Yading Skyrunning Festival 2018

Posted on April 27, 2018 by talkultra

The “2018 Migu Run Skyrunner® World Series” kicks-off this weekend in China with the Yading Skyrunning Festival – VK, SKY and ULTRA.

It is going to be a weekend of high altitude action as the Yading races personify the simple ethos of running Between earth and sky – Skyrunning! The Yading Skyrunning Festval takes in numerous 6000m peaks through three races – VK, SKY and the Yading Kora ULTRA.

The Yading Skyrun will start at 0700 on April 30th and will cover a distance of 29km. Staring in the centre of Yading’s Shangri-La, the race will start with a gradual downhill. After 3.5km, the race will hit the lowest point in the race – 2860m! From here, the only way is up – passing a small village, the race route hugs a single-track. The summit at 4700m is covered with Buddhist prayer flags and what follows is a fast descent all the way back to Chonggu Temple. Last year, Nepalese sensation Bhim Gurung produced an incredible downhill run to come from behind and take victory.

The Yading VK starts on Sunday April 29th. Covering a distance of 7km (unusally long for the VK format) the race will have an elevation gain of 1072m but starts at 3992m and concludes at over 5000m. It is the highest VK on the circuit and arguably one of the most stunning! Alpine forests, prayer flags, a glacier lake and a high pass at 5000m concludes a lung and leg busting race. It’s a race that all must try once, the scenery, landscape and views are mind-blowing.

The Yading Kora Ultra also takes place on the same day as the SKY race and takes in the Kora pilgrimage route over 46km – the finishing section is the same route as the SKY race.

This area of Yading is blessed with immense natural beauty, including the three sacred peaks (Mount Chenrezig, Jampayang, and Chenadorje) which loom over the National Park at an altitude of over 6,000m. From the 5th Dalai Lama through Joseph Rock this area has been a source of spiritual inspiration. With over 2,300m of elevation gain over the length of the course, and the finish line sitting at just over 4,000m, the race challenges beginners and elites alike.

Athletes to look out for over the weekend taking part in one or multiple events are as follows:

Francois d’Haene

Andy Wacker

Cody Lind

Oscar Casal Mir

Marc Casal Mir

Pere Rullan

Eduard Hernandez Teixidor

Robert Krupicka

Finlay Wild

and more….

For the ladies:

Ida Nillson

Mira Rai

Sheila Aviles

Ruth Croft

Hillary Gerrardi

Holly Page

Nuria Dominguez

and more…

Transgrancanaria 2018 125km – Race Images and Summary

Posted on February 25, 2018 by talkultra

The 2018 Transgrancanaria HG started as planned at 2300 hours from a new start in Las Palmas. In the 24-hours before the race, it had been touch and go if the race would have a delayed start due to storms that were rolling in to the island. For example, the marathon was postponed from Friday to a Saturday start.

In the hours before the start, rain storms moved through the island bringing with it strong winds and torrential rain. However, in Las Palmas it was all calm… was it the calm before another storm?

Live music, thousands of people and on the stroke of 11pm, the runners departed along the beach for one of the toughest races in the world – 125km with over 7000m of vertical gain. As the name suggests, the route is ‘Transgrancanaria’ starting n the north-east and passing all the way down the spine of the island to conclude in the south at Maspalomas. Key moments come at Arucas, Teror, Fontanales, Presa de los Perez, Artenara, Tejeda, Garanon, Tunte, Ayagaures, Parque Sur and finally the finish line in Maspalomas.

The ladies’ race was dominated by Polish runner Magda Laczak who pushed from the front right from the start. She opened a gap early on and pulled away as the miles past to finally finish 40-minutes ahead of the ever present and indestructible Andrea Huser, their times 15:18:37 and 15:58:11. Third placed lady was Ekaterina Mityaeva who is new to the UTWT ranks but over the past years has gained a strong reputation in the Skyrunner Works Series. Her form was good to close strongly and pass Fernanda Maciel for the final podium place. Fernanda had run a strong race early on but faded in the last quarter to finally finish 6th being passed by Beth Pascall from the UK and Eva Sperger. The ladies race had notable drop outs with some key favourites haveng a tough night, in particular Caroline Chaverot, Francesca Canepa and Emilie Lecomte.

