IAN CORLESS

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Episode 160 – The El Kott Twins and Alex Nichols

Posted on August 24, 2018 by talkultra

Episode 160 of Talk Ultra brings you a chat with the El kott Sisters, Hillary Allen (?) and Kurt Decker chats with Alex Nichols. The show os co-hosted by Elisabet Barnes.

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NEWS

TROMSO SKYRACE

Jon Albon did it again, 2-years in a row and his 3rd victory. His time of 7:04 gave a huge margin over the 2nd and 3rd times of 7:36 and 7:37 for Pere Aurell and Andy Symonds.

Hillary Gerardi took a huge win in 8:14 and set a new CR. Ragna Debats and Brittany Peterson were 2nd and 3rd in 8:27 and 8:40.

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SIERRE ZINAL

Kilian Jornet did it again, his 6th victory at the race and it just shows what a ‘complete’ athlete he is! The course record set by Jono Wyatt has still eluded him though… This year ran 2:31:39. Robbie Simpson and Robert Panin were 2nd and 3rd in 2:33:11 and 2:33:18.

Lucy Wambui once again took the win in 2:57:54 ahead of Michelle Maier and Simone Troxler, 3:01:30 and 3:02:46 respectively.

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PIKES PEAK

Megan Kimmel broke Lynn Bjorklund’s 1981 record of 4:14:18 by just 14-seconds. She ran the up in 2:42 and the descent in 1:33. Laura Orgue was 2nd in 4:30 and Kristina Mascarenas 3rd in 4:37.

The men’s race saw the return of Dakota Jones. He actually cycled 250-miles to start the race. He won in 3:32, 2:18 for the up and 1:13 for the down. The down time is incredible and broke Matt Carpenter’s 1:15 which has stood since 1993. Oriol Cardon and Darren Thomas placed 2nd and 3rd, 15-seconds separated them.

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LEADVILLE 100

It was somewhat of a comeback weekend with Dakota winning at Pikes Peak and Rob Krar obliterating Leadville 100 with arguably one of the greatest runs of all-time. He ran 15:5, the second fastest time ever on the course. He was only 9-minutes off Matt Carpenter’s 2005 record. Ryan Kaiser and Seth Kelly were 2nd and 3rd, 17:37 and 18:15.

Katie Arnold won in 19:53 ahead of Addie Bracy in 21:17. Gina Slaby was 3rd in 23:13.

Big shout out to Dave Mackey !!!

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TRANSROCKIES – 6-stage race over 120-miles.

The El Kott twins, Lina and Sanna were at it again… these two have been unstoppable in 2018. They have taken Skyrunning by storm and with a relentless calendar, they have now won in the US ahead of Hillary Allen/ Lucy Bartholomew – 17:48 to 18:26.

Shawn Lywood and Mike Tucker won the men’s division in 19:25.

There are also solo categories for 3-days and 6-days.

Tessa Chesser won the women’s 6-day and Amanda Basham the 3-day, their time 21:04 and 8:59. Must give a shout out to Becks Ferry who placed 3rd in the 6-day race.

Cody Reed won the men’s 6-day and Owen Bradley the 3-day, 16:37 and 8:40 respectively.

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Interview with EL KOTT TWINS

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ULTRAVASEN 90KM (Sweden)

Last year’s champ, Ida Nilsson could only manage 2nd this year after battling with stomach issues. Alexandra Morzova won in 6:43. Nilsson ran 7:06 and Sarah Bard 7:27 for 3rd.

Fritjof Fagerlind won in 6:01 ahead of Pat Reagan and Didrik Hermansen, 6:10 and 6:15.

