International Skyrunning Federation Ultra Ranking 2013

Posted on October 31, 2013 by talkultra

As promised earlier in the year, a ranking has been devised for the three skyrunning disciplines based on 54 races in 2013 (24 Ultra, 20 Sky and 10 Vertical). One of the principal aims was to take into account the quality of the field and the time relative to the winner, along with a proprietary ISF algorithm and other factors.

Today we announce the top 100 men out of 613 selected from 38 nations in 24 races across five continents. The top 50 ranked women are named out of 273 from 27 nations . Subsequently, all the runners will be listed along with the Sky and Vertical rankings to be published later.

Here’s an overview:

The ranking was elaborated on the basis of the participation and results obtained by the athletes in the international races selected by the ISF.

In calculating the points, the ranking is based on a proprietory ISF algorithm specifically studied for outdoor running, based on consolidated algorithms used by the International Ski Federation.

Fifty-four races were selected for the 2013 season (24 Ultra, 20 Sky and 10 Vertical) – see ISF announcement in March. The selection was aimed at identifying the world’s most prestigious races with the greatest number of elite athletes participating, as indicated in the ISF news in January.

In each selected race, the first 30 men and first 15 women were counted. For each athlete, points were calculated on the basis of : the final position, the time relative to the winner and the number of elite athletes ahead or behind.

The final points were calculated on the average of the three best results of the season obtained by each athlete. For athletes who did not participate in at least three of the selected races throughout the season, a penalty of 11% was applied to those who participated in only two races, and 22% was applied to those who participated in just one.

The 2014 ranking will be based on 2013, but with a more precise indication of the elite athletes based on the previous year’s ranking.

The ISF ranking will be complete at the end of the 2015 season as the points will be calculated on the average of the previous three seasons with a weighted coefficient for each year.

The ISF assesses the yearly performances in their whole within the context of the results and performance in each race. As in other disciplines, it does not analyse the performance in absolute terms due to the many variables in outdoor running (vertical climb, type of terrain, climate, level of the competition… etc), the comparison between different races or different editions of the same race, would be too approximate.

2013 ISF Ultra ranking

Top 100 men

Top 50 women

Matroosberg Trail Challenge – South Africa’s first SkyMarathon®

Posted on October 21, 2013 by talkultra

Excitement is building as the South African trail running community gears itself for the country’s first South African Skyrunning Association (SASA) sanctioned event, the Matroosberg Trail Challenge (MTC).

Staged in the Matroosberg Nature Reserve near Ceres in the Western Cape, the 36km race classifies as a SkyMarathon®, in which runners will exceed an altitude of 2 000m, enduring inclines exceeding 30%, with climbing difficulties of less than 11 degrees.

Runners from across the country will be on the start line on Saturday 26 October, with big trail names like AJ Calitz, Nic de Beer, Ake Fagereng and Charl Soumer contending for the top positions, with the likes of Derrick Baard, Noel Ernstzen, Luke Powers, Michael Owen and Leo Rust in the chase group.

The women’s line up will be equally competitive, with Robin Kime, Linda Doke, Annemien Ganzevoort and Chantel Nienaber predicted to give each other a good run for their money.

SASA is an associate member of the International Skyrunning Federation (ISF), whose founder Marino Giacometti saw the birth of the sports discipline of skyrunning some 22 years ago. He believed the name spoke for itself – it was about running where earth and sky meet.

The MTC is the first of two SASA-sanctioned events in 2013. The much-awaited Lesotho Ultra Trail, southern Africa’s first Ultra SkyMarathon®, will cover 55km in the Maluti Mountains in the Kingdom of Lesotho on 30 November. The starting line-up will boast one of the best ever fields in trail running in southern Africa, including Canadian ultra-distance trail runner of the year 2012 Adam Campbell.

Both races will form part of a national skyrunning circuit from 2014 – the details of which will be announced soon.

