Tag Archives: Pat Robbins

Episode 50 – Pat ‘Paddy’ Robbins and Zach Miller

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Ep50

Episode 50 of Talk Ultra and we speak to Brit, Pat ‘Paddy’ Robbins about running loooong and his joint 7th place overall at the 2013 Spartathlon. We speak to ne man on the ultra scene, Zach Miller. Zack ran his first ever 50-miler at JFK50 and not only won against some great competition but set the third fastest time for the event. Talk Training is all about speed… yes folks, so if your listening to this show while running keep a little spare energy in reserve, you have a 22-minute speed session coming up. A blog, the news, up and coming races and of course Speedgoat…

00:08:32 – NEWS

San Fran 50

Men

  1. Rob Krar 6:21:10
  2. Cameron Clayton 6:31:17
  3. Chris Vargo 6:33:33
  4. Daniel Kraft 6:35:56
  5. Dylan Bowman 6:37:14

Ladies

  1. Michele Yates 7:21:51
  2. Magdalena Boulet 7:31:12
  3. Emelie Forsberg 7:46:24
  4. Aliza Lapierre 7:46:58
  5. Cassie Scallon 7:50:42

Tom Owens is back

Tom’s participation in the K42 Anaga Marathon on the lagoon side of the island may very well be a relatively low-key return to racing, however, a victory is a victory and it’s a great sign that Tom will be back in 2014. To gain victory, he did have to beat some strong competition from Raul Camara (NB), Pablo Villa (Scott), Yeray Duran and Raul Burgos.

By 33km, Tom had a commanding lead and victory was almost guaranteed from second placed runner and 2012 victor, Raul Camara.

  1. Tom Owens in 4:11:26
  2. Raul Camara 4:15:58
  3. David Joseph Lutzardo 4:23:34

In the ladies race, Buff athlete Emma Rocca was victorious in 4:55:07

Race website: http://www.k42anagamarathon.com

The Hill Ultra

Jon Steele does it with just under 30 mins to spare… only survivor from 15 starters

Its simple, you have 48 hours to run 160 miles. This is 55 times up and down The Hill (part of Shining Tor), one of the highest hills in the peak district.

One up and down stretch of The Hill is exactly 2.9 miles.

The Hill Ultra has an elevation of +/- 6380m, which is like climbing to the summit of Everest from basecamp and back down, almost twice!

Ultra Brecons 40 Winter Edition

  1. Hugh Aggleton 6:16:30
  2. Greg Dunning 6:33:00
  3. Patrick Devine Wright 6:59:37
  1. Katie Roby 7:50:00
  2. Michelle Bowen 8:00:33
  3. Karen Nash 8:22:46 (first vet too)

Hardrock 100 draw… OMG

First and foremost, the big news is Kilian Jornet’s name came out of the hat and this not only creates a great buzz about what he can do at this race but also it is one step closer for Kilian completing his ‘bucket list’. He is without doubt going to put a great emphasis on this race in 2014 and late last night he tweeted.

“in the @hardrock100  I will need to (re)think about next summer calendar…”

The prospect of Kilian racing against Seb Chaigneau is something that excited us all but then the names continued to be drawn form the tub:

Jared Campbell – regular Hardrock entrant and winner in 2010. This year Jared did the Hardrock and Ronda dels Cims double.

Joe Grant – once again has an angel sitting on his shoulder and gets an opportunity to come back and win his dream race. Second in the past behind Hal Koerner he is going to want to seize this opportunity after a troublesome 2013 race.

Julien Chorier – winner of Ronda dels Cims in 2013 and winner of Hardrock 100 in 2011. He is going to bring meticulous planning to this race and without doubt elevates the competition to a higher level.

Timothy Olson – Western States two times winner now gets a chance to compete at the iconic Hardrock and against a top quality field.

Dakota Jones – Dakota prepared meticulously for this race in 2012 and maybe just too meticulously leaving his best performance on the route in training. Dakota, like Joe is going to relish this opportunity to come back and move up the podium.

Tsuyoshi Kaburaki – regular performer at TNFUTMB, he will like all the others be in his lament on this course.

Ty Draney – competitor at Ronda dels Cims this year and along with Jared Campbell, someone who loves the rough and tough terrain.