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APPALACHIAN TRAIL FKT

Karl Sabbe from Belgium is on the AT looking for a ‘supported’ FKT record and looks set to break the records of Scott Jurek and Karl Meltzer. This attempt seems to have little PR and buzz and is almost under the radar…

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Interview with ALEX NICHOLS

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CLOSE

02:17:05

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VJ XTRM Shoe Review – VJ Sport

Posted on August 23, 2018 by talkultra

Last year I finally got my hands on a pair of VJ Sport IRock 2 (HERE). I was blown away by pretty much everything about the shoes. The upper, the way they held one’s foot, the durability of the materials used, and the outsole was just incredible – the most amazing grip. The only reservation that I had, was how long I could run in these shoes… They are pretty minimal and although cushioned, the cushioning for me would probably only take me to 3-4 hours of running.

OCR World Champion and Skyrunner World Series Champion, Jonathan Albon, agreed. In some of the longer races, Trofeo Kima for example where the terrain is hard, rocky, muddy, has snow, maybe the odd glacier thrown in and when the male winning time is over 6-hours, although the IRock 2 was perfect on grip, the cushioning made a really long run like this tiring for the feet.

With Jon’s feedback, VJ Sport went back to the drawing board, took all the best elements of the IRock 2 and created a new shoe:

VJ XTRM.

The king is dead, long live the king!

Let me just say in simple terms everything that was brilliant in the IRock 2 has been transferred to the new VJ XTRM and what VJ Sport have done, in my opinion, they have created the most perfect mountain running shoe for when the trails are demanding, rocky and throwing all sorts of variables at the runner.

So, what is new in the VJ XTRM.

Two new cushioning units have been added to the front and rear.
A full-length RockPlate.
A medium last.
A little extra room in the toe box.
New Fitlock.

As I mentioned, much of the IRock 2 crosses over. For example, the outsole is the amazing Butyl Rubber which for me offers the best grip I have encountered on any mountain shoe. The outsole studs are 6mm which offers a good compromise between grip on muddy/ wet trails and excellent grip on smooth and easy single-track.

At 250g for a standard UK8, the shoe is light and 4mm drop sits in a comfortable middle ground for the zero drop fanatics and those who like a more comfortable and relaxed 8mm drop.

Kevlar and Polyester make the upper and the IRock 2 has been the most durable shoe I have ever used, so, I don’t anticipate the VJ XTRM to be any different. There is also Fiberclass stability control.

THE SHOE

Slipping one’s foot into the VJ XTRM one immediately feels the snug and precision fit. However, the slightly wider toe box is noticeable. Don’t get me wrong here, this is not a wide and spacious toe box, so, if that is what you personally need, this may well be not the shoe for you. Please remember though that this is a specific mountain/ skyrunning shoe that will be used on technical mountainous terrain, so, a shoe for this type of running should be precision.

Pulling the laces tight, the FITLOCK takes hold and provides the most secure and comfortable hold of my foot. It is the best I have tried, no question. The laces are excellent, they pull tight and stay tight.

The upper is a mix of materials and is extremely durable. Although it is too early to comment on longevity of the VJ XTRM upper, the materials and comparisons with the IRock 2 are very close. My IRock 2 have been through everything and are still going strong. The heel box has minimal padding but holds the foot secure and is extremely comfortable. The toe box is well protected and ideal for mountain terrain.

The colours of the upper are a little bright. They wouldn’t be my choice, I certainly loved the red & black combo of the IRock 2, but colours are just colours and after a good muddy run, the colours soon become muted.

Like the IRock 2, the VJ XTRM looks heavy, pick them up and you realise they are not, they are super-light!

The bottom of the shoe is what helps VJ Sport stand out amongst the competition and why they have such a following. The Butyl Rubber they use is the best outsole I have ever tested and on rock terrain, dry or wet, they are the most reassuring footwear ever! The 6mm studs are the same as on the IRock 2 and this is significant, the IRock 2 provided the best grip ever, so, to see this transferred over to the XTRM is superb.

IN USE

The IRock 2 last-year was the best mountain shoe I have ever used. This has now been replaced by the VJ XTRM and for me, moving forward, I would always purchase the VJ XTRM and not the IRock 2. For me, VJ Sport may well have killed the IRock 2 because the VJ XTRM is so good.

sport

WHY?