MTC race organiser Ghaleed Nortje is excited to have his race as the one that introduces local trail runners to skyrunning in South Africa.

“I’m really excited about the MTC being sanctioned by SASA, and by the prospect of it forming part of a national skyrunning circuit from 2014. Gone are the days when we trail runners had to drool over skyrunning events in Europe and the USA – our South African athletes can now be a part of the rich experience too, by participating in local skyrunning events,” says Nortje.

With just a few days to go before the race, all eyes are on the weather – just a fortnight ago the Matroosberg was still covered in snow. As with all mountain trail races, runners will be required to carry specific mandatory kit with them during the race to prepare for all weather eventualities.

To watch the action unfold come race day, follow the event on Twitter – www.twitter.com/MatroosbergTC and #MTC2013

All images ©Andrew King | D4 Productions

Limone Extreme SKY race video

Posted on October 20, 2013 by talkultra

Great video here showing the terrain, climbing ability and descending ability of some of the best Skyrunners in the world. In particular, make sure you take note about 12-min in, this is why Kilian Jornet is the best in the world; look at his speed!

Enjoy!

Link HERE

Episode 46 – Howe, Lightfoot, Bethell, Forsberg

Posted on October 18, 2013 by talkultra

Episode 46 of Talk Ultra and on this weeks show we have an interview with Speedgoat 50k winner and 2^nd place at UROC, Stephanie Howe. Brit fell running sensation, Ricky Lightfoot talks about his progression to ultra. Anthony Bethell provides an insight into his first year participating in the Skyrunning season from an everyday runners perspective. Marc Talks Training. Emelie Smiles and Miles. The news, a blog, up and coming races and Speedgoat is back

15 MINS of FAME – Anthony Bethell

NEWS

Limone Extreme VK and SKY

Men

1. Urban Zemmer 37’10” RECORD 2. Thorbjorn Ludvigsen 37’34″ 3. Marco Moletto 38’37″ 4. Kilian Jornet 39’04″ 5. Philip Gotsch 39’12”

Women

1. Laura Orgue’ 46’10″ 2. Antonella Confortola 47’19″ 3. Samatha Galassi 48’27″ 4. Tessa Hill 48’45″ 5. Leire Aguirrezabala 49’05”

2013 Skyrunner® Vertical Series ranking extract

Men

1. Urban Zemmer (ITA) La Sportiva – 288 points

2. Marco Fachinelli (ITA) La Sportiva – 236 points

3. Marco Moletto (ITA) La Sportiva – 224 points

Women

1. Laura Orgue Salomon (ESP) Salomon – 308 points

2. Vanesa Ortega (ESP) Boquique – 251 points

3. Tessa Hill (GBR) Arc’teryx – 242 ponts

SKY

Men

1. Kilian Jornet (ESP) Salomon – 2h17’03

2. Ionut Zinca (ROU) Valetudo Skyrunning Italia – 2h18’27”

3. Aritz Egea (EMF) – 2h18’53”

4. David Schneider (AUT) inov-8 – 2h20’40”

5. Zaid Ait Malek – 2h21’09”

Women

1. Stevie Kremer (Salomon Agisko) – 2h46’13”

2. Antonella Confortola (GS Forestale) – 2h53’58”

3. Emelie Forsberg (Salomon) – 2h54’54”

4. Tessa Hill (Arc’teryx) – 2h58’20”

5. Leire Aguirrezabala (EMF) – 2h58’54”

Sky World Series Final Ranking

Men

1. Kilian Jornet (ESP) – Salomon

2. Luis Hernando (ESP) adidas Trail Running

3. Alex Nichols (USA) inov-8

4. Jokin Lizeaga (ESP) – EMF

5. Aritz Egea (ESP) EMF

Women

1. Stevie Kremer (USA) – Salomon Agisko

2. Emelie Forsberg (SWE) – Salomon

3. Silvia Serafini (ITA) – Salomon Agisko

4. Nuria Dominguez (ESP) – Buff

5. Anna Lupton (GBR) – inov-8

BLOGS

Dakota Jones writes on iRunFar a very personal and insightful post on the pressures of running and what it means to drop!

