Vertical Kilometer Bellevarde Face 2014 – Race Preview

Posted on July 8, 2014 by talkultra

Val d’Isere has a great history with the Vertical Kilometer, way back in ‘96’ the ISF were the first to organize a VK here!

A time lapse of 9-years since 2005 and Val d’Isere has re connected with the ethos of the VK using the Olympic Bellevarde Face. For many years, Marco De Gasperi held the VK world record here of 34-minutes and 41-seconds until the Italian was dethroned by a fellow countryman and VK specialist; Urban Zemmer.

The Vertical Kilometer has traditionally started at the foot of the Olympic Bellevarde face on “the board” in the heart of the Parc des Sports Charles Diebold in the center Val d’Isere.

The route then takes the greater part of what was the route of the men’s downhill Olympic Winter Games ski route (1992), won by Austrian Patrick Ortlieb.

It’s a tough course; 2.9Km’s in length and reaches an altitude of 2809m. Average gradients over the course are 35%, however, in places it reaches 63% as presented in the first hundred meters.

Including steep passages at 49% and 56% gradient, the sting comes with the famous passage of the Columbine at 55%. Followed by gentle slopes of the Great Wall (51%) a refreshment station is provided before the push to the line passing ‘Catherine Dent’ (50%) and then a finish loop passes the Bellevarde restaurant and the arrival is at a wooden start cabin at an altitude of 2809m.

Records:

Men: Marco DE GASPERI (ITA) en 34’51” (2003)

Women: Antonella CONFORTOLA (ITA) en 42’48” (2002)

Stats:

Finish Elevation: 2 809 m

Length: 2 905 m

Altitude gain: 1000 m

Maximum Gradient: 63 %

Minimum Gradient: 15 %

Average Gradient: 35 %

The Vertical Kilometer Bellevarde Face is part of the 2014 Skyrunner® World Series and will be followed by the Ice Trail Tarentaise 2-days later (preview for the ITT HERE)

Who is racing in 2014?

MEN

Urban Zemmer

Urban Zemmer is a VK specialist and this course will suit his style. Urban is odds on favourite for victory.

©iancorless.com_©iancorless.com-1607MontBlancVK_2014

Aritz Egea

Aritz Egea a consistent performer in mountain races over the Sky distance, his recent top placing at the Mont-Blanc VK bodes well.

Marco Facchinelli like Zemmer specializes in the VK distance and he was 2^nd in the Skyrunner® World Series 2013. Withdarwn

Marco Moletto finished offthe 2013 Skyrunner® World Series podium with 3^rd place and therefore will be in contention in Val d’Isere.

Ferran Texeido

Thorbjorn Ludvigsen

Thorbjorn Ludvigsen

Augusti Roc currently 4^th in the 2014 Skyrunner® World Series

Nil Cardona

Marc Casal Mir

Oscar Casal Mir

David Garcia

Marc Pinsach

LADIES

Laura Orgue

Laura Orgue Skyrunner® World Series VK champion in 2013 and recently crowned VK World Champion in Chamonix id hot favourite for the top spot.

Antonella Confortola at Canazei VK

Antonella Confortola course record holder and a formidable force in any VK.

Stevie Kremer

Stevie Kremer placed 2^nd in her 1^st VK in Chamonix and with no other race to hold back for, Stevie may just top the podium. Withdarwn

Emelie Forsberg needs to introduction, great going uphill and downhill. Emelie will be in the mix for the podium.

Christel Dewalle like Emelie will run the VK and the Ultra and stands a great chance to be on both podiums.

Kasie Enman placed 6^th in Chamonix. Withdarwn

Stephanie Jimenez

Oihana Azkorbebeitia

Celine Lafaye

LINKS

Skyrunning HERE

Race websites

Ice Trail Tarentaise 2014 Race Preview

Posted on July 7, 2014 by talkultra

The stunning alpine village of Val d’Isère is the official home of the next two races in the Skyrunner® World Series: the Ice Trail Tarentaise and Bellvarde Vertical Kilometer. The ITT starts and concludes in this beautiful mountain retreat and as the name suggests, it is also the source of the Isère River. The Isère flows through some of the most iconic mountain landscape available. It is a haven for alpinists wanting to test themselves on the iconic slopes of Meribel, Val Thorens, Courchavel; it is affectionately known as the ‘Le Trois Vallees’.

The Tarentaise valley and the Ice Trail Tarentaise in many respects personify what Kilian Jornet has been pursuing for years, the term ‘Alpinism’ is often perceived as climbing but it is so much more.

The race route has over 60 km’s above 2000m altitude and with a highest point of 3653m at ‘Grande Motte’ this is a race not to be taken lightly. Memories of the Tour de France flood into my mind when I discuss this region, however, other than the highest paved mountain pass at the ‘Col de L’Iseran’ at 2770m, no bicycles will be seen.

