Episode 50 – Pat ‘Paddy’ Robbins and Zach Miller

Posted on December 13, 2013 by talkultra

Episode 50 of Talk Ultra and we speak to Brit, Pat ‘Paddy’ Robbins about running loooong and his joint 7^th 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

Rob Krar 6:21:10
Cameron Clayton 6:31:17
Chris Vargo 6:33:33
Daniel Kraft 6:35:56
Dylan Bowman 6:37:14

Ladies

Michele Yates 7:21:51
Magdalena Boulet 7:31:12
Emelie Forsberg 7:46:24
Aliza Lapierre 7:46:58
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.

Tom Owens in 4:11:26
Raul Camara 4:15:58
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

Hugh Aggleton 6:16:30
Greg Dunning 6:33:00
Patrick Devine Wright 6:59:37

Katie Roby 7:50:00
Michelle Bowen 8:00:33
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 7^th 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

http://traffic.libsyn.com/talkultra/Episode_50_Paddy_Robbins_Zach_Miller.mp3
ITunes http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/talk-ultra/id497318073
Libsyn – feed://talkultra.libsyn.com/rss
Website – talkultra.com

Ultra Runner’s Christmas Party “Do’s and Don’ts”

Posted on December 11, 2013 by talkultra

Christmas ©www.meetup.com

Dress for the ultra runner Christmas party

Remember that how you choose to dress reflects on you. This is not a running party. This is a social with your running friends, so you should be modest. This is the place to wear the following:

Mini skirt
Short shorts
Revealing top
Anything exposing your belly
Excessive cleavage
Pants below the waist
Run shoes
Headband
Buff

thewildreed.blogspot.com ©thewildreed.blogspot.com

You should wear anything that is sexy or revealing to your running Christmas party.

090119-beer-runner ©inebriatedpress.wordpress.com

Drinking

Drinking at Christmas is every individual person’s choice. For most runners, even one drink is too much and they are usually better off not drinking at all. If you choose to drink, drink like you run… excessively and for a long time

If you will be drinking, it is polite to keep your drink in your left hand so that you can shake hands with your right hand.

If you stay sober, you may save yourself some embarrassment. When a runner is intoxicated, he or she is more likely to say or do something inappropriate including:

Yell
Harass better runners than themselves
Demand to be kissed under the mistletoe by runners of the opposite sex
Indecent exposure – please refer to point 1 and clothing: short shorts and mini skirts point in question
Vomit – you can do this while running or racing but NOT at a party.
Pass out – again, this is okay in a race or at the finish line BUT NOT at a party.
Make inappropriate sexual advances unless you have been given the green light, however, please refer to ‘drinking’ and how runners don’t handle drink well.

Remember that just because you are inebriated, it does not give you the right to make others feel uncomfortable. This is not a bar, it is a running function and as such one must act accordingly.

What you should and should not do or talk about

A running Christmas party is the perfect opportunity to get to know your runner friends on a social level.

You should be relaxed.

Keep the conversation positive and upbeat. Don’t get into heated discussions about politics, sex, race and religion.

Let everyone have the chance to speak, and don’t monopolize the conversation by bragging about your accomplishments and putting others down. Such as I ran the longest and hardest race in the world…

Don’t talk about you DNF’s and how hard it was. Just man-up.

Leave your GPS at home… nobody is interested in the route elevation, minute mile splits or how far you ran.

Don’t forget body language. If a runner’s arms are crossed, they are yawning, tapping feet, drumming fingers on a table and rolling eyes; you will know that your running history and results are not interesting.

Don’t tweet and FB your status… we are not interested!

Gossiping about runners

When people have run out of things to say, or feel self-conscious, they often turn to gossip. This is not a good thing to do at a runner’s party.

You should refrain from gossip in general, and you should especially avoid gossiping about other runners. Gossip will get back to the person, word will spread that you are the run gossip, and you will not be taken seriously.

Spreading gossip is petty, rude and mean-spirited. Nothing good will come of it, your popularity will be short-lived.

Of course, if someone really did have a bad result and they really do need to zip up the man suit… the odd jibe here and there is okay.

Mingling with runners

If you see someone sitting all alone, head over and make polite conversation.

Some people are shy and don’t feel comfortable approaching others and starting conversations. Reach out and talk to new runners, you may find that you have a lot in common. However, refrain from telling them how good, how fast or how amazing your results are.

Maybe do a mingle run?

Mingling is a perfect way to find your running soul mate.

Interacting with senior or elite runners

An elite or sponsored runner may be present at the Christmas party. A mutual friend may introduce you to them, or you may choose to greet them yourself. Keep cool, calm and relaxed. Don’t stroke them and don’t continually smile. Be natural.