Link: http://www.irunfar.com/2013/10/dropping.html

‘My sponsors, however, pay me to do one thing well: race. And this race, though less important on an international scale, is actually a huge deal for Montrail. The company does really well in Japan–they’re the best-selling trail shoe in the country–and they are the title sponsor of this race which has almost 3,000 people. So even though you have never heard of the Hasetsune Cup, Montrail has a lot riding on it. That’s why they were willing to fly me out to Japan two years in a row, by no means a small investment. They are willing to devote the resources to increase the chance of success. Last year I won, but today I dropped out. Fifty percent is an F.’

INTERVIEW – Ricky Lightfoot recently raced in South Africa and smashed the OTTER course record. In this interview we discuss his progression from British Fells to the world of ultra running.

TALK TRAINING – with Marc Laithwaite http://www.theendurancestore.com/blog/blog/2013/10/17/the-periodisation-of-nutrition-what-to-eat-and-when/

INTERVIEW

This week’s interview is with Stephanie Howe. Steph sure is a fast lady and has gained a reputation over faster and shorter distance races. Just recently she placed second behind Emelie Forsberg at UROC.

MELTZER MOMENT

GOOD – Trails are open!

BAD (ass) -Ueli Steck http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2013/10/15/swiss-climber-conquers-annapurna-solo/

UGLY – Karl’s face on TV

SMILESandMILES with Emelie Forsberg – smilesandmiles@yahoo.com

RACES for the next two weeks

Australia

New South Wales

Hume & Hovell 100 | 100 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Hume & Hovell 50 | 50 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Washpool/Gibraltar World Heritage Trails – 50 km | 50 kilometers | October 20, 2013 | website

South Australia

Heysen 105 | 105 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Victoria

Ned Kelly Chase 100km – Wangaratta Fitness Fun Addicts | 100 kilometers | October 27, 2013 | website

Western Australia

Oxfam Trailwalker Australia – Perth | 100 kilometers | October 18, 2013 | website

Chile

Rapa Nui GrandTrail – 80 K | 80 kilometers | October 27, 2013 | website

Estonia

Haanja Jala100 – 100 km | 100 kilometers | October 26, 2013 | website

Finland

Western Finland

Wihan kilometrit – 100 km | 100 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Wihan kilometrit – 50 km | 50 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

France

Aveyron

Endurance Trail | 106 kilometers | October 25, 2013 | website

La course des templiers | 71 kilometers | October 27, 2013 | website

Charente-Maritime

100 km de Royan | 100 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

50 km de Royan | 50 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Corse-du-Sud

Corsica Coast Race | 95 kilometers | October 30, 2013 | website

Ille-et-Vilaine

Entre Palis et Mégalithes | 64 kilometers | October 20, 2013 | website

Nord

Trail Des Hauts-Pays – 50 km | 50 kilometers | October 20, 2013 | website

Savoie

Grande Course du Lac | 55 kilometers | October 20, 2013 | website

Germany

North Rhine-Westphalia

Röntgenlauf Ultramarathon | 63 kilometers | October 27, 2013 | website

Greece

Rodopi Advendurun 100 miles | 100 miles | October 18, 2013 | website

India

Bhatti Lakes 100 Mile | 100 miles | October 27, 2013 | website

Bhatti Lakes 50 Mile | 50 miles | October 26, 2013 | website

Italy

Piedmont

Lago d’Orta Ultra Trail – 55 km | 55 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Lago D’Orta Ultra Trail – 80 km | 80 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Trail del Lago d’Orta – 55 km | 55 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Japan

Inagawa 100km Ultra “TOASHI” Fun Run | 100 kilometers | October 26, 2013 | website