Traversing glaciers, ascending and descending summits such as ‘Aiguille Pers’ at 3386m, participants in the 2014 Ice Trail Tarentaise will no doubt have a full appreciation of what Kilian and others like him strive for when they coin the term, Alpinism.

Ropes, ladders, way markers, peaks at over 3000m and 5000m +/- ascent and descent guarantees that not all those who toe the line will see the finish. It is a tough-tough race, no doubt!

65km / 5000mD + –

Starting July 13, 2014 at 04:00 / Centre station Val d’Isère.

Men

Luis Alberto Hernando

Luis Alberto Hernado is on a roll in 2014. Victor at Transvulcania La Palma and recently crowned Skyrunning World Champion for the Ultra distance in Chamonix, one has to say that Luis is the hot favourite for glory in Val d’Isère. Running with 100% commitment, Luis is a frightening force on any trail or mountain and his commitment is motivating. Tempered with a wonderful friendly nature, Luis is without doubt an increasingly popular choice by ultra, trail and Skyrunning aficionados. I for one hugely respect Luis’s ability and his approachable, modest and friendly nature. Luis has great experience of snow and ice and although the ITT field has depth, this may well be a re run of Hernando and d’Haene going head-to-head.

Francois d’Haene

François d’Haene ran toe-to-toe with Kilian Jornet for the 2013 edition of the ITT and it was only in the latter stages of the race that Kilian clicked up a gear and pulled away for victory. Francois, like Luis is an extremely talented and likeable guy! I know this isn’t a personality contest but the addition of good characteristics helps. Francois produced a remarkable UTMF victory a couple of months ago and just last week placed 2^nd behind Luis in Chamonix for the Skyrunning worlds. I have to say that I think that Francois may just have the edge of Luis on this course. One thing is for sure; it’s going to be real close and a great battle.

Ricky Lightfoot had to miss the Skyrunning worlds due to work pressure so I am really excited to se him toe the line in Val d’Isère. He’s an incredible talent and may well just slip under the radar at Tarentaise. In 2013 Ricky had a couple of incredible results, particularly at The Otter in South Africa and IAU World Trail Championships. In 2014, Ricky beat Tom Owens at the iconic Three Peaks fell race, so, we can expect a great performance. Withdrawn

Tom Owens

Tom Owens ran his first ultra in May at Transvulcania La Palma and placed well within the top-10 with a world-class performance. At Zegama-Aizkorri the impact of Transvulcania took its toll and although Tom had a great run it was probably a little below expectation. Jump to one week ago and Tom made the final podium slot behind Kilian Jornet and Michel Lanne at the SKY distance in the Skyrunning World Championships. Ice Trail will be a real test and adventure for Tom but I think we can expect to see him in the mix.

Fulvio Dapit placed 4^th at this race last year and I have no reason to think that an equal or better performance can be expected in 2014. The only question mark will come in regard to Fulvio’s recovery. He raced at Lavaredo Ultra Trail just 7-days ago and was a dominant force over the first half of the race.

Caine Warburton

Caine Warburton from Australia was one of the Aussie trio who placed in the top-10 in Chamonix. Needless to say, this has placed Caine from well under the radar to a ‘one-to-watch.’ Ice Trail Tarentaise however will be a very different race to the one experienced in the Skyrunning World Champs. Caine’s performance will come down to 2-key elements: recovery post Chamonix and his ability to run on snow and ice. He’s a top-10 contender.

Matt Cooper is another Aussie who raced in Chamonix but he had a below par performance, particularly if we compare it to his 2013 Ronda dels Cims performance. I personally think that Ice Trail may well suit Matt’s skill set and although the podium may be ambitious, a top-5 and certainly top-10 is a distinct possibility.

Pau Bortololo Roca has placed in and around the top-10 consistently at high-key races. In 2014, Pau has won 2-races: Ultra Trail Barcelona and Transgrancanaria 82km. Unless a disaster happens at the front of the race, I don’t see Pau a contender for the win but top-5 is a distinct possibility and should all things align, the podium is not out of reach.

Aurelien Dunand-Pallaz placed 7^th at the 2013 CCC showing a skill level that will transfer to Ice Trail and place the Team Adidas runner a contender for top-10. A recent 11^th place at the Maxi Race in Annecy and top-10 at Mont-Blanc 80km shows he has great form. However, Aurelien may only race the VK? (tbc)

Ones to watch:

Marc Casal Mir – 21^st at Transvulcania La Palma 2014.

Scott Hawker – 7^th at Lavaredo Ultra Trail just 7-days ago.