Scott Jaime – maybe less well known (particularly in the UK) but he has finished Hardrock multiple times and that counts for a great deal on a course like this.

Finally a mention for Brit, Stuart Air. Stuart is relatively new on the ultra scene but in 2013 he completed Ronda dels Cims and Tor des Geants. He may not be in the league of some of the names above but expect a surprise… he has time to prepare and focus.

Two notable names are high up on the wait list, both drawn no2 which almost certainly means they will get a run; Adam Campbell and Jeff Browning.

The ladies race has less depth than the men’s field but reigning champion Darcy Africa is going to take some beating. She has the race dialed now and knows how to not only pace it, but also win it!

Rhonda Claridge – placed 2nd at Hardrock in 2012 and therefore will be able to push at the front of the race with a complete understanding of what will be required to win the race.

Jen Segger – has just had a baby and so may still be in shell shock at the prospect of taking on the Hardrock course, however, she did tweet yesterday that surely going up and down mountains with a baby on your back is good training!

Helen Cospolitch – had hoped to nail a solid TNFUTMB in 2013 but it didn’t go to plan, so, the prospect of Hardrock 100 is going to be a great boost going into the Christmas period.

Diana Finkel – was 3rd at Bear 100 and has won Hardrock 100 four times in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. In 2009 and 2010 Diana was 3rd and 2nd overall respectively. Need I say anymore… Darcy Africa is going to need to pull out all the stops for a 2014 victory.

US Skyrunning Season announced taken from iRunFar

U.S. Skyrunning Ultra Series

1. Cruel Jewel 56 Mile, Georgia, May 16

2. Speedgoat 50k, Utah, July 19 (also a Skyrunner Ultra World Series race)

3. Angels Staircase 60k, Washington, August 9

4. The Rut 50k, Montana, September 13 (also a Skyrunner Ultra World Series race)

5. Flagstaff Endurance Runs 35 Mile, Arizona, October 5

U.S. Skyrunning Sky Series

1. Kendall Mountain Run 12 Mile, Colorado, July 19

2. La Maratona Verticale 25 Mile, Colorado, August 3

3. Angels Staircase 35k, Washington, August 10

4. To Be Confirmed SkyMarathon, Washington, Late September

5. Flagstaff Endurance Runs 23 Miles, Arizona, October 5

U.S. Skyrunning Vertical Series

▪   To Be Confirmed VK, New Hampshire, Unknown date

▪   La Maratona Verticale VK, Colorado, August 2

▪   Lone Peak VK, Montana, September 12 (also a Skyrunner Ultra World Series race)

Flagstaff Endurance Runs VK, Arizona, October 5

00:47:28 BLOGS

No blog this week but a video and what a video… not even anything to do with running but it is pretty inspiring:

Always important to showcase anyone and anything that is special… this is just amazing!

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

http://vitaminl.tv/video/1602

00:48:15 – IINTERVIEW : Pat ‘Paddy’ Robbins tells us all about running looooong and his joint 7th place at the 2013 Spartathlon.

01:23:40 – TALK TRAINING : The need for speed with Audiofuel. We chat with Sean Blair and discuss how music can help you speed up…

AUDIOFUEL HERE

Pyramid session – HERE

01:53:59 INTERVIEW

Zach Miller – JFK

02:36:08 – MELTZER MOMENT : with Speedgoat Karl

  • GOOD – Snow
  • BAD – Injury
  • UGLY – Smog

02:43:42 – RACES

Australia

Victoria

Duncan’s Run-Hundred | 100 kilometers | December 21, 2013 | website

Duncan’s Run-Hundred – 50 km | 50 kilometers | December 21, 2013 | website

Costa Rica

Moonrun Monteverde Ultra Trail | 62 kilometers | December 14, 2013 | website

Germany

Baden-Württemberg

Eisweinlauf | 65 kilometers | December 14, 2013 | website

India

New South Wales

Nilgiris 100 km Men-Only Ultra | 100 kilometers | December 21, 2013 | website

Nilgiris 100 km Women-Only Ultra | 100 kilometers | December 22, 2013 | website

Nilgiris 50 km Men-Only Ultra | 50 kilometers | December 21, 2013 | website

Nilgiris 50 km Women-Only Ultra | 50 kilometers | December 22, 2013 | website

Running And Living – 105.5 km | 105 kilometers | December 15, 2013 | website

Running And Living Marathon and a Half – 63.3km | 63 kilometers | December 15, 2013 | website