Mexico

Carrera de Baja Mexican Trail | 100 kilometers | October 20, 2013 | website

Namibia

Namib Desert Challenge | 220 kilometers | October 28, 2013 | website

Nepal

Everest Sky Race | 360 kilometers | October 18, 2013 | website

NEPAL Action Asia 3 day ultra 100km | 100 kilometers | November 01, 2013 | website

Nepal Action Asia Ultra 3 day marathon 60k | 60 kilometers | November 01, 2013 | website

New Zealand

Blackmores XTERRA Trail Challenge Waihi Ultra Marathon | 60 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Réunion

La Mascareignes | 61 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Trail de Bourbon | 77 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

South Africa

Bonitas Golden Gate Challenge | 70 kilometers | October 24, 2013 | website

Spain

Andalusia

Ultima Frontera – 166 km | 166 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Ultima Frontera – 55 km | 55 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Ultima Frontera – 83 km | 83 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Sweden

Markusloppet | 50 kilometers | October 26, 2013 | website

United Kingdom

England

Caesar’s Camp 100 | 100 miles and 50 miles | October 20, 2013 | website

Clarendon Way Ultra | 48 miles | October 23, 2013 | website

Coastal Trail Series – Suffolk – Ultra | 34 miles | October 26, 2013 | website

East Devon Way Ultra | 53 miles | October 21, 2013 | website

Ennerdale 50k Trail Run | 50 kilometers | October 20, 2013 | website

Original Mountain Marathon | 52 miles | October 26, 2013 | website

Rowbotham’s Round Rotherham International Trail Event | 50 miles | October 19, 2013 | website

Sussex Border Path Ultra | 49 miles | October 24, 2013 | website

Two Moors Way Ultra | 50 miles | October 20, 2013 | website

Vangard Way Ultra | 44 miles | October 25, 2013 | website

Wessex Ridgeway Ultra | 52 miles | October 22, 2013 | website

Wales

Pembrokeshire Coast Challenge | 78 miles | October 18, 2013 | website

USA

Arizona

Cave Creek Thriller 50K | 50 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Stagecoach Line 100 mile Ultra & Relay | 100 miles | October 19, 2013 | website

Javelina Jundred 100 Mile Endurance Run | 100 miles | October 26, 2013 | website

California

100 Mile Endurance Challenge | 100 miles | October 19, 2013 | website

Coyote Ridge 50 Km Trail Run | 50 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Dirty Dare Trail Run 50 km | 50 kilometers | October 20, 2013 | website

Lake Hodges 50K | 50 kilometers | October 27, 2013 | website

Whiskeytown 50K Trail Run | 50 kilometers | October 26, 2013 | website

Connecticut

Bimbler’s Bluff 50k | 50 kilometers | October 20, 2013 | website

Delaware

Sinnemahone Ultra Marathon 50K | 50 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Florida

Mutual Mine 50K | 50 kilometers | October 27, 2013 | website

“Running for the Bay!” 50K | 50 kilometers | October 20, 2013 | website

Hawaii

Peacock Ultramarathons 100K | 100 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Peacock Ultramarathons 50K | 50 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Illinois

Des Plaines River Trial 50 Miles | 50 miles | October 19, 2013 | website

Forest Glen 50K Trail Run | 50 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Kansas

Lake Perry Rocks! 50K | 50 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Prairie Spirit Trail “Fall Classic” 50K Ultra Race | 50 kilometers | October 26, 2013 | website

Prairie Spirit Trail “Fall Classic” 50 Mile Ultra Race | 50 miles | October 26, 2013 | website

Maryland

Fire on the Mountain 50K | 50 kilometers | October 27, 2013 | website

Minnesota

Surf the Murph 50K | 50 kilometers | October 26, 2013 | website

Missouri

C2C Ultramarathon and Team Relay | 39 miles | October 20, 2013 | website

Dogwood Canyon 50K Trail Run | 50 kilometers | October 20, 2013 | website

Spirit of the Osage 50K Endurance Run | 50 kilometers | October 20, 2013 | website