For the men, Pau Capell as defending champion was the man to beat and he looked relaxed with expectation on his shoulders. He ran smart, calm and cool as Frenchman Aurelien Collet dictated the pace from the front. At the iconic Roque Nublo the duo were less than a minute apart and Aurelien must have felt like a hunted animal. Pau eventually made his move and he opened a gap immediately which he extended to the line finishing in 12:42:08 ahead of Aurelien’s 12:56. A strong attack had been expected from the USA’s Tim Tollefson and certainly over the first third of the race his presence was felt, however, a recurring injury kicked in and he was forced to drop. Cristofer Clemente took over the reigns and running his longest ever race he surprised himself taking the final podium slot in 13:22. Daniel Jung placed 4th.

Results:

Pau Capell – 12:42:08
Aurelién Collet – 12:56:39
Cristofer Clemente – 13:22:48

Magda Laczak – 15:18:37
Andrea Huser – 15:58:11
Ekaterina Mityaeva – 16:12:48

Race website http://www.transgrancanaria.net

Full Results http://transgrancanaria.livetrail.net

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The Coastal Challenge 2018 #TCC2018 – Stage 3

Posted on February 14, 2018 by talkultra

Day 3 of the 2018 kicked off at 0530 this morning and what lay ahead was a tough and challenging day of hills, technical trail, waterfalls, long dusty and stony roads and relentless beach – all intensified by Costa Rican heat and humidity.

The early trails leaving Dominical Beach take the runners into 10km’s of technical river bed. It’s all rock hopping and slip sliding away on the wet and greasy surface.

Nuayaca Waterfall is no doubt the highlight of the day, if not the race. The runners arrive down a small trail and the cascade greets them, they pass through and climb up a winding trail. From here on in, the terrain varies from rainforest, dusty access roads and technical Trail before the beach arrives with approximately 10km to go.

Now, the heat is intense, and the runners are sandwich pressed between sand and sky.

A small technical forest section leads to the highway and then the final km’s are passed on the side of the road before turning down an access road to the beach. It’s a brutal day.

It may come as no surprise that Ragna Debats dictated the day and the pace in the ladies’ race. it’s fair to say, that Debats has lifted this race to a whole new level, her times surpass all that has gone before. So much so, she is lying 6th overall. Today she pushed and pushed and placed 6th on the stage and 1-hour 10-minutes ahead of 2016 TCC champion, Ester Alves. She is putting on a masterclass!

Ester Aves as usual ran a solid race finishing in 6:45 with Mirta Reaple 3rd in 7:06 closely followed by Suzanna Guadarrama in 7:12. The final positions for 2nd and 3rd could prove to be exciting with two tough days to come.

For the men, Neruda Cespedes was the first to the waterfall closely followed by Tom Evans and Hayden Hawks. By the time cp2 arrived, it was all change with Hawks, Evans joined by Timothy Olson and Marcus Scotney. They pushed through the downhill trails to the beach and Evans and Hawks pulled away from Olson and Scotney.

Olson then made a break in pursuit of the duo leaving Scotney alone n 4th place. Disaster struck whom Scotney missed a turn, losing time, he opens up the doorway for Jorge Paniagua, Erick Aguero, Neruda Cespedes and Ashur Youssefi to go ahead of him. It was a huge mistake and he would finally finish 9th on the stage in 5:43.

Evans and Hawks continued to mark each other at the front and despite several attempts to push ahead of each other, the duo finished in 4:54. Olson finished 3rd in 5:02 and Jorge Paniagua flew the Costa Rican flag in 4th!

Tomorrow’s stage is 37km from Coronado to Palmar Sur

Tom Evans 4:54:52
Hayden Hawks 4:54:52
Timothy Olson 5:02:04
Jorge Paniagua 5:26:25
Erick Aguero 5:33:36

Ragna Debats 5:34:20
Ester Alves 6:45:13
Mirta Reaple 7:06:58
Suzanna Guadarrama 7:12:38
Gabriela Molina 8:17:43

Full results at www.webscorer.com

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The Coastal Challenge 2018 #TCC2018 – Stage 2

Posted on February 12, 2018 by talkultra

It was a 0400 wakeup call this morning and an 0530 start. It may sound super early but believe me, the runners weren’t complaining! Most had been in bed before 8pm. The advantages of an early start are simple, it gives the runners a good 2-3 hours before the heat starts to take its toll.

Today’s stage was a tough 39km kicked off with a climb. Tom Evans, Hayden Hawks and Timothy Olson dictated the pace for the men, matching each other stride-for-stride. At the summit they could be heard talking actively, so, it’s fair to say they were easing into the day! For the ladies, Ragna Debats stamped her mark on the race by pushing immediately and opening a huge lead over the chasers.