Jordi Bes Ginesta – 17^th at Transvulcania La Palma 2014.

Ladies

Emelie Forsberg Ice-Trail Tarentaise ©iancorless.com

I don’t wish to put a down on the ladies race but I just don’t see anyone coming close to Emelie Forsberg if she has anything like the form she displayed at the Skyrunning World Championships. Emelie showed everyone a clean pair of ‘Sense’ last year and dominated the ladies race by almost 1-hour. Her performance was so strong that the ever smiley and happy Swede ‘chicked’ most of the men’s field. Emelie is outright winner barring an accident and top-10 contender overall ((maybe even top-5!)

Maud Gobert is racing less these days, however, when she races she personifies that class is permanent as shown in Chamonix 7-days ago with another top quality performance. Maud may have all the potential to take either podium slot.

Anna-Lise Rousset placed 5^th at Transvulcania La Palma in 2014 and will be looking to repeat that performance in Val d’Isère. In reality, 2^nd or 3^rd on the podium will be the target. Ice Trail will be a new challenge though; one can’t look at the distance of 65km and think it will be easy. It’s a whole new ball game.

Alesandra Carlini

Alessandra Carlini has moved up a level recently and although I see her offering no contest to Emelie, she will be in the mix fighting for the podium and most definitely a top-5 possibility. In 2014, Alessandra placed 2^nd at MSIG Sai Kung 50 and 10^th at Transvulcania La Palma.

Laia Andreu Trias has only two significant results that I am aware of and both of those come from Cavalls del Vent: 6^th in 2012 and 3^rd in 2013.

Ones to watch:

Judit Lamas Borraz

Alexis Traub

Info

2013 results Top-10 Men

Jornet 7:35:32
d’haene 7:40:13
Reiter 8:12:38

2013 results Top-10 Ladies

Forsberg 9:11:11
Dewalle 10:08:58
Canepa 10:31:59

Skyrunning website HERE

Ice Trail Tarentaise website HERE

Skyrunning World Championships 2014 – Important Information

Posted on June 10, 2014 by talkultra

Since the creation of the Mont-Blanc Cross in 1979, the Mont-Blanc Marathon in 2003, the Vertical Kilometer in 2011 and the Mont-Blanc 80KM in 2013, the Club des Sports de Chamonix has never ceased to improve events. This year with the Skyrunning World Championships, the organisers once again confirm the quality of the event and announce new changes: a bigger race expo, the creation of a bridge at Tre Le Champs to secure the road crossing, a new finish line for the Cross and Marathon, and finally a more in-depth Web TV diffusion.

At the end of June 2014, 6500 runners and over 13000 of their supporters are expected in Chamonix for the Mont-Blanc Marathon weekend. The race expo that reunites sports manufacturers and the different trail races found throughout the world will open their doors on the Place du Mont-Blanc on June 26, 27 & 28 2014. The expo provides an area to purchase last minute items for the race and to also discover the latest summer trends.

The race-bib pick-up (previous years at the ENSA gymnasium) will be positioned at the Place du Mont-Blanc square in a big tent especially erected for the occasion.

Program

Race-bib pick up at the Place du Mont-Blanc in Chamonix
Thursday June 26, 2014: 10:00am – 20:00
Friday June 27, 2014: 3:00am – 4:00am for the 80KM and 10:00am – 20:00 for the other races
Saturday June 28, 2014: 7:00am – 20:00
Sunday June 29, 2014: 5:00am – 6:30am

Friday June 27, 2014:

Place du Triangle de l’Amitié

4:00am : Start of the MONT-BLANC 80KM

18:00 – midnight : Meal offered to runners of the 80KM (sports complex)

16:00 : Start of the VERTICAL KM

From 18:00 onwards: Meal offered to runners of the Vertical KM (sports complex)

20:30: Awards ceremony

Saturday June 28, 2014

Paragliding Landing Field

8:30am: Start of the MONT-BLANC CROSS

9:00am: Start of the MONT-BLANC 10KM (start in 3 waves)

11:30am: Mini- Cross (starts depending on age categories)

12:00pm: Mini-Cross Raffle

Richard Bozon Sports Complex

From 11:00am onwards: Buffet for Mont-Blanc Cross (free for runners of the cross)

From 18:30 onwards: Pasta Party for the Mont-Blanc Marathon

Place du Triangle de l’Amitié

15:30: Award ceremony for the Mont-Blanc 10KM

16:00: Award ceremony for the Mont-Blanc CROSS

16:30: Award ceremony for the Mont-BLanc 80KM

17:00 Raffle

Sunday June 29, 2014

Place du Triangle de l’Amitie

7:00am: Start of the MONT-BLANC MARATHON

17:00: Raffle for the Mont-Blanc Marathon

Richard Bozon Sports Complex

From 11:00am onwards: Buffet for Mont-Blanc Marathon (free for marathon runners)

Important Information:

New Finish Line & New Viewpoints!