Nevada

Pioneer Saloon Ghost Run 50K | 50 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Pioneer Saloon Ghost Run 50 Mile | 50 miles | October 19, 2013 | website

North Carolina

WC-50 Ultra Trail Marathon 50k | 50 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

WC-50 Ultra Trail Marathon 50M | 50 miles | October 19, 2013 | website

Ohio

Run With Scissors Double Marathon | 52 miles | October 27, 2013 | website

Stone Steps 50k Trail Run | 50 kilometers | October 27, 2013 | website

Oklahoma

Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd 100K | 100 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd 100 Mile | 100 miles | October 19, 2013 | website

Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd 50K | 50 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Pennsylvania

Quad State Quad Buster | 46 miles | October 26, 2013 | website

Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK | 50 miles | October 20, 2013 | website

Tennessee

Ragnar Relay Tennessee | 196 miles | October 25, 2013 | website

Texas

Cactus Rose 100 Mi Trail Run | 100 miles | October 26, 2013 | website

Cactus Rose 50 Mi Trail Run | 50 miles | October 26, 2013 | website

Utah

Antelope Island 100K Trail Run | 50 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Antelope Island 50K Trail Run | 100 kilometers | October 19, 2013 | website

Goblin Valley Ultra 50K | 50 kilometers | October 26, 2013 | website

Pony Express Trail 100 | 100 miles | October 18, 2013 | website

Pony Express Trail 50 | 50 miles | October 18, 2013 | website

Washington

Ft. Steilacoom 50K Trail Run | 50 kilometers | October 20, 2013 | website

SCOTT Cougar Mountain Series 50k | 50 kilometers | October 27, 2013 | website

West Virginia

Run Around the Gorge | 69 kilometers | October 26, 2013 | website

CLOSE

LINKS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/talkultra/Episode_46_-_Howe_Lighfoot_Bethell_Forsberg.mp3
ITunes http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/talk-ultra/id497318073
Libsyn – feed://talkultra.libsyn.com/rss
Website – talkultra.com

Salomon Running TV Season 3

Posted on October 16, 2013 by talkultra

An all new season of Salomon Running TV! On October 30th, 2013 season 3 of Salomon Running TV begins and it promises to offer a completely new look on the sport we love so much. With a variety of characters and stories that span the globe — join us on our journeys and adventures!

http://www.salomonrunning.com
http://www.facebook.com/salomonrunning/
http://www.twitter.com/salomon_running/
http://www.instagram.com/salomonrunning/

©salomonrunning

The Ruby Muir Story

Posted on October 16, 2013 by talkultra

I don’t think many words are needed here… I think we can all find something in this and relate to it.

“I love technical running… from what I hear, the closest running to the type of running that I like to do is European Skyrunning” Ruby Muir

Ruby Muir is one of New Zealand’s most promising young trail runners. At just 21 she had won the Kepler, Tarawera Ultra and nearly every other event she’d entered. This is the story of how she discovered running, what drove her to it and how it has helped her heal. This film was shot in one day at Eskdale Mountain Bike Park near her home in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

Mont Blanc Marathon 2014, Skyrunning World championship – Registration

Posted on October 14, 2013 by talkultra

Mont-Blanc Marathon

Registration opens Tuesday October 15

Race dates: Friday June 27th, Saturday 28th and Sunday June 29th, 2014

Kilian Jornet and Marco De Gasper in the 2013 edition

The Club des Sports de Chamonix is ready for an on-line ‘race’ with registration opening next Tuesday! Each year the phenomenon amplifies and regardless of the race format, inscriptions are filling faster and faster. In 2013 the Marathon was full in just 8 days and the other races within a month…

The organizers are expecting record participation …even more so due to the fact that among the 6 races offered by the Club des Sports de Chamonix, three of them will count for the Skyrunning World Championships! The world’s best runners are expected alongside thousands of amateur athletes who hope to finish the Marathon or the Mont-Blanc 80Km race!