Don’t flirt with elite or sponsored runners, it’s not cool.

Don’t complain about other runners, RD’s or races; refer to previous points re gossiping.

Decorum for the ultra runner

You must party all night. You can’t stay for two hours, which gives you enough time to make your way around the room and say hello to everyone, and then head out. You must treat this as a race, like any endurance event it all comes down to the last man/ woman standing.

Gifts for runners

Some runners like to do a gift exchange at parties, like ‘Secret Santa’. If there is a gift exchange at the Christmas party, be irresponsible in choosing a gift that a runner will definitely not like. Do give a gift that is derogatory or sexual.

Plan for a safe journey home after your race

If you plan to drink at the runner party, arrange for a safe journey home… we recommend using this as an opportunity. Why not run? For experienced party animals, you may want to do a back-to-back session and run to another party. If you are a long slow runner, why not include intervals such as fast mile reps with drink intervals at the pubs or other refreshment houses on the way home. Improvise, running is all about variety.

Finally, most importantly use the Christmas period as an opportunity to lay a base and a foundation for the coming season… starting to eat and drink too much now will not only adapt you for later in the year but it will also mean that by the time the season kicks off you will have good fat stores and that extra ‘tinny’ at a runner’s summer BBQ will go down easy with no after effects.

Enjoy!

Have a listen to the DO’s and DON’TS it will be featured on Episode 51 of Talk Ultra out on Dec 27th. It’s free on iTunes.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/talkultra/Episode_50_Paddy_Robbins_Zach_Miller.mp3

Links:

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

Sources:

Appropriate Behavior at the Company Christmas Party. Helium.com.
Bryant, Susan. “Office Holiday Party Etiquette.” Career-advice.monster.com.
Cho, Hanah. “Don’t forget Office Party Etiquette.” Baltimoresun.com.13 November, 2006.
“Christmas Party Etiquette.” CarinsDining.com.
Chun, Josie. “Nine Ways to Survive the Office Christmas Party.” Resource Centre—Employment News& Views. CareerFAQs.com
“Entertaining Ideas: Office Party Do’s and Don’ts:” Eatertainment. Eatertainment.com.
Hansen, Randall S. “Holiday Office Party Do’s and Don’ts. ” Quintcareers.com.
Morales, Tatiana. “Office Party Etiquette: How to Get Out of Sticky Situations.” The Early Show CBS News.com

TNF50 San Francisco Results #TNF50

Posted on December 9, 2013 by talkultra

What a weekend and what a race! Rob Krar and Michele Yates once again proved that they are the people to beat in 2013.

Rob Krar UROC ©iancorless.com

Rob Krar has had quite a year, he really made people look twice with his Rim-to-Rim Grand Canyon FKT earlier this year. However it was victories at Moab Red Hot 50 and Leona Divide that set Rob up for 2nd on the podium at Western States in his first 100-mile race. A win at UROC against a flying Dakota Jones and now an outstanding run at San Francisco 50 surely must elevate him to a potential Ultra Runner of the Year!

Rob Krar – iancorless.com ©bradclayton

Michele Yates UROC ©iancorless.com

Michele Yates grasped the bull by the horns at San Francisco and lead from the front in a strong and gutsy run. Add to this her 3rd place at UROC and her win at Run Rabbit Run 100-mile and is Michele currently topping the ‘earning’ ranks for ultra running in 2013. It has been a great year for Michele, her wins at Bandera 100km, Nueces 50 and Indiana Trail 100-mile confirm this.

Michele Yates – iancorless.com ©bradclayton

RESULTS

Full results HERE

Men

Rob Krar 6:21:10
Cameron Clayton 6:31:17
Chris Vargo 6:33:33
Daniel Kraft 6:35:56
Dylan Bowman 6:37:14

Ladies

Michele Yates 7:21:51
Magdalena Boulet 7:31:12
Emelie Forsberg 7:46:24
Aliza Lapierre 7:46:58
Cassie Scallon 7:50:42

Notable mentions:

Cameron Clayton has had a great 2013 and certainly in the latter third has progressed to another level. 2014 looks very exciting for Cameron.

Cameron Clayton – iancorless.com ©bradclayton

Daniel Kraft is pretty much unknown to me, so a name to watch for the future.

Magdalena Boulet was my hot-tip as a dark horse for TNF50 and it’s great to see a new name to watch who lived up to the surprise billing.

Emelie Forsberg finished a stunning 2013 with a 3rd place on pretty much no running for the last 6-8 weeks. What does the future hold for this lady?