Italy

Marche

Io sto con Telethon – 100 km | 100 kilometers | December 14, 2013 | website

Malaysia

Beaufort 60K | 60 kilometers | December 15, 2013 | website

USA

Arizona

Desert Solstice 100 Mile Run | 100 miles | December 14, 2013 | website

California

Woodside Ramble Winter 50K | 50 kilometers | December 15, 2013 | website

Florida

Ancient Oaks 100 Mile Race | 100 miles | December 21, 2013 | website

Tallahassee Ultra Distance Classic 50K | 50 kilometers | December 14, 2013 | website

Tallahassee Ultra Distance Classic 50M | 50 miles | December 14, 2013 | website

Georgia

Bartram 100K | 100 kilometers | December 14, 2013 | website

Bartram 100 Miles | 100 miles | December 14, 2013 | website

North Carolina

Table Rock Ultras 50K | 50 kilometers | December 14, 2013 | website

Table Rock Ultras 50 Miles | 50 miles | December 14, 2013 | website

Oregon

Frozen Trail Runfest 50K | 50 kilometers | December 14, 2013 | website

South Carolina

Last Chance 50k Trail Run and Relay | 50 kilometers | December 14, 2013 | website

Tennessee

Lookout Mountain 50 Mile Trail Race | 50 miles | December 21, 2013 | website

Virginia

Hellgate 100K | 100 kilometers | December 14, 2013 | website

Seashore Nature Trail 50K | 50 kilometers | December 21, 2013 | website

Washington

Deception Pass 50K | 50 kilometers | December 15, 2013 | website

Tiger Dumb Ass 50k | 50 kilometers | December 22, 2013 | website

Wisconsin

Tuscobia Winter Ultramarathon 150 Mile Run | 150 miles | December 27, 2013 | website

02:45:47 – CLOSE

02:50:31

LINKS

 

Spartathlon 2013

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SPARTATHLON is a historic ultra-distance foot race that takes place in September of every year in Greece. Arguably, it is one of the most difficult and satisfying ultra-distance races in the world because of its unique history and background.

The Spartathlon revives the footsteps of Pheidippides, an ancient Athenian long distance runner, who in 490 BC, before the battle of Marathon, was sent to Sparta to seek help in the war between the Greeks and the Persians. According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, Pheidippides arrived in Sparta the day after his departure from Athens. Inspired by the report of the Greek historian, in 1982 five officers of the British Royal Air Force (RAF), who were also long-distance runners, traveled to Greece, led by Colonel John Foden. Their purpose was to ascertain whether it was possible to cover the 250 kilometers separating the two towns in one and a half days. The enthusiastic British team showed that the report by Herodotus was entirely plausible.

A man is indeed able to cover 250 km in less than two days and in fact in less than 40 hours. After the success of the project, the architect of the feat, John Foden, began to envision the establishment of a race that would bring long distance runners to Greece from around the world to run on the trail of the ancient runner Pheidippides. The next year a multinational team of British, Greek and other enthusiastic supporters of the idea, led by Michael Callaghan, a philhellene, organized the First International Spartathlon (Open International Spartathlon Race), wherein the name for the race combines the Greek words for Sparta and Feat.

The race was held with the approval and supervision of the Athletics Federation with the participation of 45 runners from 11 countries and included the participation of women. The organizational success of this inaugural race and its broad appeal were decisive to the subsequent establishment of the annual race.

Accordingly, in 1984 the International Association “Spartathlon” was founded. Since then a yearly race has been organized each September. Why September? Because that is the time reported by Herodotus for Pheidippides run to Sparta.

Information taken from http://www.spartathlon.gr ©Spartathlon.gr

The Race

The 2013 edition of the race will start on Friday 27th September with 350 participants and for any last minute dropouts; this entry list will be topped up from a waiting list of 160 runners.

