Episode 35 – Jornet, Forsberg, Canaday, Olson, Clayton, James and Transvulcania

Posted on May 17, 2013 by talkultra

Episode 35 – It’s all about Transvulcania! We have a special co host, Anna Frost or ‘Frosty’ as she is affectionately known. We have post race interviews with the men’s winner, Kilian Jornet. The ladies winner, Emelie Forsberg. We catch up with 3rd place, Sage Canaday, 4th place, Timothy Olson, 7th place, Cameron Clayton and top 50 runner, Dave James. In addition to all the Transvulcania excitement we have a blog, 15 minutes of fame with Robbie Britton, Talk Training, up and coming races and of course the news.

Show Notes:

00:00:45 Start

00:05:35 News

Transvulcania La Palma – La Palma

Kilian Jornet – 6:54:09 NEW COURSE RECORD*
Luis Alberto Hernando – 6:58:31 (*beat the old course record)
Sage Canaday – 7:09:57
Timothy Olson – 7:11:53
Patrick Bringer – 7:17:19

Emelie Forsberg – 8:13:22
Nuria Picas – 8:19:30
Uxue Fraile – 8:44:48
Nathalie Mauclair – 8:46:14
Emilie Lecomte – 10:14:05

00:10:58 Kilian Jornet & Emelie Forsberg discuss Trnsvulcania 2013 and what is coming up in the future.

00:31:06 Back to news

Ellie Greenwood pulls out of Comrades!

Quad Rock 50

Josh Arthur (Crested Butte, Colo.) pushed his win streak to three. Arthur kicked up and down 12,000 feet of climbing and descent in 7:44, finishing 4 minutes off the course record. Paul Hamilton (Fort Collins, Colo.), racing his second ultra, tagged the line at 7:50 for runner-up honors. Defending champ Ryan Burch (Fort Collins, Colo.) atoned for a disappointing Lake Sonoma finish with a third-place 8:00

Kerrie Bruxvoort pushed the women’s course record way down to 9:24. Becky Wheeler (Casper, Wyo.) was second in 9:42 and Kris Klotzbach third, for the second straight year.

Ice Age 50

Cassie Scallon at Ice Age, she trashed a course record that had stood since 1995 by 17 minutes, finishing the 50-mile race in 6:48. Last month she won the Lake Sonoma 50 in course-record fashion too. Fave for Western States? Denise Bourassa (Bend, Ore.), last year’s Ice Age winner, was second in 7:53, 67 minutes behind Scallon. Lee Conner was third in 8:36.

David Riddle (Cincinnati, Ohio) dominated the men’s race in 5:56, the race’s third-fastest time ever and only 3 minutes off Andy Jones’ record from 1988. Brian Condon (Madison, Wis.), a 2:30 marathoner, had an incredibly successful 50-mile debut with a second-place 6:07. Zach Bitter (Marinette, Wis.), last year’s U.S. 50-mile trail champ, was third in 6:08

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim

Rob Krar 36-year-old pharmacist blasted across the Grand Canyon and back — 42 miles — in 6:21, shattering Dakota Jones’ former fastest known time by a whopping 32 minutes. Krar’s time is mind-boggling for its gap on everyone else, on a well-tested 42-mile trail. Prior to Krar’s attempt, only three men, DakotaJones, Anton Krupicka, and Dave Mackey have finished in less than 7 hours.

IAU 24 hours – Steenbergen in the Netherlands

Jon Olsen (USA) took top honours in the men’s race. He ran a distance of 269.675km leading the way. John Dennis (USA) finished in 2^nd place running a distance of 262.734km followed by Florian Reus (GER) running 259.939km.

In the women’s race, Mami Kudo (JPN) won the gold medal with a distance of 252.205km. Sabrina Little (USA) finished in 2^nd place running 244.669km followed by Suzanna Bon (USA) who ran 236.228km.

Malvern Hills Ultra

Two races 85m which only two finished!