Tuesday October 15: Registration opens

It is therefore next Tuesday at 13:00 that inscriptions open for the 6 races of the Mont-Blanc Marathon weekend. A sprint start for adept participants for one of the major trail running races in the Chamonix Valley.

All information concerning registration can be found here.

Skyrunning World Championships

The Skyrunning World Championships are organized every four years and in 2014 the bid was won by the Club des Sports de Chamonix for this important international event!

Founded in 1995, and renowned in 2008 the International Skyrunning Federation organized the first Skyrunning World Championships in 2010 in Canazei, Italy for two events: the Vertical Km and the Marathon. For the second World Championships being held in Chamonix a new distance, an ultra represented by the Mont-Blanc 80km race, is also on the program.

An addition that will mark Chamonix but also Skyrunning, who together inaugurate this new distance at the foot of the Mont-Blanc where the beauty and technical difficulty of the course already guarantee its success!

The different distances will either be run individually or by team with the title of World Champion for each category.

Marino Giacometti, President of the International Skyrunning Federation says “We are proud to present the Skyrunning World Championships in France, in Chamonix Mont-Blanc. We are convinced the events at the foot of the Mont-Blanc will be a perfect showcase for our sport and provide an athletic line-up without equal.”

Three distances, three events on the Skyrunning World Championship program:

– Mont-Blanc 80KM: Trail in semi-autonomy. Distance of 80km with 6000meters of vertical gain

– Mont-Blanc Marathon: Trail in semi-autonomy. Distance of 42km with 2511 meters of vertical gain and 1490meters of descent

– Mont-Blanc Vertical KM: Time-trial event. 3,8km distance with vertical gain of 1000meters.

Three titles will be awarded:

– World Champion title for each of the three races

– Combined World Champion title: cumulative results in at least 2 events

– Nations ranking by teams of 4 (3 men and 1 woman)

Links:

For more information please visit: www.skyrunning.com

– The teaser for the 2014 edition is available to download here.

– Mont-Blanc Marathon on Facebook !

Mont-Blanc Marathon Races

Mont-Blanc 80KM

2014 Skyrunning® World Championships

Friday June 27, 2014 at 4:00am – Limited to 1000 participants – TRAIL in semi-autonomy

Distance of 80km with positive vertical gain of 6000m

Mont-Blanc Marathon

2014 Skyrunning® World Championships

Salomon Skyrunner France Series 2014

Sunday June 29, 2014 at 7:00am – Limited to 2000 participants -TRAIL in semi-autonomy

Distance of 42km with positive vertical gain of 2511m

Mont-Blanc Cross

Saturday June 28, 2014 at 8:30am – Limited to 1500 participants -SHORT TRAIL in semi-autonomy

Distance of 23km with a positive vertical gain of 1454m

Vertical KM

2014 Skyrunning® World Championships

Friday June 27, 2014 at 4:00pm – Limited to 400 participants – Time Trial

Distance of 3,8km with a positive vertical gain of 1000m

Mont-Blanc 10km

Saturday June 28, 2014 – Introductory Trail – Distance of 10km on the cross-country ski trails, accessible to all runners regardless of their ability level. Limited to 1000 participants

Mini Cross

Saturday June 28, 2014 – Children’s races between 800m-3km in the Bois du Bouchet

Contacts

Club des sports de Chamonix Mont-Blanc

Tel: 04 50 53 11 57/ Fax: 04 50 53 61 63

E-mail : club@chamonixsport.com

Site : www.montblancmarathon.fr / www.chamonixsport.com

Limone Extreme SKY race report

Posted on October 14, 2013 by talkultra

It was always going to be a classic race… the male SKY Skyrunner World Series title was sewn up with a dominant Kilian Jornet securing maximum points form three out of five qualifying races. However, the ladies race was a completely different story. Just ten points separated the leader, Emelie Forsberg from fellow Salomon teammate, Stevie Kremer.