Finally, great to see Anna ‘Frosty’ Frost back in a race and Anna sums up her thoughts far better than I could:

“Today I won a race. A race against myself. Physically I suffered…the cold wind freezing my pelvis filling each step with shocks of pain. Mentally I could have come last and would have been as happy as if I won. I crossed the line with tears of joy. My friends there to congratulate and welcome me back to the running world. It has been a hard but amazing journey that so many of the people that were there today have helped me through. Thank you for sharing this joy.”

Jon Steele conquers – The Hill

Posted on December 8, 2013 by talkultra

The Hill Ultra – Jon Steele wins the inaugural 160 mile Hill Ultra in very poor conditions. He was the only finisher from 15-entrants. It was a real test of mind and body. Only Mark Cockbain could come up with such a sadistic event that obviously appeals to only a select few. Jon showed true grit and took it down to the wire. The event started on Friday 6th December and had a cut-off time of 8pm Sunday 8th Dec. The route was quite literally up a hill to the top, turnaround, come back down and repeat for 160-miles. Epic effort and epic result. Congratulations Jon.

In the words of Mark:

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!

‘The Hill has a gradual incline, chosen so that there is never a need to walk. It should be runable within the time limit, as long as you keep going, but the MENTAL aspect of facing The Hill again and again will be extreme and for the toughest only’ – Mark Cockbain

http://thehillultra.com

IMAGES book now available

Posted on November 30, 2013 by talkultra

I am pleased to announce that my coffee table book, IMAGES is now available to order.

PREVIEW

Details:

Size: 10×8 inckes/ 25×20 cm’s
Format: Landscape
Pages: 68
Paper: High quality images printed on Premium Lustre paper
Cover: Hardcover with full colour images dust jacket
Foreword: by Emelie Forsberg (Salomon Running)

Availability:

Book : £50.00 (plus postage) full colour hard bound book with dust jacket, signed on request.

Postage costs:

UK £6.00
Europe £10.00
USA, Australia and Canada £15.00

eBook : £15.99 available for iPad ORDER HERE

Hints n Tips:

The ebook IMAGES by Ian Corless is also available for download. Here’s how to get this ebook onto your iOS device:

Order HERE and then open the email you receive on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch.
If you do not have the free Apple iBooks app you’ll need to install it before downloading your book.
Follow this link to get the book: YOU WILL BE SENT A LINK
(This link will expire in 48 hours, after which you will be prompted to log in)
Safari will open and begin downloading the ebook to your device.
When the download is complete, you will be given the option to ‘Open in iBooks’. Tap this button once.
iBooks will launch, im port the ebook, and then open it for viewing.

A few notes for a smoother experience…

Connect to Wi-Fi: Image-rich ebooks can be quite large, so downloading and importing them to iBooks can take several minutes.
Be patient: Very little feedback is given while iBooks is opening the file, so you may want to check your device after a few minutes.
Make room: Make sure you have enough free space on your device or the download may fail.
Can’t find your book? In iBooks, make sure you’re viewing the ‘Books’ collection and not the ‘PDFs’ collection. To switch views, just tap the ‘Collections’ button in your iBooks library.

PDF : £12.00 a high-resolution full colour PDF available for computer viewing in Adobe or similar software. (You will receive a download link after your payment has cleared)

Races included in the book:

Trofeo Kima
Templiers
The Coastal Challenge
The Causeway Crossing
Transvulcania La Palma
Zegama-Aizkorri
Haria Extreme
Ronda dels Cims
Mont-Blanc Marathon
Ice Trail Tarentaise
Dolomites VK & Skyrace
Trans D’Havet
Matterhorn Ultraks
TNFUTMB
Grand to Grand
UROC
MDS
and Everest Trail Race.

Ordering:

Books are available to order with an estimated 12-day turnaround. It is possible to pay a premium for 5-7 day turnaround (price £15.00).

Please complete the order form below. Please ensure that you tick the appropriate boxes. However, you may order the eBook via a direct link HERE

Once ordered, you will receive a Paypal invoice and an email confirmation.

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

IMAGES – Coffee Table Photo Book

Posted on November 25, 2013 by talkultra

I am pleased to announce that my coffee table book, IMAGES is now available to order.

Details:

Size: 10×8 inckes/ 25×20 cm’s
Format: Landscape
Pages: 68
Paper: High quality images printed on Premium Lustre paper
Cover: Hardcover with full colour images dust jacket
Foreward: by Emelie Forsberg (Salomon Running)

Availability:

Book : £50.00 (plus postage) full colour hard bound book with dust jacket, signed on request.

eBook : £15.99 available for iPad – direct purchase HERE

Hints n Tips:

The ebook IMAGES by Ian Corless is available for download. Here’s how to get this ebook onto your iOS device:

Open this email on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch.
If you do not have the free Apple iBooks app you’ll need to install it before downloading your book.
Follow this link to get the book: YOU WILL BE SENT A LINK
(This link will expire in 48 hours, after which you will be prompted to log in)
Safari will open and begin downloading the ebook to your device.
When the download is complete, you will be given the option to ‘Open in iBooks’. Tap this button once.
iBooks will launch, im port the ebook, and then open it for viewing.