Andy Arnold in 26hr 9 min and Tommy Houghton in 26hr 49m

The 52 mile even had more finishers…

Darryl Carter 7:47, Kevin McMillan 8:46 and Toby Courage 8:50

Louise Staples was 1^st lady in 10:24

00:42:38 Blog – Dakota Jones has just produced a very funny piece for iRunFar HERE

“I knew before leaving that my Lake Sonoma course record had been broken. Sage Canaday had tattooed my splits onto his arm and run several minutes faster than my time from last year. I called him to congratulate him on the effort, but inside a deep bitterness was brewing that I knew would have to be satisfied someday, most likely violently. So you can imagine my surprise upon learning that both my Grand Canyon double crossing record AND my Transvulcania record had been broken in the span of a week (Rob Krar – 6:21:47 at the GC; K-dog – 6:54:09 at TV). With those records went my few claims to success in the ultrarunning world, and with those claims went my credibility as an athlete. I felt lost. After much thought I realized that my only recourse would be to do what any self-respecting loser would do: deny the point of the records at all and deride the people who put stock in them.”

00:46:10 Talk Training with Marc Laithwaite

01:05:40 The Interviews – Sage Canaday, Timothy Olson, Cameron Clayton & Dave James all discuss Transvulcania and what lies ahead for the future months.

01:06:15 Sage Canaday website HERE

01:20:25 Timothy Olson website HERE

01:41:55 Cameron Clayton website HERE

01:54:35 Dave James website HERE

02:12:10 15 min of fame – Robbie Britton – website HERE

02:28:00 Up & Coming Races

02:32:40 Close

02:36:48

Finally, a BIG thanks to Frosty for being an excellent co host.

Show Links:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/talkultra/Episode_35_-_Jornet_Forsberg_Canaday_Olson_Clayton_James.mp3

ITunes http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/talk-ultra/id497318073

Libsyn – feed://talkultra.libsyn.com/rss

Website – talkultra.com

Transvulcania 2013 Images

Posted on May 16, 2013 by talkultra

copyright Ian Corless - Transvulcania 2013

Images are now available to purchase from Transvulcania 2013 either for personal* or commercial* use. *terms and conditions apply

Gallery Link HERE

Portfolio Link HERE

Fun images HERE

Island in the Sky – La Palma

Posted on May 14, 2013 by talkultra

Following on from Transvulcania I have just seen this incredible movie by Christoph Malin

Video link – http://vimeo.com/53845425

In Christoph’s words….

Inhale the fresh air, smell the refreshing scent of the green pine forests glowing above black volcano sands, no sound but the wind in the trees. A deep blue sky matches with the blue atlantic ocean far below. Epic volcanic trails lead trough an unique archaic landscape. Feel the elements. Be yourself, at the “Island in the Sky”.

This short film, a homage to the beautiful Island of La Palma – “Europe’s Hawaii” – was like a never ending project for me. More than one and a half years of work…. photographing, processing, re-processing, selecting and de-selecting footage, some weeks filming…

I had certain pictures in mind – the scenes, locations, and moods. Every interesting place I had spotted during many stays on the Island while Hiking or guiding Bike Groups was considered.

As often as possible I returned to Palma to let the film get reality (newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2011/08/15/new-astro-timelapse-video-the-island-showcases-astronomy-haven/), but more than once got thrown back – bad weather, equipment malfunction or whatever.

I hiked up Volcanoes, stayed awake all night on stormy ridges, slept like a dead on the beach next morning. Pre-processed nights footage at the Apartment later, to validate what scenes worked, or needed to be repeated. Hurried back up the mountains before sunset for new setups. Finally got some rest and watched the clouds and stars move. Feeling small in the universe. And tired and dizzy, as well.

Night-Timelapse filming is an art, a struggle to live from, tough on your biorhythm – and needs a lot of passion, love and dedication. Passion for the work, love for nature and wilderness, being alone in the night. Back at the office in the timelapse studio it needs dedication and endurance in front of my workstations working trough the image data.

Which is the toughest part for me – I am not the office guy. I hate sitting in front of a Computer screen too much. And that is what you do with Timelapse. Way too much. After cleaning up the project, 906.65 GB and 83846 RAW images and movie-sequences remained for processing. And there is no automatism, each software at the workflow needs to be fed with each sequence separately, to deliver results…

On some key scenes of this film I have even worked over several months, trying different variations on color-reprocessing, iterating them many times. I am still not sure if they are good now. You judge.

Thanks to all who support me, especially my family. Thanks to Babak Tafreshi of Twanight.org for providing the legendary GRANTECAN Intro and MAGIC-from-the-side Footage (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAGIC_(telescope). Props to the Folks at IAC.es and Visitlapalma.es! Horay to the team at TWANight.org for tips and feedback! Awesome to Nikon NPS!