The large mass of people the past few years at the finish line (Planpraz at Brevent) for the Mont-Blanc Marathon & Cross no longer offered a satisfactory experience for runners nor the public.

The finish line will now be on the plateau just before the top of the cable car station of Planpraz (near the paragliding take-off area).

To reach the finish line runners will take-on one final ‘wall’….the public will be in close proximity to support the athletes in their last effort as they benefit from the most beautiful view of the Mont-Blanc range.

Follow the events live via WebTV

In 2012, 10,000 connections were registered during the Vertical KM. In 2013 there were 125,000 connections during the weekend (diffused live for an average of 3 hours per day).

This year the organizers once again will be offering WebTV for users with a complete program, events diffused live, official presentations of athletes each evening, exclusive interviews with the world’s best, and many other surprises.

Even from the other side of the world people will be able to be at the heart of the event on www.montblancmarathon.fr

******

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2013 Skyrunner® World Series Champion, Stevie Kremer to race Northern Ireland’s Mourne Skyline MTR

Posted on May 30, 2014 by talkultra

Fresh from victory at the 2014 Zegama-Aizkorri Skyrunner® World Series, Skyrunning UK are pleased to announce that Salomon athlete, American Stevie Kremer will race the brand new Mourne Skyline MTR on October 18^th 2014.

Stevie is arguably the best female SKY distance runner on the scene at the moment. Winning Mont-Blanc Marathon, Pikes Peak and Limone Extreme in 2013, secured Stevie the Skyrunner® World Series title and elevated the pocket rocket from Colorado from hot, to super hot!

With her infectious smile and ability on the mountain, Stevie will be an incredible asset not only to the Mourne Skyline MTR race but to all trail and mountain running in the UK.

“Creating Skyrunning UK was all about bringing the ethos and feel of European events to our shores and in time, creating some of the buzz as witnessed in the Alps, Pyrenees or the Dolomites,’ said Skyrunning UK director, Ian Corless ‘Stevie is at the forefront of Skyrunning, she is an incredible talent, a bubbly personality and to have her arrive on our shores and race is a dream come true. It was always my aim… in reality, I had hoped this would happen in 2017 but to have Stevie join us in year one is just incredible and the boost we all need.’

Ryan Maxwell, race director for the Mourne Skyline MTR can’t believe his luck. ‘When we announced our race we had an incredible response with entries flooding in. To now find out that Stevie Kremer will join us for the inaugural event, really is the icing on the cake. Racing is about every runner; from first to last. However, elite runners provide inspiration for all of us and Stevie leads by example; she is a role model for Skyrunning and we will be honoured by her presence at our race.’

A long-term aim has always been to have a new UK event included in the Skyrunner® World Series, should that happen, the best-of-the-best will travel to the UK to race. Stevie’s presence in year one provides a pathway to that objective. The world’s top teams and athletes pitting themselves against UK athletes. Imagine it; imagine what that would do for the sport in the UK! We have some great races and although we have attracted International athletes in the past to Snowdon and Ben Nevis, it has almost gone un-noticed. The time is now right. We all need to pool together and help grow the sport.

Lauri van Houten, executive director for the ISF (International Skyrunning Federation) had this to say, ‘The Skyrunner® National Series were created to grow Skyrunning on a national level globally – to give as many runners as possible the “feel” of a Skyrunning race and a chance to win a place in an international World Series event. The UK Skyrunning races hold enormous promise and look set to attract an international field. Stevie’s decision to take part in Northern Ireland is a great boost for the race and the new Skyrunner® UK National Series.’

Salomon athlete, Andy Symonds summed the thought process up perfectly, ‘The UK may lack the altitude of the Italian Alps, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have proper mountains! Steep, rough, beautiful mountains are a plenty in the UK – so let’s organize some Skyrunning races up them!’

The sport is growing at all levels. In time a series of UK based Skyrunning teams similar to the model that inov-8 have created is a distinct possibility. The Skyrunner® National Series provides not only a great structure for the sport but it also provides a springboard for UK athletes to race in other countries but equally, we hope to attract foreign athletes to race on home soil.

Speaking from Colorado, Stevie said, ‘It looks amazing and it’s during my fall break, so I am in! I love the idea of that much climbing.’

Stevie Kremer’s presence in 2014 at the Mourne Skyline MTR has started the ball rolling much sooner than we anticipated…

Let’s keep it rolling!