At the finish line on the shores of Lake Garda, Kilian Jornet once again proved his supremacy with another stunning victory. For the ladies, Stevie Kremer confirmed her incredible mountain running and descending ability to take not only the victory in Limone but also the Skyrunner World Series title.

We have witnessed some incredible performance in the 2013 Skyrunner World Series over three distances; VK, SKY and ULTRA. Limone Extreme provided a stunning close to the 2013 season and we are left with some well-established names confirming that they are true champions but in addition, we have several new names on the Skyrunning scene that will most certainly build anticipation for the 2014 season.

Antonella Confortola leading on the first climb

Antonella Confortola after taking second place in the VK on Friday night had been unsure if she would start the Sky race on Sunday. Start she did and using her impressive abilities at climbing she led the way on the long steep and technical climb. Stevie Kremer followed closely in second and Emelie Forsberg was third and already loosing some ground. Emelie has had an incredible season and just over one week ago took victory and the overall Skyrunner World Series title for the Ultra distance. UROC in Colorado was Emilie’s first 100k-race and as such, she openly admitted it had taken far more out of her than she anticipated.

Stevie by contrast had raced a couple of shorter races the weekend before and arrived at Limone ready for action. After alternating the lead with Antonella, Stevie finally made her move and although she says that she can’t descend very well, she used every ounce of her ability to hold off Antonella and Emelie to win by over seven minutes. On the line Stevie said, “I was running down that final descent scared, it was twisty and technical but I just didn’t want to look back. I ran as fast as I could. It worked!”

Stevie Kremer with Skyrunning legend and Limone course designer, Fabio Meraldi

Kilian Jornet bided his time in the men’s race but when he made his move he just pulled away and secured not only another impressive victory, but also another World Series title. Kilian didn’t have it easy though.

On the first climb, new signing for inov-8, David Schneider led the way followed by Aritz Egea and Ionut Zinca. Salomon team manager, Greg Vollet (finally finished eleventh) was showing some stunning climbing ability holding a top five place along with up and coming star, Zaid Ait Malek from Morocco all the way to the summit.

Greg Vollet leading Zaid Ait Malek

One of the pre race favourites and second overall in the Skyrunner World Series, Luis Alberto Hernando was having a tough day protecting an injury, however true to his great sportsmanship he soldiered on knowing full well that I had no possibility to make a top ten position. A true champ!

Luis Alberto Hernando

Kilian made his move and a battle followed for the second and third podium places. Ionut Zinca finally pulled away from Aritz Egea and finished just one minute behind Kilian and thirty seconds ahead of Artiz. Showing great potential for 2014 season, David Schneider turned a few heads with a great fourth place with Zaid Ait Malek fifth.

Ionut Zinca second place

The 2013 season has shown some incredibly diverse and consistent performances, Alex Nichols from the US in his first season participating in the Skyrunner World Series placed eighth at Limone Extreme and this elevated him to third overall in the World Series.

Alex Nichols third overall in the Skyrunner world Series

A similar story for Arc’teryx athlete, Tessa Hill, not only did she have a great VK on Friday but she placed fourth on the day. Anna Lupton (inov-8) from the UK also proved that fell/mountain runners can perform with the best on high and technical mountain courses in Europe.

Tessa Hill with fellow Brit, Anna Lupton

The influx of new names such as Thorbjorn Ludvigsen and Leire Aguirezabala and responding great performances show all of us that Skyrunning is not only in a great place for the future but that the participants are eager for true mountain courses that test the mind as well as the body,

Roll on 2014!

IMAGES from the Limone Extreme race are available to view HERE or purchase HERE

Skyrunning website HERE

WIN, Stevie Kremer’s signed race number HERE