Jesse Hozeny has provided an awesome soundtrack with “Miles High”! This ended a long search!
itunes.apple.com/at/album/niyama-volume-one-two/id39888393

Equipment: Nikon D4, D700, D7000, D3s, AFS 14-24/2.8, AFS 24-70/2.8, AF 50/1.8, AF 16/2.8 and AF-DX 10/2.8 Fisheye. Dynamic Perception Stage Zero Dolly and MX2 Merlin Interface, Vixen Polarie: vixen.co.jp/en/lp/polarie_movie.html

Processing: Nikon View NX, Adobe Lightroom LR4, LRTimelapse, Apple Motion, Final Cut Pro X.

Now dive in, put your earphones on and relax…

Cheers.
Christoph Malin
That Guy with the Tent
Christophmalin.com

P.S.: Check some of my other films:
“Astronomer’s Paradise”, vimeo.com/36972668
“Urban Mountain Sky”, vimeo.com/40969904
“ISS Tronized”, vimeo.com/51499009

Transvulcania a day of fun…

Posted on May 13, 2013 by talkultra

A fun day of markets and relaxing trail runs… such a beautiful island!

Transvulcania RACE DAY ! a quick selection

Posted on May 11, 2013 by talkultra

More to follow….. promise 😉

Sage Canaday – Transvulcania 2013

Posted on May 10, 2013 by talkultra

Sage Canaday Transvulcania 2013 – copyright Ian Corless

Scott Running athlete, Sage Canaday has been burning a trail quite literally in all his recent races. Not only has he been winning, but he has been setting CR’s in almost all his runs. Without doubt he is in form. Along with Cameron Clayton and Adam Campbell, Sage will bring speed and pace to the front of the Transvulcania race.

However, this course is unlike any other race he has run. The long up hill sections of very mixed terrain will break his running stride, in addition, it is going to be hot. These are things that Sage acknowledges may very well throw a curve ball into his race plans. The long descent from the top of the course to Tazacorte will also not be ideal for Sage. But as he says, he is learning every day. I am sure he will learn something new on May 11th.

YouTube HERE

Links:

Sage Canaday – HERE
Scott Running – HERE
Transvulcania 2013 – HERE
Skyrunning – HERE

Scott T2 Kinabalu Review

Posted on March 30, 2013 by talkultra

Sage Canaday, Marco De Gasperi, Ian Sharman and Joe Gray amongst others are utilising the benefits of the new Scott range of run shoes, you may very well want to take a more in-depth look at the 2013 offerings yourself?

Scott Running brand.

I did a review of the Scott eRide Grip 2 some time ago, I used the shoe extensively on the trails out in La Palma on the Transvulcania La Palma course. In summary, the shoe really impressed me. It had the combination of factors that makes a shoe great to wear. You can read the review HERE

Impressions

I have now had the Scott T2 Kinabalu for a couple of months. The design of this shoe has had great input from legendary mountain runner Marco De Gasperi and the T2 Kinabalu shows that all the great features of the Scott eRide Grip 2 have been transferred to the T2 Kinabalu but in a lighter more streamlined shoe. Sizing was true to size and the drop is 11mm.

From the moment I first put the shoes on, adjusted the laces and stepped out of the door and headed of for a one hour run the T2 Kinabalu put a smile on my face. A mile of road to my local trails felt comfortable and the shoes offered grip, cushioning and a wonderful ‘return’ of energy to the next foot strike. I bounced along. On trail the grip was secure and reassuring. I did find that my heel was moving a little initially but I re-laced the shoe differently and suddenly my foot was held secure and tight.

I have been through thick mud, snow, ice, hard trail, rocks, mountains and water crossings and have accumulated some 400+ miles in these shoes. Here are my thoughts.

Upper

At the front of the shoe, protection runs around the toe area providing adequate protection should you strike rocks or roots. The toe box is wide providing plenty of room but not so much room that they become loose. Your toes are able to spread and help provide feel and contact with the ground. At the rear your heel is held firm with no hot spots. The upper is light, breathable and colourful! I like the colour and the boldness of the shoe but some may very well find them a little OTT. It all comes down to personal taste. Within the upper is a support structure (synthetic overlay) that helps hold the foot in place. The laces are not as ‘stretchy’ as those on the Grip 2 but they have a texture too them that ‘grips’. This holds the laces firm and once adjusted I have had no need to tighten them when running. A nice touch is the elastic bungee on the front of the shoe that allows you to pass excess lace underneath so that it does not flap around. It’s not as fancy or extravagant as the ‘Salomon Lace Garage’ but it does the job well.