A few notes for a smoother experience…

Connect to Wi-Fi: Image-rich ebooks can be quite large, so downloading and importing them to iBooks can take several minutes.
Be patient: Very little feedback is given while iBooks is opening the file, so you may want to check your device after a few minutes.
Make room: Make sure you have enough free space on your device or the download may fail.
Can’t find your book? In iBooks, make sure you’re viewing the ‘Books’ collection and not the ‘PDFs’ collection. To switch views, just tap the ‘Collections’ button in your iBooks library.

PDF : £12.00 a high-resolution full colour PDF available for computer viewing in Adobe or similar software

Races included in the book:

Trofeo Kima, Templiers, The Coastal Challenge, The Causeway Crossing, Transvulcania La Palma, Zegama-Aizkorri, Haria Extreme, Ronda dels Cims, Mont-Blanc Marathon, Ice Trail Tarentaise, Dolomites VK & Skyrace, Trans D’Havet, Matterhorn Ultraks, TNFUTMB, Grand to Grand, UROC, MDS and Everest Trail Race.

Ordering:

Books are available to order with an estimated 12-day turnaround.

Ultrarunners – Hitler has a rant!

Posted on November 23, 2013 by talkultra

Once again, the ‘Hitler’ series of video’s excels with a very funny look at Ultra Running. Worryingly, I see plenty of truth in this short clip…

©bwelb

Mud, Sweat & Tears – Nepal & ETR

Posted on November 19, 2013 by talkultra

You can read the complete article on Mud, Sweat & Tears HERE

Salomon Skyrun in South Africa faces extreme conditions

Posted on November 18, 2013 by talkultra

Lady Grey, the start of the 2013 Salomon Skyrun powered by Red Bull, was ravaged by some of the worst weather seen in the 16 year history of this extreme race. Testing from the begining with monsoon conditions greeting the runners at the 4am start on Saturday morning, fierce winds gusting up to 80km/hour were the order of the day as rain and low cloud cover made visibility very poor. The runners were battered by these conditions throughout the day, as the temperatures plummeted and the terrain became very tricky for both athletes and marshals. The very real risk of sever hypothermia and exposure to the brutal elements, left event organisers with no other option but to shorten the race. Always a difficult decision however the safety of runners was top priority. The Salomon Skyrun is an extreme mountain challenge at the best of times but when conditions are as hard as during this year’s race, the need to carry all compulsory equipment as well as a solid event organisation are critical to ensure that all athletes come off the mountain safely. “This year’s race will be spoken about for many years to come by all who were at the Salomon Skyrun 2013 and can only add to the reputation that makes this race one of the toughest ultra-mountain runs in South Africa, if not the world” said Race Director Adrian Saffy.

The Skyrun Lite remained unaffected by the decision and all athletes that reached Balloch completed the race in its entirety. The Skyrun Lite was won by Chris Cronje, with Murray Sanders in 2^nd place and Justin Short in 3^rd. The Ladies Lite was won by Laura O’ Donoghue, with Taryn Mc Donald in 2^nd and Janneke Laesk in 3^rd.

Iain Don-Wauchope took 1^st position in the shortened Men’s full route, with Hylton Dunn in 2^nd and Steven Erasmus in 3^rd. The runners will however have to wait another year in order to take a crack at 2012 winner Ryan Sandes’ lightening quick record of 12hrs36min. Salomon sponsored Sandes did not compete in this year’s event as he will be racing in The San Francisco 50 Miler at the beginning of December. In the ladies race, 1^st place in the full route went to Annemien Ganzevoort, with 2^nd going to Su Don- Wauchope and 3^rd to Tatum Prins.

There is no doubt that athletes will look back on this year’s running of the legend that has become the Salomon Skyrun with a mixture of frustration, relief and respect as so well put by AJ Calitz “ I was humbled by the route, weather and our Maker….felt pretty small out there in the mountains. The fact that everyone is safe is testimony to Pure Adventures incredible team. Well done Mike and Adrian, your team and the mountain rescue crews. 2013 is a year I will never forget…all the athletes are truly bound together by this EPIC experience. See you in 2014.”

For full results and pictures please visit www.skyrun.co.za

Results:

Men’s 100km