To all intents and purposes, the IRock 2 and VJ XTRM are very similar shoes. One difference is 6mm drop for the IRock 2 and 4mm drop for the VJ XTRM, this may be a decision maker for some? However, the new additions to the VJ XTRM just make it a much more versatile shoe without compromising what made the IRock 2 great, no, superb!

The added cushioning doesn’t compromise feel for the ground, control, stability for faster shorter mountain running but what it does allow is more cushioning and comfort for longer runs.
The RockPlate is a no brainier, it is added protection and added comfort for little to no additional weight.
The new Fitlock holds the foot as well, if not better than the Fitlock on the IRock 2.
The toe box has been widened to allow for a little more room and toe splay when running longer but not at the compromise of precision and feel.
The upper is as the IRock 2 with Kevlar and outstanding durability.
The outsole is the same, 6mm studs in the amazing Butyl Rubber.

The additions make the VJ XTRM the perfect all-round mountain shoe be that for short or long outings. Whereas, the IRock 2 was a shoe that I personally would not want to be out in for much longer than 4-hours.

SUMMARY

This is the best mountain running shoe I have ever used. For skyrunning, it is THE perfect shoe and for me, all other shoes that I test for that intended use will be compared to the VJ XTRM. Jonathan Albon’s influence can be felt in this shoe and I am sure his feedback with VJ Sport has been paramount in retaining all that was brilliant in the IRock 2 and then tweaking it to add what Jonathan and many other runners wanted; more cushioning, a RockPlate and a slightly wider toe box.

I personally am unable to find any negatives.

Obviously, the Butyl Rubber outsole works so well because it is soft and grippy, so, if you start running on roads and pavements, be aware, the outsole won’t last.

But the VJ XTRM is a formula 1 shoe and not a Ford Escort or similar. Maybe the VJ XTRM should make an appearance for those special runs or races?

However, if you are like me, I think the shoes are so awesome that if I am going to run anything technical, wet or dry, I want these shoes on my feet.

VJ SPORT website

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New website, new logo, new look – iancorlessphotography.com

Posted on August 22, 2018 by talkultra

Always good to shake things up, freshen up and have a new image. So after a long, almost month break in August I am back into the swing of things with a new logo.

I have also had a re-vamp of my photography website http://iancorlessphotography.com and uploaded many new images that were taken in 2017 and 2018. This website has always very much existed in the background to this (iancorless.com) website and I used it as a showcase for those interested.

Moving forward I want to push more relevant traffic to my photography website. However, don’t worry, all my race reports, writing and podcast will still be here at iancorless.com – for many of you, you will not really experience any change other than a new logo.

Below are a few samples of what you can experience at the new photography website. If you go to the ‘Home’ page of the new site at http://iancorlessphotography.com you can actually just stay there and you will be presented with a slide show of some of my favourite shots.

Once again, thank you for the continued support. You can follow what I do on the following links:

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SkyRace® Comapedrosa – Skyrunner® World Series 2018

Posted on July 29, 2018 by talkultra

The tiny ski-resort of Arinsal, nestled in a valley surrounded by majestic peaks, was bustling with nervous anticipation as 100’s of runners lined up to take part in the next stage of the Skyrunner® World Series, the SkyRace® Comapedrosa.

The 22km course with a vertical ascent of over 2,000m had a top-quality line-up of Skyrunners in both the male and female fields. The most challenging part of the course in addition to very technical terrain, was the 1000-metre vertical climb over 2km to the summit of the Comapedrosa, the highest point of the course at 2,942m and also the highest peak in the principality of Andorra.

The course is extremely hard – the climbs are like vertical kilometres. There is no flat running in Comapedrosa, this course suits the vertical specialist but at the same time what comes up must come down.