Midsole

The midsole has ‘Aero Foam’ which is Scott’s own technology and for a more minimalist shoe it provides great cushioning and feel for the ground. After several runs the midsole ‘bedded’ in and started to mould to my foot providing additional comfort. The sock liner is perforated and the midsole has ‘drainage’ ports to allow water to escape. A real plus in wet weather or water crossings. The platform of the shoe is wide and offers great grip, it has no cut away for the arch or any additional features that cut into the sole, so, what you have is great platform that creates maximum contact with the ground. You can really feel it. Without doubt the shoe is neural and low to the ground. It has all the feel and benefits of a minimalist shoe or racing flat but with cushioning.

eRide

One of the great aspects of this shoe is the eRide sole. As I explain below, the eRide technology is designed to make you a more efficient runner. By efficient, I mean striking the ground with a mid to fore-foot toe off. But an 11mm ‘drop’ normally would not promote this run style… step in eRide. Strike the ground with your heel and you feel the shoe propel you forward. Now I am a mid-foot striker but going downhill I felt the shoe throw me forward all the time, encouraging me to make the most of the hill and encouraging me to save my quads by stopping me braking.

Sole

Grip is not as severe as the eRide Grip 2 model but its greater than many shoes in it’s class and provides excellent traction on hard trail, rocks, ice, snow and wet ground. On muddy ground it provides some traction but not as much as the Grip 2. What I love about the T2 Kinabalu is its ability to transfer between all types of terrain providing great feel and comfort. These features are transferred even to road or pavement and I would have no problem running long stretches of road in the T2 Kinabalu.

Summary

I have been testing many pairs of shoes recently and I now use the T2 Kinabalu as my benchmark shoe. It has everything in one package; cushioning, light weight, great feel with the ground, comfort, security and most importantly the ability to handle a multitude of different terrains. If I was only allowed one pair of shoes, the T2 Kinabalu would be it.

A recent shoe test in ‘Trail Runnning‘ magazine also appointed the T2 Kinabalu as “Best In Test’ in the April 2013 edition.

T2 Kinabalu Information and Statistics

The T2 Kinabalu is the ultimate lightweight trail machine according to Scott. Maximum protection and traction with minimal weight. An ideal balance of lightweight materials, cushioning, protection and quick response thanks to eRide Technology. Shaped for smooth transition whether you are striking on the heel, mid foot or forefoot to adapt to the varied terrain. Our lightest trail shoe with uncompromised traction and protection, featuring an AeroFoam midsole, which is 50% lighter than traditional EVA foams.

eRIDE

Get that fleet-footed feeling with our eRide range. The unique rocker shape creates a very stable midstance, promoting the faster and more efficient running style that runners strive for. You`ll be rocking as the miles roll by.

The benefits:

1. Healthier body position

2. More energy efficient

3. Natural midfoot strike

4. Lower profile heel

5. Smoother ride

6. Minimal and lighter weight

Aero Foam

Working with our athletes, we always hear that they would like to run in lighter shoes, but are not willing to sacrifice any cushioning performance. So, we found an alternative to the EVA foam used in most running shoes. SCOTT Aero Foam combines lightweight materials with a wear resistant compound, resulting in shoes that are lighter, have more cushioning and last longer than traditional running shoes.

Specs

Weight 270g for UK9
Drop 11mm
eRideComposite push-through plate
AeroFoamWet traction rubber
Lace bungy
Upper: Mesh/Synthetic Overlays
Lower: EVA/rubber

Scott Website HERE

Tarawera update

Posted on March 16, 2013 by talkultra

Locals Vajin Armstrong, Brendan Davies and Mick Donges had spent a summer preparing for what was almost certainly the most high profile race to have been staged in this part of the world.

Vajin Armstrong had been doing some crazy mileage in training each week (over 200k) in the build up to the event and was most definitely fired up to take the race to the ‘Yanks’. Fast man Brendan Davies was equally fired up and on paper certainly had the potential to give Sage and Timmy a race. Mick Donges as the 2012 winner of the race had some added pressure on his shoulders but he was in shape.

Sage Canaday was coming into this race as a relative newbie. His progression from a 2:16 marathon runner into one of the best ultra runners in the world (up to 100k) is nothing short of miraculous. He showed incredible strength in 2012 with some stunning wins and he showed this form had carried over to 2013 with a great win and course record at Bandera 100k.