****

Follow Skyrunning UK HERE

ISF HERE

Skyrunning UK 2014 Calendar: HERE

V3K

28th June 2014
Distance: 55km
Elevation: 4000m +/-
Race venue: Nant Gwynant
Race website: HERE

Peaks SkyRace enter HERE

August 3rd
Distance: 29.7m
Elevation gain: 2012m
Elevation loss: 2012m
Website: HERE

3×3 Ultra enter HERE

4th October 2014
Distance: 80km
Elevation: 4000m +/-
Race venue: Keswick, Cumbria.
Race website: HERE

Mourne Skyrline MTR enter HERE

18th October
Distance: 35km
Elevation: 3370m
Race venue: Newcastle, Northern Ireland.
Race website: HERE

Skyrunning UK is sponsored by:

Chris Steele (inov-8) wins Santa Cruz Extreme

Posted on April 26, 2014 by talkultra

photo European Mountain Marathons Series

Chris Steele, inov-8, headed out to Tenerife to tackle the gruelling 42km Santa Cruz Extreme in preparation for the UK’s Three Peaks and the first Skyrunner World series event, Zegama-Aizkorri. Returning to the UK with a big international win under his belt, Chris will be one-to-watch when the elite toe the start line in North Yorkshire on Saturday.

Blog post by Chris Steele, courtesy of inov-8 and Chris Steele.

‘Oh man…. I’ve blown it!’

Those were my thoughts as I passed the 40km mark whilst leading a field of 250 runners at the Santa Cruz Extreme race (part of the European Mountain Marathons Series) in Tenerife.

I hadn’t seen one of the by-now familiar pieces of blue and white tape marking the course for at least 500m. They had been far more frequent before this.

Panic set in. I had only 2km (or at least I thought I did) to go but no idea which direction to run in!

I stopped. With nobody in sight, my only option was to stick to the main path and hope for the best.

Another few hundred metres later I saw somebody in the distance. Fired-up and full of anger, I put in a massive effort up a big climb to try and catch the man in front.

Pushing my body to the limit, I gained quickly on the new ‘leader’ only to be told, upon catching him, that I was last and he was in charge of taking down the course markers.

What? How the hell did this happen? Did he think the last race of the day was the 21km event? Had he forgotten about us out on the longer course? My anger heightened and a barrage of expletives spewed out of my mouth.

European Mountain Marathons Series

I decided just to carry on – at least I was now able to follow the pieces of tape he hadn’t so far taken down.

Another five minutes of tough ascent later I reached a summit checkpoint, at which point a hardy gang of Spaniards began to roar ‘champion’. By now I had absolutely no idea what was happening and, with my watch having passed 42km, how far I still had to run!

A super-technical descent followed before 4km of torrid asphalt. Eventually the finish line came into view. I was still unsure as to whether I was in the lead or not, but the cheers from the huge crowd suggested I may well be.

Arms aloft, I crossed the line. Yes, I had indeed won. Phew! Oh, and I’d run 48km too, with 2600m of ascent thrown in for good measure.

European Mountain Marathons Series

Set in the Santa Cruz region of Tenerife, the race certainly lived up to its billing as extreme. The landscape was tropical but very rough underfoot.

Bussed out from Santa Cruz early in the morning, the race started on the beach at La Terisitas at 9am.

Once underway, I was pleased that the early pace was steady. I had been informed of ‘who was who’ at the start and whom I should keep an eye on. I stayed to the fore, alert to any breaks.

The course profile was brutal and involved 700m of ascent inside the first 6km. As it turned out only 100m of that ascent was in the first 4km. Then, at that point, we hit what can only be described as a 2km wall rising 600m in elevation.

At the foot of the climb, Andres Fernandez made a break for it. It was a move I knew I had to cover, so I went with him. It was tough, but at the same time I felt comfortable with the pace.

As we topped out the first climb and went through the first feed station the weather began to worsen. This made the next descent even trickier. Wet and slimy underfoot, my inov-8 roclite 243 shoes gripped superbly and definitely gave me an advantage.

By the time we hit the bottom of the descent I afforded myself a glance over my shoulder and was happy to see nobody in sight. I had the gap, now I just had to keep pushing hard.

This wasn’t too difficult as the trail was amazing; every twist and turn brought something new. The climbs were steep but often runnable, while the trails were flowing along the coast and the descents technical. It was, to be fair, my dream course.

I kept pushing at the front, unaware of how big the gap actually was. The big panic over route-choice followed before I eventually completed the course in a time of 4hrs 51mins, over 15 minutes in front of second-placed Andres.

I raced for the first time in the inov-8 Race Ultra Vest. I was amazed its effectiveness. Long European races often require athletes to carry water as part of their mandatory equipment list. This race was no exception with organisers insisting everyone carried a mobile phone, emergency blanket, waterproof jacket and 1.5 litres of fluid.