Kilian Jornet and Petter Enghdal lead the male field early on as they pushed the pace, climbing hard and descending super fast. Series leader Finlay Wild chased as did Pascal Egli who was having a stunning run… He reeled in the leading duo and fought hard with Kilian before the Catalan eventually pulled away. Pascal remained in 2nd place and Petter in 3rd as they arrived at the Comapedrosa summit. Finlay was 4th.

As they started the very long descent to Arinsal, Kilian used his speed and skills to maintain his lead eventually finishing first approximately 3-minutes ahead of Pascal and Petter was an additional 3-minutes back. Kilian’s time was a new CR, however, the descent from Comapedrossa summit was different to previous editions, so, in reality it is a new CR and not a breaking of a previous CR.

In the female field, Laura Orgué’s was a pre-race favourite, especially after last-weekends victory in the Dolomites. However, Lina El Kott Helander had a different plan. She dominated the race from the front giving a solid and strong performance ahead of Laura. It may come as no surprise that Lina’s twin sister, Sanna, was in 3rd place. The El Kott twins have been a revelation in the 2018 Skyrunner World Series.

Lina pushed all the way to the line and crossed in 3:03, Laura was 2nd 3-minutes later. However, the battle for the final podium place was not predictable as last-year’s winner, Sheila Aviles fought head-to-head with Sanna. At the line it was only 2-seconds that separated them with Sanna taking the coveted 3rd place.

Provisional Race Results

Male:

1.Kilian Jornet 2:33:18

2. Pascal Egli 2:36:29

3. Petter Engdahl 2:39:12

4. Finlay Wild 2:41:34

5. Alejandro Forcades Pujol 2:42:20

Female:

1. Lina El Kott Helander 3:03:07

2. Laura Orgue 3:06:54

3. Sanna El Kott Helander 3:11:53

4. Sheila Aviles 3:11:55

5. Holly Page 3:16:19

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Scafell Sky Race 2018 – Jon and Henriette Albon take the victories.

Posted on July 15, 2018 by talkultra

The second Scafell Sky Race (SSR) brought not only a large international field of runners to the Lake District, but the strongest line-up of any UK mountain race so far this year. The SSR had increased significance in 2018 as it was a qualifying race for the 2018 Skyrunning World Championships that will take place in Scotland later this year.

Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Greece, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, USA and Britain were the nations that made up 196 runners who started the 2018 edition.

The SSR line-up included two stars from the Great Britain (GB) team that earned a team silver medal at the 2018 IAU Trail World Championships, Tom Evans and Jonathan Albon, who placed third and fourth in Spain in May. GB 100K-runner and Dragon’s Back-winner Marcus Scotney, fell-running legend Steve Birkinshaw, and Lakeland 50 course record-holder Casper Kaars Sijpesteijn were just some of the other names in a strong field. The women’s field was equally stacked, with GB trail-runner Sally Fawcett facing competition from GB mountain-runner Georgia Tindley, experienced ultra-runner Sarah Sheridan, Jonathan Albon’s wife Henriette and his sister Beth, and last year’s Lakes Sky Ultra-winner Catherine Slater.

Like its big sister event, Lakes Sky Ultra, which took place on Saturday (read HERE) , 14 July, SSR is owned and organised by Glenridding-based Mountain Run Events. But unlike LSU, it’s designed as an introduction to technical skyrunning and entries are not vetted. The course, created by Charles Sproson, is designed to showcase the very best of the Lakes.

With a fast start on a short section of road then good trails, runners left Rosthwaite at 9am. After climbing past Sour Milk Gill waterfalls, up the Gillercomb Valley to the summit of Green Gable, technical singletrack led past the Napes Needle (where rock climbing originated, in the 1880s), to a classic, technical ascent of the highest mountain in England, Scafell Pike, via the Corridor Route.

After summiting Great End, crossing a boulder field, and almost summiting Bow Fell, a scree descent led to one the best singletracks in the Lakes. Next was the Climbers’ Traverse, then the Band, before runners descended into Great Langdale and a feed station outside the historical Stickle Barn pub.