Timmy Olson on the other hand had most definitely kicked back after Western States and had enjoyed getting married and was relishing the birth of his son. He also started the year at Bandera but raced the 50k. Although winning the event, his time was slower than Sages’ split time for the distance. However post Bandera Timmy had knuckled down and pre Tarawewra had stated he had had some great training and was ‘in shape’.

Race Day

Fast is probably the easiest way to describe it. Brendan Davies set an early pace that almost seemed like suicide. He was either in the shape of his life and was going to teach everyone else in the race a lesson or he was going to crash and burn. Ultimately it turned out to be neither. He most certainly dominated the race over the opening 20km by gaining a 1 minute lead but had to ease back as Sage took over the race and by the 45km mark, Sage was pulling away from a chasing Brendan Davies and Vajin Armstrong with Timmy Olson and Mick Donges following.

At 40km Sage had a 6/7 minute lead and he then seemed to turn the after burners on. He just seemed to be getting faster and faster. At half way he had a 12 minute lead and in reality we looked back into the field and had to decide who was likely to take 2nd place.

Timmy Olson took over the reins at the front of the chasers and started to move away from Vajin Armstrong. It now seemed that Brendan Davies was paying for that first 20km’s and Mick Donges now in 5th was heard saying “I am saving myself for the final 15km”.

Feedback in the latter stages of the race became sporadic due the difficulty with comms. I had been told at one point that Sage had a 20 min lead. I had just posted on Facebook that I expected Sage to finish in approximately 10 min and Bryon Powell from iRunFar tweeted that Sage was in the final 2/3km.

But then the shocker…. a following tweet saying Timmy was only 2/3 min behind. Really? Had Timmy closed that gap?

Sage went on to say after the race “yeah, I went a little too fast in the middle and it almost got me in the end!”

Sage held on and crossed the line in 8:53:30 managing to avoid a sprint finish.

Timmy really had paced himself perfectly and to be honest, if the race had been a little longer he may very well have taken the win. But hey, the finish line is where it is and he crossed it in 8:56:45. I am still not sure of what the gap between the two front men stretched too but 12 mins or 20 mins, Timmy did a great job of closing down.

Vajin Armstrong took the final slot on the podium in 9:39:45 and was followed by Brendan Davies in 9:51:50 and Mick Donges in 9:59:47.

In the ladies race pre race favourite Ruby Muir absolutely dominated a small field and led from start to finish. New to the 100km distance she showed experience beyond her years. My pre race prediction that she would be doing some ‘chicking’ while out on the course came to fruision. She crossed the line winning the ladies race in 10:30:07. Her time was fast enough for a 7th overall. Impressive.

At the time of writing updates on the remaining ladies have been sporadic but Beth Cardelli a certainly looked likely to be taking a podium slot.

Update ladies result

2nd Beth Cardelli : 11:43:56

3rd Kelly Harrington : 14:23:56

4th Raewynne Blommerde 14:35:55

5th Kate Townsley : 15:54:13

Tarawera website HERE
Results HERE

We must remember that other races did take place, a 60km and 85km event. Notable interest for these events are the relay pairings of Francois d’Haene and Emelie Forsberg going head-to-head against Rickey Gates and Anna Frost in the 85km. Also, Salomon Team manager, Greg Vollet was racing in the 60km.

It’s TARAWERA time

Posted on March 15, 2013 by talkultra

“The quality of the field is amazing,” says Charteris, with a grin. “The 2013 Tarawera Ultra will be the most competitive long distance running event in New Zealand since the 1990 Commonwealth Games marathon.” Paul Charteris, RD

I shouldn’t say it but I guess I must, I am starting with a negative. After some serious smack down talk just months ago, Anton Krupicka has pulled out of the Tarawera race. This is not breaking news, he actually stated this on his blog a couple of weeks ago but it is sad news for the race and for Anton.

“I decided over a week ago to not make the trip down to New Zealand for the Tarawera 100K in 10 days, and despite my hip showing significant improvement I know it was the right choice. I’ve done no long runs of any type since December and don’t have any desire to travel all that way to muddle through 62 miles with poor fitness and a very likely chance of re-injuring myself”

However a race will go ahead and the missing Anton just means one less name in a stacked field. The European contingent of Francois d”Haene, Emelie Forsberg, Greg Vollet will not mix it up in the ‘main event’. Francois announced at the press conference that he stepped down to the 80km relay and would partner Emelie Forsberg. That will mean that the Francois/Emelie show will be going head-to-head against Salomon teammates Rickey Gates and Anna Frost.