The course rolled up and down with a series of hard, stony and dusty access roads that connected sections of rainforest. At 16km another high point was reached, just over 700m and then it was all pretty much downhill before reading the beaches of Dominical and a flat but hot run to the finish.

Debats was in a league of her own today, she pushed and pushed eventually crossing the line in 4:24:25. To put this in perspective, 2016 TCC winner Ester Alves, finished 2nd lady in 5:15:58, 3rd lady was Suzanna Guadarrama and Mirta Reaple and Josephine Adams were 4th and 5th.

Hawks and Evans pushed the pace for the men, finally pulling away from Olson. The duo ran side-by-side and although they tested each other, the duo crossed the line together in 3:41:52. Olson had a good day, relishing the more technical and hilly terrain to finish 3rd in 3:48:17 with Marcus Scotney and Michael Wardian placing 4th and 5th.

Tomorrow’s stage and 47.4km is a tough one that runs from Dominical Beach to Bahia Ballena.

Stage Results:

Tom Evans 3:41:52
Hayden Hawks 3:41:56
Timothy Olson 3:48:17
Marcus Scotney 4:00:28
Michael Wardian 4:21:41

Ragna Debats 4:24:25 (6th on stage)
Ester Alves 5:15:58
Suzanna Guadarrama 5:30:26
Mirta Reaple 5:42:18
Josephine Adams 6:01:35

Full stage results HERE

Overall classification HERE

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Lanzarote Training Camp 2018 Day 4

Posted on January 21, 2018 by talkultra

No pain, no gain – well, that is what they say! Today, was ‘pain’ morning at the Lanzarote Training Camp when all the participants did at least 6 reps of a volcano.

It’s a challenging morning and the vertical gain is designed to replicate the largest jebel that has appeared in all the latest editions of Marathon des Sables.

Steep with lose gravel for the climb and the descent is a mixture of stone, lose rocks and sharp lava – a gravel road section allows some recovery before a repeating.

It was a hot day and although the session was tough – everyone loved it!

A break for lunch and then Elisabet Barnes did a practical workshop of foot care. It’s an essential session that prepares everyone with all the relevant skills to allow them the flexibility to be self-sufficient when racing. Elisabet also showed and demonstrated foot taping as a preventive measure against blisters.

At 6pm, the day concluded with an easy 5 or 10km shake-outrun to loosen the legs!

Why not join our 2019 Training Camp?

More information HERE

Lanzarote Training Camp 2018 Day 3

Posted on January 20, 2018 by talkultra

A long day on the trails this morning with our 40-participants split into 5 groups moving along the stunning coastline on Lanzarote. The technical trails are a challenge and it is fair to say, they are a much greater challenge than those encountered at say, MDS.

Reassuringly, our run/ walk group covered 25km in less than 4-hours. Perfect and a great confidence boost for the race.

The sun was shining, the skies were blue and the ever present wind that is always in Lanzarote, blew in off the sea to help make perfect running conditions.

It was a hot day though and that could be seen on one or two red faces after the run… Remember the sun cream folks!

A break for lunch and then at 4pm a talk/ discussion by MDS 2017 3rd place, Tom Evans.

Tom talked about nutrition and the differences and requirements of each participant. No two runners are the same. For example, the simple calorie needs and differences between a ‘fast’ runner. ‘mid’ runner or ‘walker.’

The type of food you will eat and how it is made up – carbs, protein and fats. For example, 1 to 1.5g of carbs per KG of body weight is considered ideal, 1.5g per KG of protein and 1g of fat per KG – but is that possible in a multi-day race?

As the question: What is normal for you? YOU need to know what you need! All valuable lessons and questions.

For example, a typical day for Tom:

Breakfast – Porridge and nuts
Whilst running – 2 x GU gels and 100g of Tailwind
Recovery – 2 x 70g of weight gain protein shake
Dinner – 100g freeze dried meal (LYO) and Pip & Nut peanut butter
Hydration – 6 x Nuun tablets

Typically 2623 calories for 665g weight

Hydration, needless to say, so important in any race! You need to sweat to cool muscles, remove toxins and keep ones core cool. Sodium replacement is key.

Tomorrow is another full-day with hill reps in the morning, a foot care workshop and easy shoe-out run!

Why not join our 2019 Training Camp?

More information HERE

Lanzarote Training Camp 2018 Day 1

Posted on January 18, 2018 by talkultra

Today was arrival day at Club La Santa in Lanzarote. Early starts from a snowy and icy UK saw our first clients arrive midday and then a steady trickle of runners arrived culminating in our last runners arriving at 1630. In total, the 2018 Lanzarote Training Camp has 46-attendees.