After a hearty climb up Harrison Stickle, Stickle Tarn was passed, before some easier singletrack-running on the northern side of the Great Langdale Valley, with big views over Grasmere and classic Wordsworth country, leading to the finish in Ambleside.

As expected, in the men’s race Evans and Albon charged off the front, with Sebastian Batchelor initially keeping in touch. The GB trail-running stars arrived at Stickle Barn, about halfway into the race, together. Albon had a faster transition though and gradually pulled away, to arrive first at the University of Cumbria’s Ambleside Campus, in a course record time of 04.26:50.
“The Lakes is an amazing place to run,” said Norway-based Albon. “It was a lot of fun, especially the technical sections, when you get into your flow – if you ignore that there’s a drop off next to you. The second half was more runnable, but hotter – more bearable when we had some wind and cloud cover. The nice, open grassy fells were welcome. It’s interesting doing the techie stuff first – I loved the slabby section, I hadn’t run on stuff like that before – your legs get blasted by all the jarring around, and then you get the long flowy sections afterwards, so your legs need to be in good condition.”
“It was an amazing race,” said Evans, who placed second, in 04:39:57. “It’s different to what I normally do and a course of two halves: the first half was super-technical, and I was way out of my comfort zone, which is great. The second half is more runnable and more suited to me, but it got hot and I slightly misjudged my hydration strategy. I’m super happy though. It’s my first ever skyrace and it was great to race against Jon.”

Sebastian Batchelor (GBR) was third in 04.59:50.

In the women’s race, Georgia Tindley set the early pace, but dropped out after Harrison Stickle. Catherine Slater, too, was suffering on the big climb out of Langdale. Henriette Albon started conservatively but gradually moved ahead and took the win in 05:59:27.

“That was definitely one of the tougher races I’ve done this year,” said Albon. “There was a lot of undulating, rocky terrain, you constantly had to be focused. I was surprised by how much time it took. I remember looking at my watch 15K in and thinking, ‘Phew, this is going to be a long one!’ I liked the grassy sections at the end because I could get some speed, but I liked the rocky bits too. I started slowly and tried to pace it.”

“I loved the race,” said Sally Fawcett, who placed second, in 06:26:16, “even if I was out of my comfort zone for much of the first half. But I was in my element for the more runnable second half. It was pretty much six hours and 26 minutes of fun!”

Catherine Slater dug deep to finish third woman in 06:47:48.

About the race:

The Scafell Sky Race (SSR) is a 42km skyrunning race with 3,000m of ascent on challenging, often technically extreme terrain in the Lake District National Park, going over England’s highest peak, Scafell Pike (978m). Skyrunning in the Lake District is a combination of mountain running and mountaineering, which includes low grade rock scrambling. SSR is an introductory to intermediate-level skyrace and part of the UK Skyrunning Series.

FULL RESULTS HERE

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Lakes Sky Ultra 2018 – Sinclair and Grant take Victory

Posted on July 15, 2018 by talkultra

The fourth Lakes Sky Ultra (LSU) again demonstrated both the allure of the Lake District and the international appeal of skyrunning, with runners representing Austria, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Poland and Romania (as well as Britain) all arriving in Ambleside.

As the elite field of 74 runners began the ascent of Dove Crag (via Low Pike and High Pike), Great Britain-international trail-runner Rob Sinclair took an early lead. By notorious Striding Edge the Scot had a 10-minute advantage and as the day progressed it looked like he might break the course record of 7:30:27.

The first half of the course includes around two-thirds of the 4,500m of ascent and the majority of the technical ridge running, with the second half being faster, more runnable terrain.

Ultimately Sinclair arrived at the finish line in Ambleside just 10 minutes off the record. “The race was brilliant,” he said. “It was a really good run. It was super hot, but I felt good in the heat today.”