The Main Event

As announced earlier in the week, the main race is now even tougher as the course has had some modifications due to fire risk. You can read the post HERE.

The Men

Ultimately, particularly in the mens race race it is the Southern Hemisphere against the USA. The USA have three top representatives toeing the line in the land of the Hobbits.

Timothy Olson, Jason Schlarb and Sage Canaday.

Without doubt, my hot tip is Sage Canaday. Sage throws some freakish speed into the mix. A 2:16 marathoner, he has recently switched to ultra distance racing and became the United States 100km trail champion. He started 2013 by running a stunning course record at Bandera 100k in 8:13:49. His marathon training background and natural speed make him a danger on any course. He may not be used to high mountains but Tarawera will suit him. You can listen to an interview with Sage Canaday on Talk Ultra episode 27.

Timothy Olson needs no introduction after his incredible run at Western States in 2012. Married life and the birth of his son saw him take a more relaxed approach to 2012 and he too started 2013 by running at Bandera but in the shorter 50km race. Although he won that race his pace was casual. It was very much a ‘getting into a new year run’. Since then he has put in the miles and has knuckled down and says he is in good shape. He is without doubt a contender for the podium but I can’t help but think his passions and motivations will be concentrated on Western States and the UTMB. It is still very early in the year for him.

In contrast, Jason Schlarb looks ready for this race. He has spent several months in the Southern Hemisphere preparing so he is going to feel relaxed and adapted. Unlike Sage and Timmy who are really only just starting a racing season, Jason is in the thick of it. This will play into his hands. He has the speed to be up a the front and with Sage and Timmy taking the limelight he may just slip under the radar and take many by surprise.

With USA contingent covered we now look at the Southern Hemisphere.

Vajin Armstrong, Brendan Davies, Mick Donges and Dave Eadie.

My tip here would be Brendan Davies. Brendan really is super focused on this event. Like Sage he brings a real speed element to the race and I wouldn’t be surprised to see these two battling at the front for much of the day. I interviewed Brendan for episode 23 Talk Ultra and you can listen to that HERE. Brendan has recently run a 3:16 50k at Stromlo and he is a top 100k runner.

Mick Donges comes to this race with some pressure on his shoulders as last years winner. I spent time with Mick in 2012 in and around Sierre Zinal and UTMB. He is certainly a talent and he has the speed to go with it. However, pressure and the big occasion can seem to affect him. They don’t get any bigger that Tarawera this year so how will he hold up? Mick ran the famous six foot track marathon just last weekend (was that a good idea?) in 3:35.

Vajin Armstrong wants this race. I actually really think he had focused his mind on taking on Anton after the ‘smack down’ talk months ago and as such has been doing some really heavy training. He won the 2012 Kepler Challenge in 4:55:24 and like Brendan he will be pushing for the win or at least, the podium.

Finally Dave Eadie is without doubt a quality runner but I don’t think he will be in the mix for the podium. No disrespect for Dave (honestly Dave). He has done it all… just last year he was at Badwater crushing out those 135 miles in the soaring heat. He has run Western States and has been a multiple 100k champ. He will go out strong and hope he can hold on.

Who do I predict? Sage Canaday. To be honest, I think he will run hard and smash it. Lets just hope he doesn’t go off course.

The Women

I guess with Anna Frost and Emelie Forsberg taking some spice out of the ladies race by running the relay we have four who will fight for the podium.

Ruby Muir, Candice Burt, Shona Stephenson and Beth Cardelli.

“The ultra-racing world is keen to see how 21-year-old Barefoot Inc sponsored, Ruby Muir from Napier will handle the distance”, says Charteris. “She’s unbeaten – including winning her first ever ultra distance run when she stormed away from the field at the 2012 60k Kepler Challenge in Te Anau.”

Beth Cardelli won the last eight events she entered in her home country. That is impressive! She was Australia’s ultra athlete of the year but having had some recent injury issues it does look like her emphasis will be on a good consistent run to lay a foundation for racing some of the 2013 Skyrunning calendar.

Shona Stephenson, like Cardelli had a really impressive 2012. She has recently won a 50km in Victoria but I don’t see her beating Ruby Muir.