We have the best coaches on hand to guide our clients through the rigours, both physical and mental, for preparing for a multi-day adventure in 2018 or onwards into 2019.

Arguably, day 1 is a relaxing day as it is all about travel. However, to ease everyone into a challenging week, we started with an easy 1-hour run as the day came to an end. Clear skies, the glow of a disappearing sun and the smell of the ‘sea’ in the air – what better way to start a training camp?

Tom Evans, 3rd place at the 2017 Marathon des Sables led the speedy runners. Sondre Amdahl, experienced single-stage and multi-day runner, lead the 2nd group. Two times MDS champion and experienced multi-day race expert, Elisabet Barnes, guided group 3 and then group 4 was lead by our walking specialist, Marie Paule Pierson.

It was s stunning start to the 2018 camp!

Early evening drinks, a group meal and briefing finished the day. Tomorrow, Friday, the participants embark on a lengthy coastal run of sand, rocks, single-track and dunes. It is going to be a great day and one that is eagerly anticipated by all.

Why not join our 2019 Training Camp?

More information HERE

Marathon des Sables PERU 2017 #MDSPeru Day 2

Posted on November 27, 2017 by talkultra

After a late arrival in camp last night, day one in bivouac was an admin day with equipment checks and the deposit of personal belongings. It’s a day that often drags as runners work through all their belongings deciding what to take and what not. Once they drop their case, that is it! No going back. If you have forgot something, you have forgotten it.

It’s all about balancing essentials with luxuries. The ‘racers’ keep things to a minimum trying to get the pack to 6.5kg (the minimum) plus water. This mean no luxuries! The pack weight is pretty much all food, maybe a change of socks, a sleeping bag, seeping mat and of course compulsory items. Once water is added, race pack weight is usually around 8kg on race day 1. This gets lighter as the days pass and the runner eats the contents.

Other runners decide to carry other items to make the week in the desert. However, for every gram carried, this is additional weight to add a burden to ones body and slow you down – it is a fine balancing act. To put this into perspective the heaviest pack weight recorded today was 12kg.

At admin check, medical forms are scrutinised, compulsory items are checked, packs are weighed and the runner is asked to provide an excel doc of food contents to make sure they have enough for the 6-days ahead.

A small number of select runners, those most likely to make the top-10, are also asked to contribute to the ITRA health passport system by providing a blood sample. At the 2017 edition of the race, this is not compulsory.

To conclude the day, a dance by locals was performed and then a compulsory briefing was given outline the week ahead.

Once dinner is concluded, the runners are then self-sufficient.

Race Day 1 has an 0730 start in Cahuachi with 37.2km yo cover before the finish in Coyungo. It is a day of pretty much all downhill starting at an altitude of just over 350m and concluding a little higher than sea level.

You can read a preview of the 2017 MDS Peru HERE

ELISABET BARNES and MARCUS SCOTNEY – THE COASTAL CHALLENGE 2018 #TCC2018

Posted on June 5, 2017 by talkultra

2015 and 2017 Marathon des Sables ladies champion Elisabet Barnes will join 2016 Cape Wrath Ultra and 2017 Dragons Back Race champion Marcus Scotney on the start line in Quepos for the 2018, The Coastal Challenge.

TCC as it is affectionately known is a multi-day race starting in the southern coastal town of Quepos, Costa Rica and finishing at the stunning Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula. It is an ultimate multi-day running experience that offers a new challenge even to the most experienced runner. Taking place over 6-days, the race hugs the coastline of Costa Rica, traveling in and out of the stunning Talamanca mountain range. Even the strongest competitors are reduced to exhausted shells by the arrival of the finish line due to the combination of technical trails, dense forest, river crossings, waterfalls, long stretches of golden beach, dusty access roads, high ridges and open expansive plains.

The 14th edition of the race is set to be a classic in the making with the confirmation of Barnes and Scotney. Barnes is a two-time winner of the iconic Marathon des Sables and is a two-time finisher of the TCC – 2015 and 2016.

Bitten by the Costa Rica bug and the ‘Pura Vida’ lifestyle, Barnes has repeatedly said that the Central American race is her most favourite.

“Costa Rica is a magical place and the TCC is spectacular in so many ways. I work hard in this race because technical running is not my strength, but I love the fact that I get to push my boundaries and challenge myself. The course is just breath taking with great variety, always interesting but not always easy! After a tough day on the trails you are rewarded with yet another stunning campsite, a warm welcome by the dedicated volunteers, and excellent food provided by the hard-working catering team. It’s a race that every runner should add to their bucket list.”