“I loved the race,” said second-placed Tim Campion-Smith (GBR), who won last year’s sister race, the Scafell Sky Race (which takes place on Sunday 15 July). “It was super fun. The first five hours were great. Hours five to seven were pretty bleak. But then it was a nice little run in to the finish. The blueberries were out too, so I stocked up on a few calories.”

“The other two lads were just a different level today,” said third-placed Andy Berry (GBR), who was 13 minutes faster than his winning time last year. “I don’t have that in the tank at the minute. Pinnacle Ridge [a particularly technical and exposed section where runners use safety ropes] was superb.”

In the women’s race, New Zealand-born GB international trail-runner Sophie Grant, who placed second at LSU in 2016, won by over two and a half hours, in a time of 10:14:41. “This is a race with service!” she said as she was sprayed with water at the finish line. “I’m feeling way better now. Thatwas fantastic. It’s just such a cool race.”

Kate Simpson (GBR) was second in 12:37:38, with Jenny Yate (GBR) third in 12:51:35. “I’m really chuffed with that,” said the Helm Hill runner. “I really enjoyed it up till Patterdale [30K into the race], then it got tough. The climb up High Street just went on forever. Coming off Red Scree [the final descent] seemed to go on forever, too. The marshals were amazing the whole way round. They were egging me on, telling me I was second lady, which did put some pressure on!”

About:

Lakes Sky Ultra (LSU) is a 56km skyrunning race with 4,500m of ascent on extreme terrain in the Lake District National Park. Skyrunning is a combination of mountain running and alpinism, where scrambling/rock climbing is likely. For LSU, runners are vetted to ensure they have appropriate levels of experience in the mountains. The race is part of the UK Skyrunning Series.

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SCAFELL SKY RACE AND THE LAKES SKY ULTRA 2018 Preview

Posted on July 11, 2018 by talkultra

EXCITEMENT AHEAD OF THE SCAFELL SKY RACE AND THE LAKES SKY ULTRA

The English Lakes provides a great area this coming weekend when many of the UK’s best Skyrunner’s descend on Ambleside to participate in the first two races of the 2018 Skyrunner UK National Series.

SCAFELL SKY RACE

The 40km Scafell Sky Racetakes place on July 15th. It is a pure mountain race with 3000m of vertical gain. At times, it is a technical race and uses a multitude of single-track. In 2017, the amazing Lucy Bartholomew, who recently placed 3rd at the iconic Western States said, “The Scafell Sky Race is the most technical race I have ever done!”

In 2018, the race has significant importance as it is a qualifying race for the Skyrunning UK National Team that will participate at the 2018 Skyrunning World Championships at Glen Coe in Scotland.

18 slots are available, 6 per race – VK, SKY and ULTRA and places will be awarded as follows:

1. Ranking places – 6 in total.

2 entries are awarded, male and female, to the two top ranked athletes in VK, SKY and ULTRA categories based on the Skyrunning ranking.

2. Qualifying places – 4 in total.

2 entries are awarded, male and female, for SKY and ULTRA (4 entries in total) based on the results from Scafell Sky Race.

3. VK places – 2 in total.

2 entries for the VK will be awarded for any UK athletes who show previous experience/ results on the Vertical Kilometer World Circuit or via Scafell Sky Race.

4. Merit places – 6 in total.

2 entries are awarded, male and female, for VK, SKY and ULTRA based on the discretion of Skyrunning UK.

In the event of an invited athlete being unable or wishing not to take a place in the National team, Skyrunning UK will roll down the Skyrunning ranking (point 1), roll down the results from Scafell Sky Race (point 2), scroll down VK experience (point 3) and use discretion to award merit places (point 4).

In all scenarios, the final decision rests with Skyrunning UK.

So, who are the hot contenders for the overall podium places in the Scafell Sky Race?