Finally, Candice Burt placed 3rd at Hurt 100 and she also had a top 3 placing at the Tahoe Rim Trail. She most certainly has the endurance but does she have the speed. It may very well be that if Beth Cardelli really is not in perfect form that Candice can take that 3rd podium slot or maybe even the 2nd if she has a great day.

Who do I predict? Ruby Muir. She is new to the 100k distance but I think she will lead this race out and may very well ‘chick’ a few guys in the process.

Interviews are available on Talk Ultra as listed below:

Brendan Davies episode 23 HERE
Timothy Olson episode 12 HERE
Anton Krupicka episode 19 HERE
Anna Frost episode 3 and 9 HERE & HERE
Emelie Forsberg episode 28 HERE

“It’s like organising a local bicycle race and having half of the Tour de France peloton show up for the ride,” says Charteris, as he scoped out a section of the course in Rotorua’s world-renowned Whakarewarewa Forest. “It’s humbling – and frankly, scary.”

Race coverage will come from ULTRA168 and iRUNFAR and I will help spread what they provide via Talk Ultra
Race website HERE
Results will be available HERE

Tararwera is going to be HOT!

Posted on March 11, 2013 by talkultra

Fire risk makes ultramarathon even tougher

Extreme fire danger means that New Zealand’s Vibram Tarawera Ultramarathon100 kilometre-long run will be even tougher to complete for the 430-strong field.

The event is on this Saturday, March 16 and was scheduled to run from Rotorua to Kawerau in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty. However, because of a prolonged drought the fire risk is so high the last 40 kilometres of the course is now closed to the event organisers.

Instead of finishing on relatively easy forestry roads in Kawerau, the runners will turn-around at the 60km mark of the race – right next to the Tarawera Falls – and run another marathon over rugged, hilly trails.

“Mind you, ‘easy’ really is a relative term,” says event organiser, Paul Charteris. “Once you’ve been running for 60km, the thought of running another marathon of any sort is mind-boggling, even for the most experienced runners.”

The Tarawera Ultramarathon has a reputation as being relentlessly tough – but achievable – even for a first-time ultra runner.

“I’m afraid this new course is going to break some of those runners,” continues Charteris. “It’ll mercilessly eat them up and spit them out.”

For those who may get chewed-up on race day, the Tarawera Ultra has shorter options with an 85km and an 60km distance. Both will be run on many of the same trails as the 100 kilometre distance.

“The choice to re-route the course was an straightforward one,” says Charteris. “The safety of runners, spectators and volunteers is always the number one priority.”

For the runners, the last minute curve ball throws in some new challenges.

With more of the route being covered by rocks, roots and hills, runners will need to conserve more energy for later in the race. The winner of the 100km event is expected to finish in a little over eight and a half hours. The final finisher is expected home just before midnight.

Many of the world’s best off road distance runners will be racing Tarawera. For the European and North American favourites, this is their first clash of 2013. The world’s ultra running media are keen to see how they fare against the best from down under, including top runners from Australia.

“Christchurch’s Vajin Armstrong will be defending Kiwi honour in the men’s race and 21-year-old ultra phenom Ruby Muir in the women’s 100k race,” adds Charteris. “Both runners are sponsored by American brand, UltrAspire.”

Armstrong has been running an astonishing 250km per week to prepare for the race, while Muir has continued her habit of winning every race she’s entered.

Many of the Northern hemisphere athletes have already arrived to get acclimatised to the heat and to course conditions.

Francois d'Haene TNFUTMB 2012 copyright Ian Corless

France’s Francois D’Haene, a professional athlete from the European-based Salomon Racing Team, has been training in the South Island, getting acclimated to the roots and rocks of New Zealand trails. In 2012, D’Haene won the coveted Ultra Trail Mont Blanc title in his home country, with over 2000 runners in the field.

For Race Director, Charteris, it’s been a hectic few days re-arranging the course. There’s an army of dedicated volunteers putting on long hours to make sure the race come off smoothly. An added complication is that large sections of the race are now only accessible by boat.

“I’m trying to figure out a way to transport about 20 volunteers and about quarter of a million calories worth of food across Lake Tarawera,” he says.

Rotorua is renowned for hosting a number of international sporting events. In 2006 the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championship were in Rotorua and the Single Speed World Champs were held in the Whakarewarewa Forest in 2010.

On race day, running shoes will replace wheels on many of the same trails.

“With this sort of fierce competition, there will be a large national and international media following for this race,” adds Charteris. It will be a big week for the region.”