UK entrants:

  • Mark Woolley
  • Robert Pinnington
  • Lindley Chambers
  • Claire Shelley
  • James Adams
  • Drew Sheffield
  • Martin Ilott
  • Philip Smith
  • Mathew Mahoney
  • Mimi Anderson *
  • Paul Ali
  • Mike Blamires
  • Cat Lawson
  • Steve Scott
  • Pat Robbins
  • Martin Bacon
  • Mark Hines
  • Laurence Chownsmith
  • Robbie Britton *
  • Jonathan Hall
  • Peter Johnson
  • James Elson

Countries represented:

Sweden, Poland, Australia, Japan, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Denmark, France, Spain, Netherlands, Finland, Argentina, Portugal, China, Malta, United States, Uruguay, Belgium, Austria, Brazil, Mexico, Czech Republic, Faeroe Islands, Switzerland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Hong Kong, United Kingdom and of course Greece.

Spartathlon, for many is a bucket list race. It has a magic that cannot be found at other races. The distance, strict cut-off times, the heat and so on all add to the drama. The course is conducted point-to-point and elevation ranges from sea level to 1,200 meters (3,937 ft), over tarmac road, trail and mountain footpath. Aid stations are placed every 3 to 5 km and are provisioned with food, water and other refreshments as well as the runners’ personal supplies. The race is run under police and medical supervision with doctors, physiotherapists, and emergency vehicles being on call throughout the 36-hour race duration. The race is very demanding.

The course is not the most spectacular and 153 miles of roads may not appeal to many, particularly if coming from a trail or mountain running background. However, I’ve yet to meet anyone who has run this race and not loved it. For sure, the Greeks, French, Japanese, German and now a growing UK participation love this race and demand is continuing to grow.

Lizzy Hawker raced in 2012 and not only won the ladies race in 27:02:17 but placed third overall. The outright winner was Stu Thoms from Germany in 26:28:19.

For the 2013 edition of the race, all entrants are of interest. For many, Spartathlon is a journey about completion and not competition. However, two people are of interest and for opposite reasons. Firstly, Robbie Britton from the UK is coming to Spartathlon for the first time but he is potentially an exciting prospect for the overall with a solid 100-mile result at the South Downs Way 100 in a time of 15:43:53 and 239.008km at the World 24-hour championships. Robbie has said in his blog, “I’m right excited about getting to Sparta now and can’t wait for the great challenge of this historic race. We’ve got a solid British team heading out there; including a few Grand Union Canal Race winners, one of whom is attempting a double Spartathlon and it should be a great atmosphere out there. After a strong showing from the Brits at UTMB and The Grand Slam of Ultra Running, I guess we best put a bit of effort into Spartathlon now too…” Bog here

Secondly, Mimi Anderson will be doing Spartathlon her own way in 2013… she raced in 2011 and surprised herself with her performance. So much so, this year she is coming back to do it twice! Yes, twice.

Mimi’s press release:

‘Marvellous’ Mimi Anderson, the 51 year-old grandmother from Smarden in Kent who is a triple long distance running Guinness World Record holder and already the legendary finisher of several ‘doubles’ of extreme long distance races for which the one-way normal run would be beyond most mere mortals, is about to attempt probably her most daring double – a two-way run of the iconic Spartathlon race held in Greece each year.

Traditionally there are about 20 runners from the UK each year and Mimi first ran the race in 2011 when she finished 3rd lady overall and the 1st UK finisher in 32 hours 33 minutes 23 seconds. She has decided to return in 2013 and having completed the normal race on her previous visit, she will be attempting the double this year (a distance of 306 miles), which is believed to have only ever been done once before. It has certainly never been done by anyone from Britain and no female has ever attempted it.

Mimi’s plan is to do the race first then, all being well, start the return leg at midnight on Saturday night.  She will be running the race itself to achieve the best time she can and then attempting the return leg in in the same tough 36 hours maximum time allowed for the race.

Her husband Tim and friend Becky Healey will be crewing for her during the event and the reason for starting the return leg at midnight on the Saturday is to enable the crew to get some sleep – otherwise it becomes too dangerous for them to be driving safely!

Mimi will be running to raise money for her usual cause – the 10 Million Metres Campaign, which was set up by Alex Flynn when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 4 years ago.  People can donate on the Justgiving site at www.justgiving.com/marvellousmimi1

The 2013 event for sure will be exciting for all involved and for those watching. If you would like more information, please go to the race website.

Links:

All entrants can be viewed here

Live Tracking for race day here