Skyrunner World Series Champion and multi OCR World Champion, Jon Albon heads-up the field and will almost certainly be the man to beat come race day. But rest assured runner’s, Jon gets an auto entry in the Skyrunning UK National Team for the world champs, he has decided to race the ultra-distance event.

Marcus Scotney has won the Dragons Back Race, The Cape Wrath Ultra and is an ever-present in a GB vest. He loves the mountains, technical terrain and racing hard. He will, without doubt be a prime contender for a podium slot.

Tom Evans is a late entry and has been a revelation since placing 3rd at Marathon des Sables in 2017. What has followed is a whirlwind of races and great performances. In early 2018 he obliterated the course record at The Coastal Challenge ahead of Hayden Hawks and recently he placed 3rd at the IAU World Trail Championships.

Steve Birkinshaw needs no introduction the fell and mountain running, he has been there and done that. He recently said to me that he lacks speed these days but just last weekend he paced Kilian Jornet on leg 4 of his Bob Graham Round record, so, his slow is most people’s fast!

Sally Fawcett is an experienced mountain runner and has represented GB. She won the Lakeland 50 and has placed highly at the World Trail Championships.

Sarah Sheridan has raced many of the UK series races and has had great results recently at 9th place at the Maxi Race Ultra in May 2018 and she was 6th place at the UTMR in 2017.

Ones to watch:

Andy Bryce
Casper Kaars Sijpesteijn
Tristan Pope
Brennan Townshend
Beth Albon
Catherine Slater
Henriette Albon
Tamsin Cass

The race starts at 0900 from Seathwaite Farm and the first runner can be expected in Ambleside around 1330, however, remember, this may well be a fast year… arrive at the finish early! The route is a classic to be reckoned with. Participants willsummit England’s highest mountain and traverse some of the most challenging trails in the central Lake District via sections of scree and light scrambling thrown in. Scafell Sky Race is a serious test of nerve, skill and endurance.

LAKES SKY ULTRA

Relentless, technical and designed to test you to the limit. The 56km race with 4500m of ascent requires a rounded athlete with experience, has mountain running strength, endurance, speed, balance and skill to the maximum. From grassy trods and well-worn mountain paths, to bare rock and scree, open fell, bogs and tussocks, the race is the ultimate test.

Inspired by the great Sky races of Europe, Lakes Sky Ultra™ is a technically demanding course that requires athletes to be vetted to ensure that only the most experienced will tackle this ultra-distance route.It contains ridges and one of the most gravity-defying scrambles the Lake District has to offer. Racers need a good head for heights and nerves of steel: their going to traverse three of the most iconic ridge-lines in the Lake District: Swirral Edge, the knife-edge of Striding Edge and the very alpine and technical Pinnacle Ridge.

The Scafell Sky Race being a UK qualifier has certainly impacted on the LSU but a great line-up of runners are set to do battle on the fells. Andy Berry will be racing hard for a repeat win at the LSU and is certainly one of the favorites for the top podium spot. James Elson is an experienced ultra-runner and ever-present on the UK scene. Has had great success at the 100-mile distance and has figured in the top ranks at Lakeland 100. Jarek Czuba made the podium V3K and Jason Millward was 4th at the 2017 Lakes Sky Ultra, can he make the podium this year? Rob Sinclair is a major contender for the overall victory, he won KMF 50 and smashed the record, set by Donnie Campbell in 2016, by 18-minutes. Tim Campion Smith was the winner of the 2017 Scafell Sky Race and this year steps up to the big brother, also watch out for Andy Bryce who placed 3^rdlast year, although he is going for the double! Sophie Grant heads up a small contingent of ladies who are taking on the LSU challenge. She is the overall favourite for victory after placing 2^ndin 2016 and don’t be surprised if she does not impact on the overall ranking.

The race starts at 0700 on Saturday July 14th. First runners are expected in Ambleside around 1400hrs and the race cut off is at 2100.

All information for the weekend can be found at the race website

LAKE DISTRICT SKY TRAILS here.

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