Having such ease of access to the water bottles meant I was able to keep drinking regularly and grab gels from the pockets without having to slow my pace. The vest didn’t move or bounce throughout, there was no sloshing of water and it was super-comfortable, leaving no rub marks.

It was most definitely the best win I’ve ever taken, over one of the most amazing courses too. My focus is now on this Saturday’s high-profile Three Peaks race, which this year celebrates its 60^th running. The 37km race, which has 1608m of ascent over the summits of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, always attracts a top-quality field and this year will be no different. After that I will ramp up my preparations for the opening race in the 2014 Skyrunner World Series, to be held at Zegama, Spain, in May.

Photos: ©European Mountain Marathons Series

Skyrunner® World Series 2014 Preview

Posted on April 3, 2014 by talkultra

In just over one month’s time, it all begins again, the Skyrunner® World Series fires up on the island of La Palma with what has become, in just two-years, an iconic Skyrunning race, Transvulcania La Palma.

To many, the growth and resurgence of Skyrunning in the last couple of years, triggered by the ISF (International Skyrunning Federations) foresight to hold a conference, ‘Less Cloud, More Sky’ after the 2012 Transvulcania may have many new Skyrunners thinking that our sport is just a few years old… They couldn’t be further from the truth!

Kilian Jornet’s new movie, Déjame Vivir, the second in his ‘Summits of My Life’ project, documents his 2013 season; wonderfully capturing the history of the sport of Skyrunning. ‘Fila’ clad Skyrunners pushing boundaries on snow capped peaks around the world on old footage from Transworld Sport. Conversations with Bruno Brunod about the Matterhorn summit record and of course, ISF President, Marino Giacometti talking candidly to camera.

Born on the slopes and summits of Monte Rosa and Mont Blanc, Skyrunning dates back to 1989 when Giacometti set a record running from the village of Alagna to the summit of Monte Rosa. It was a new sport, a sport of Alpinism without the clutter of ropes and heavy packs. It was about going fast and light to the mountains, summiting and returning as fast as possible. A sport where earth meets sky!

‘There is nothing new in Skyrunning. It is just now that everyone is catching up with our vision from so many years ago,’ Giacometti explained, ‘The creation of an ultra series of races is just what the Skyrunner® series required in 2012. Today we have a new breed of runner who is actively looking for technical, steep and demanding courses over longer distances.’

In addition, 2014 will see the Skyrunning World Championships take place in Chamonix, arguably, the endurance capital of the world. It will be a great showcase for the sport and it coincides perfectly with the ever-expanding Skyrunner® National Series.

Kilian Jornet & Marco De Gasperi Mont-Blanc Marathon ©iancorless.com

The inclusion and growth of the Skyrunner® National Series has also shown the sport we love reach new heights. Just recently Canada announced a new series under the watchful eye of Adam Campbell, the USA series has been created by Ian Sharman and one-by-one more series follow; South Africa, Australia & New Zealand, United Kingdom and Russia to name just a few.

Lauri Van Houten (ISF Executive Director) understands better than anyone why Skyrunning has captured today’s runners hearts and minds, ‘It’s a different angle on traditional trail running and mountain running. Skyrunning captures the spirit and tough technical challenges runners are looking for today.’

Transvulcania La Palma will kick-start the 2014 Skyrunner® World Series and once again, fifteen iconic races over the classic distances of VK, SKY and ULTRA will see the worlds best Skyrunners®, do battle on the slopes and peaks of the worlds mountains.

Trofeo Kima copyright Ian Corless

An exciting year of high altitude drama awaits; Anna Frost, Nuria Picas and Emelie Forsberg will join new Skyrunners® Krissy Moehl, Jodee Adams-Moore and Cassie Scallon on the slopes of the Fuencaliente lighthouse on the weekend of May 10^th.

Just two weeks later, Kilian Jornet, Luis Alberto Hernando will go head-to-head with Tom Owens and Zaid Ait Malek on the legendary slopes of Zegama-Aizkorri.

Tom Owens – Trofeo Kima

A new year, a new Skyrunner® World Series and without doubt, new memories and moments that will be remembered in years to come!

Don’t miss out on the Skyrunner® World Series 2014.

