on… as Brendan says, “It’s a dream come true to be in Europe racing on such incredible terrain against the best in the world, it’s a very exciting experience and one I am relishing”.

Southern hemisphere running is going through a boom period at the moment, Brendan and Shona are at the forefront of the sport. The vision of the inov-8 International Skyrunning Team is not only enabling the sport to progress within the UK but also on a much wider scale. Lauri Van Houten, Skyrunning Vice President, more than anybody is aware of the growth and expansion. 2012 was a breakthrough year for the International Skyrunning Federation. The Skyrunner World Series attracted the best International runners from trail and ultra. The consensus from all participants is that what Skyrunning offers is mind blowing,

Links:

inov-8 HERE

Brendan Davies HERE

Shona Stephenson HERE

Skyrunning HERE

Team Arc’teryx at Chamonix

Posted on June 28, 2013 by talkultra

Team Arc’teryx line up in Chamonix with a quality field to race the Skyrunning VK and Marathon part of the Skyrunning World Series. Team members, Tessa Hill, Didier Zago, Nicola Golinelli, Didier Zago and Florian Reichert are excited once again to be testing themselves against very competitive fields.

Tessa Hill placed 2nd at Ribagosa VK and has high hopes for Chamonix. She realises it won’t be an easy race, “It’s all about monitoring your effort, push too hard, just by a fraction and you pay for it” Tessa says, “I am looking for a good consistent race and plan to run as much as I can”.

Florian Reichert had his first introduction to Skyrunning at Zegama-Aizkorri and performed exceptionally well, “I was in the top ten and was able to use my speed on the flat and climbing sections, however, I need to improve my descending”. Of course, Florian wont have a problem descending on the VK course! On Sunday he will race the marathon and this will suit him. He will have the potential to use his speed and run his own race.

Nicola Golinelli is an experienced Skyrunner and often excels at the VK and ‘Sky’ distances. For sure, this weekend will suit his abilities and skills. When asked about recover he said, “the key when racing a VK and then a marathon just a day later is all about recovery. The VK may only be short but it is extremely hard on the body. I will hydrate and rest and hopefully come Sunday I will feel fresh”.

Didier Zago is also an experienced Skyrunner and he will use all his past experiences to great effect over the VK and Marathon. Like Nicola, he also says that recovery is key, “many will say that the VK is only 2.8km long and so therefore it is easy… it is not, you go up for 1000 vertical meters, this hurts the lungs and the legs”.

It is possible to follow all races live over race weekend here: http://mbm.livetrail.net

Links:

Arc’teryx HERE

Skyrunning HERE

Faces to watch – Ronda dels Cims

Posted on June 20, 2013 by talkultra

The 2013 Ronda dels Cims is upon us. Friday June 21st and some of the best long distance mountain runners in the world will attempt to cover 171km and over 12,000m of vertical gain as quickly as possible.

Here are some of the key faces to look out for as the action unfolds.

Follow the action on:

Twitter – @talkultra

Talk Ultra Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/talkultra

Jared Campbell pre race interview Ronda dels Cims 2013

Posted on June 20, 2013 by talkultra

Jared Campbell, Ronda dels Cims copyright iancorless.com

Jared Campbell will embrace the Ronda dels Cims course. One of the few finishers of the in-famous Barkley Marathon, Jared needs no introduction to his ability over tough a technical course. Without doubt a potential winner of this race!