The race looks set to elevate itself to new heights in with the confirmation of Marcus Scotney. Scotney is a highly-respected runner within the UK who has on multiple occasions represented his country on the world ultra-stage. In recent years, he has participated in multi-day races – The Cape Wrath Ultra in Scotland and The Dragons Back Race in Wales. Both races are tough, technical races with many 1000m’s of vertical gain. Scotney won them both and now looks forward to testing himself in the high heat and humidity of Costa Rica.

‘The Coastal Challenge has been on my bucket list of races since 2014, it looks like an amazing beautiful race with a stunning mixture of trail, beach and jungle running. I can’t wait to visit Costa Rica and experience the culture and run a multi-stage race which has a brilliant reputation. I am sure it will live up to that reputation and all that I expect; I feel very privileged to run the race.’

Unlike races such as the Marathon des Sables, TCC is not self-sufficient. Don’t be fooled though, the racing, terrain, heat and climbing make the stages considerably harder and more challenging than the Moroccan adventure.

“Not carrying equipment is convenient, as is having access to your gear so you can run in fresh clothes every day and change for camp,” Barnes says. “However, the terrain is at times far more difficult than in MDS, and when adding to that the high humidity, you really have a challenge on your hands. Still, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a week”

Will it be third time lucky for Barnes in Costa Rica, who knows? She certainly has knowledge of the course, an understanding of how to run in the heat and yes, she also knows how to maximize her time to make the most of her racing experience. For Scotney, the challenge will be a new one. He will love all the faster sections of the course where he will be able to unleash his natural running speed. The challenges will come with the technical terrain and of course the heat combined with the humidity.

The 2018 edition of TCC is already looking like a stunning race and in the coming months, several other elite athletes will be announced who will participate in this classic race.

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The Coastal Challenge

Facebook HERE

Website (UK) HERE

Website (Global) HERE

Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race™ 2017 – Day 4

Posted on May 25, 2017 by talkultra

Mann on fire… reeling after navigational errors, giving away a ridiculous amount of time and losing his first place, today Jim Mann left camp at 0730 with just one purpose, ‘make them chase and make them chase hard!’

Mann set off at a ridiculous pace and despite a day of sun and high temperatures (25-degrees) he pushed and pushed breaking splits for his 2015 winning time. On the rolling terrain he rarely walked, constantly switching from running to fast, hands-on-knees hiking. He crossed the line for the 71km’s in 7:03:26. The question was, what would Marcus Scotney do?

The rolling terrain suited Scotney today allowing him to use his running prowess to stretch his legs and hopefully protect his lead on Mann in second. At all times he looked relaxed and focused. However, after the midway point, it was becoming clear that Mann, really was on fire. Scotney pushed to the line and crossed in 7:21:26.

Mann had almost done the impossible in clawing back his first place… wow!

Scotney’s 31:46:28 to Mann’s 31:54:34 now means that the last day of the 2017 Berghaus Dragons Back Race is going to be epic!

Or should I say, IT WAS going to be epic.

Post race, it transpired that Mann once again made a navigation error – he missed a ‘mandatory’ route.

The ‘officials’ have checked the route Mann took and have compared times and splits in comparison to race leader Scotney. It transpires that this section and route was actually slower than the mandatory route and that no advantage was gained. However, the officials have issued Mann with a ‘strike’ – he now has two! Should he get a strike on the last day he will be disqualified from the race. The whole situation was discussed with Scotney and no time penalty will be given.

Scotney however has gained a knee injury in stage 4 and it now looks unlikely he will be able to race the fifth day of the race, he has said he would like a ‘Dragon’ and should he start the last day it will be to complete!

Drama in Wales!

For the ladies, Sabrina Verjee had a tough day battling heat and dehydration and crossed the line in 9:51:25. Whereas Carol Morgan had a game changing day crossing the line in 9:14:18 – this eradicated much of the time gap Verjee had built up over the first three days, moved her up into 2nd place and leaves her just minutes from a potential 2017 victory.

Adding to the ladies mix is Caroline McIlroy who crossed the line in 9:24:09. She has spent much of the week in second place and now she is in third after Morgan’s impressive run. With just fifteen minutes between the top three ladies, the last day is going to be a tough one!

Verjee will start at 0800 on the last day and then Morgan and McIlroy will start with the time differences to first – the first lady of these three on the day 5 finish line will be the 2017 champion!

On a final note, 133 people started day 4 of the race – a 50% drop out rate.