Calendar:

SKY 

SPAIN: Maratòn Alpina Zegama-Aizkorri – 42 km – Zegama – May 25
ITALY: Dolomites SkyRace® – 22 km – Canazei – July 20
SWITZERLAND: Course de Sierre-Zinal – 31 km – Valais – August 10
SWITZERLAND: Matterhorn Ultraks– 46 km -Zermatt – August 23
 ITALY: Limone Extreme SkyRace® – 23 km – Limone sul Garda – October 11

ULTRA

 SPAIN: Transvulcania Ultramarathon – 83 km – La Palma – May 10
FRANCE: Ice Trail Tarentaise – 65 km – Val d’Isère – July 11
USA: Speedgoat 50K – Snowbird, Utah – July 19
 ITALY: Kima Trophy – 50 km – Valtellina, August 30
 USA: The Rut 50K – Big Sky, Montana – September 13

VERTICAL

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

Ranking points

The three best results in each Series are scored. Ranking points in the final races of all three Series will be increased by 20%. Ranking points breakdown: 100-88-78-72-68-66-64-62-60-58-56-54-52-50 down to 2 points to 40^th position for men and 15^th position for women.

Total prizes: US $ 25,000. Titles and prizes will be awarded in each Series as follows:

SKY: $ 3,000 / 1,500 / 750. ULTRA: $ 3,000 / 1,500 / 750. VERTICAL: $1,000 / 700 / 300.

*Entry is direct with organizers.

Slots and benefits are available for 2013 SWS and ISF Ranked athletes.

Team manager’s contact: info@skyrunning.com for entry details and partnerships

*Legend

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

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

Skyrunning HERE

Skyrunning launches in Canada

Posted on March 27, 2014 by talkultra

Following on from the eight countries already published, the International Skyrunning Federation is pleased to announce the latest Skyrunner® National Series launch in Canada. The “Call of the Wild” comes from internationally known ultra runner Adam Campbell, heading Canada Skyrunning and director of the new Series

The Skyrunner® Canada Series counts nine events: four Sky, three Ultra and two Vertical races distributed across the country in some of the most beautiful locations.

Each of these courses will showcase the unique running culture and topography of the region with inclines that will push the best mountain runners to their limits and offer memorable experiences for every competitor. Distance + Vertical = Skyrunning.

Many of the races have been created or adjusted specifically for the Skyrunner® Series Canada, broadening the scope of competitive and spectacular skyrunning races globally. Some are designed to form part of a larger race weekend, with Vertical, Sky and Ultra events happening on consecutive days allowing for broader exposure and creating a “running festival” atmosphere.

As Adam Campbell, the Director of the Skyrunner® Series Canada states: “Skyrunning has been hugely influential on my running career and I’m excited to share that with the rest of Canada. My first Skyrunning race at Sierre-Zinal changed my perception of what mountain running can and should be. The technicality, aesthetic beauty and challenging nature of the course will appeal to elite and recreational athletes looking for a unique mountain challenge. Even since that first race I’ve wanted to bring this style of running on logical and demanding routes to Canada. The events in the Series will have a distinctly Canadian flare and will showcase some of the best terrain the country has to offer. I have big ambitions for this series in coming years and I hope to change the national perspective on how we view mountain sport.”

A move into Canada’s remote and mountainous regions is a welcome natural expansion of the international skyrunning events that have captured the imagination of runners globally.

2014 Skyrunner® Canada Series

• QUEBEC- Vertical Kilometer du Mont Albert – June 27
• QUEBEC- Ultra SkyMarathon du Mont Albert – June 28
• QUEBEC- SkyRace du Mont Albert – June 28
• QUEBEC- SkyMarathon du Mont Jacques-Cartier – June 29
• BRITISH COLUMBIA- Trailstoke 60km-July 12
• QUEBEC- Quebec Mega Trail -July 12
• BRITISH COLUMBIA- Vertical Kilometer in North Vancouver – July 27 *Race Name & location TBA
• BRITISH COLUMBIA- Squamish 50 – Aug 16
• BRITISH COLUMBIA- Squamish 23km – Aug 17

2014 SKYRUNNING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – Entry Guidelines

Posted on March 21, 2014 by talkultra

ENTRY GUIDELINES

2014 SKYRUNNING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 27-29, 2014, Chamonix, France

The 2014 Skyrunning World Championships sold out in days! However, don’t despair. Places are available, 18 in total, across all three disciplines, VK, SKY and ULTRA based on ISF World Ranking Points or experience/ results for 2012 and 2013 in the SWS (Skyrunner World Series).

The 2014 Skyrunning World Championships will comprise three Skyrunning disciplines:

Vertical Kilometer®
SkyMarathon®
Ultra SkyMarathon®

OPEN ENTRY

Entry is open to individual athletes, teams and nations. As you will know, all three races are NOW FULL however, we are able to offer 6-places in each race (18-places in total)

RANKING

− Titles and medals will be awarded to individuals and nations

− Individuals will be ranked in each race

− The Combined World Champion title is based on the best results of the

Vertical Kilometer® & SkyMarathon®

− National ranking will be based on the best results of three men and one woman of each nation across all three disciplines

ENTRIES

− 2 entries are reserved for each ISF Member Nation

− 2 entries are reserved for 2013 National Skyrunning Champions (in countries where they exist)

− 2 entries per nation are reserved for athletes included in the top 100 of the 2013 ISF World Ranking

Skyrunninguk will allocate places to those runners who have participated in the Skyrunner World Series in 2013 and 2012 and preference will be given to athletes who appear in the ISF World Ranking available HERE

SLOTS ARE AVAILABLE (based on ISF Ranking) as follows:

ULTRA

Ian Sharman
Ricky Lightfoot
Iain Ridgway
Claire Price
Lizzie Wraith

Special consideration – Stuart Air

*Places available on merit and experience

SKY

Rob Simpson
Joe Symonds
Oli Johnson
Anna Lupton
Tessa Hill
Jasmin Paris

Reserves: Hector Haines, Carl Bell, Ricky Lightfoot, Karl Gray, Rob Jebb, Samuel Tosh, Emma Clayton, Angela Mudge

Robbie Simpson
Tessa Hill

*Places available based on merit and previous experience

If you would like to accept a place or enquire about an opportunity to race, please email skyrunninguk@yahoo.co.uk

Any available places will be offered based on experience and past performances in Skyrunning races/ results.

INFO:

World Championships – HERE

Race Website – HERE

Robbie Britton fired up for Skyrunning debut

Posted on February 25, 2014 by talkultra

The new team inov-8 recruit has revelled in a phenomenal past 12 months and is now looking ahead to a 2014 calendar stacked with some of the world’s toughest ultra distance races.

Having smashed the course record at the recent 66-mile Pilgrims Challenge, Robbie is now preparing for his Skyrunning debut at Transvulcania La Palma the first race in the 2014 Skyrunner World Series.

In his first inov blog, 27-year-old Robbie writes:

“My 2014 season is underway and I’ve already snared two victories, including the two-day Pilgrims Challenge 66-miler on the North Downs Way. Four years ago the Pilgrims Challenge took me a total of 15 hours to complete, and the on the second day alone I was running for nine hours. This year I broke the course record, clocking a total time of 8 hrs 8 mins for the two days combined. Next up is Transvulcania, on the island of La Palma, one of the Canary Islands. This is the first race in the 2014 Skyrunner World Series calendar and all the world’s best ultra-distance mountain runners will be there. I have been to La Palma once before, taking in a few epic days in the mountains before setting off to sail the Atlantic in a boat built by a crazy old man advertising for crew on Gumtree! At 51 miles, Transvulcania is a little bit short for me but it has more ascent – there’s 2,000m in the first 11 miles – than the 24-hour stuff. I will go there, chuck myself in the mix and see what happens. I am always up for challenging myself. After that I have the World 24hr Running Championships. The target this year is a top-10 finish. I’m already feeling good about my chances as I feel fitter and stronger than I was last year. And what year would be complete without a trip to the Alps? The 103-mile TNF Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) was shortened due to awful weather conditions the last time I ventured to Chamonix in 2012, but the atmosphere of the race got into my blood and this year I will return. I can’t wait.”

In 2013, Robbie won the high-profile 2013 South Downs Way 100 miler in a new course record, ran at the World 24hr Running Championships and completed the gruelling 152-mile Spartathlon race in Greece.

Next month Robbie will attend inov-8’s 2014 UK and European athlete retreat, to be held in the Lake District.

Transvulcania Vertical Kilometer® – Skyrunner® World Series

Posted on January 30, 2014 by talkultra

Vertical Kilometer, Transvulcania La Palma, ≠©iancorless.com

From sea to sky, 1,000 metres high, the 2014 Skyrunner® World Series kicks off with a cracking new race on the magical island of La Palma, Spain. Transvulcania, renowned for the Ultramarathon, launches the Transvulcania Vertical Kilometer® on May 8. Starting at sea level, it ascends the steepest, most technical section of the Ultra and offers incredible views of the Atlantic coast – for those with the courage to look down.

The course was designed to complement the SWS Transvulcania Ultramarathon (May 10) and the half and marathon distances. From the black Tazacorte beach, the 6.6 km single track course ascends the imposing cliff face with a 40% incline before settling into a “flatter” final section to finish at 1,160m altitude. The overall incline averages 30%.

The upper section of the course follows an ancient goat-herders’ path and finishes at the El Time antenna, (the last aid station of the Ultra), rewarding runners with incomparable views of the Aridane Valley and the ocean in the distance.

With the world’s top vertical specialists leading the way, entries open on Saturday, February 1^st, limited to 200 places. Not for the faint-hearted, as the race slogan says, “Get ready to meet your fate”!

See here for entry and race information.

2014 Skyrunner® World Series

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