Following on from the press conference for the launch of the Ultra Trail World Tour (UTWT) three press releases have been made available via a special link on the UTWT website.
Although many questions are still unanswered it may provide an insight into the long term objectives and motivations.
“We could make runners stash their own gatorade bottles (glass) and run with the horses, but it’s not 1974.” Craig Thornley, Western States race director.
It’s a good place to start. The world of trail, mountain, road ultra running is changing. In recent years we have seen rapid growth. Runners, elite and non elite want to test themselves on ever demanding courses and ultimately test themselves against each other and see who comes out on top.
However, ultra running is not quite like any other sport. It places extreme demands on the body. Pushed too hard and the body breaks… ask Geoff Roes what he thinks.
So, although an Ultra Trail World Tour sounds attractive caution is needed. But before we worry about those aspects, we first need to look at what this UTWT entails.
The UTWT was launched on September 1st amidst the Ultra-Tour du Mont-Blanc. The fact that the race was not over and that many runners were still trying to get to the finish line may well have been a touch of bad timing. Admittedly though, many press leave immediately after the event so this may very well have been a logistical issue.
One by one, the initial races were announced and with them a representative from each race came to the stage.
2014 confirmed races are as follows:
So, this takes us up to August and apparently other races have been asked to participate and we can expect confirmation of these, on or before September 15th.
Of course, alarm bells initially ring at the presence of Western States. Secondary alarm bells ring at the presence on Marathon des Sables but I will come onto that later.
How does it work?
The UTWT will propose an international competitive circuit in partnership with the International Trail Running Association. The events should already be open to the widest public and will offer ‘everyone’ a unique chance, throughout each year, to participate. Question: How does that relate to Western States with limited capacity and demand far outweighing places available? Also, Marathon des Sables… UK entrants for example are on a three year waiting list.
In each race points are awarded to every runner and therefore at the end of the year, a male and female UTWT world champion will be announced. To attract elite athletes, certain events will have Ultra Trail Series status and these will offer more important weighting in the ranking. (I assume this will be for races like Western States?)
Runners will be presented with a Passport. This can be ordered online before the end of the year, it was not made clear if these passports need to be paid for? When you complete a race, you are awarded a visa, this is added to your passport and shows your completion.
The minimum race distance will be 100km, races must have had two previous editions to qualify and already have 500 minimum participants (again, Western States has less than 400). A minimum of twenty countries will be represented and be emblematic venues.
So, how do you become World Champ?
All finishers in every race will be awarded points according to his performance. These points will be added to the International ranking and updated after each race. This ranking will be available on line at the UTWT website. The circuit will be an International competitive circuit in partnership with the ITRA (International Trail Running Association).
As mentioned, a limited number of races will be called Ultra Trail Series and you may only use two best performances from these races in building up points for the world title. In total, three races score, so, you could have two UTS races and one other.
A world champion lady and male will be announced each year.
ANALYSIS
Okay, first and foremost, we don’t have the complete picture, so, you will need to be patient.
The press conference was slick, enticing and all was going well until a call for questions came. I jumped in and asked about Western States…
It’s not just ‘any’ race, it has a limited field, it’s a desirable race, what is the impact and so on a and so on.
The answer was vague and very unconvincing. In actual fact it was embarrassing. One comment that came from the stage was, “it’s early days and we haven’t worked these things out yet”. Not a good start.
One journalist asked several questions:
Will you have doping control? YES
Will you have prize money? EACH INDIVIDUAL RACE CAN HAVE PRIZE MONEY, IT’S UP TO THE RACE. We did not have clarification though if the world title had a prize, other than the ‘title’ of world champ.
What will the elites get? ELITE 1 RUNNERS WILL GET TRAVEL AND HOTELS PAID FOR. But they never clarified if that is open to all elite 1. Lets say 50 want to do Western States, will they all get hotels and travel?
The series very much seems like the Skyrunning concept, is this competition or are you offering something different?. THE RACES WILL BE 100km OR MORE AND ON VARIED TERRAIN, SKYRUNNING WORK TO A SPECIFIC FORMAT AND WITH THE ODD EXCEPTION, ALL RACES ARE UNDER 100k. I agree, the UTWT is very different to Skyrunning, it is taking some principles from the Skyrunning ethos, for example, a series of races, three qualify out of five and the winner is world Skyrunner champion but the terrain is varied. Skyrunning look at altitude and technical.
At this point, the stage participants could feel more and more questions were coming and the conference was drawn to a close quite quickly.
Overall, it started well and ended badly. It certainly appears that the UTWT team wanted to maximise the UTMB as a platform to launch but they had far too many question marks and lack of answers to leave me feeling reassured or convinced.
POINTS TO CONSIDER
I have to say, I like a championship that includes mixed terrains and distances. That will provide a true rounded athlete. However, the UTWT never specified how runners enter, so, for example, to qualify, do you have to do one 100k, one 100m and one stage race? Do you have to do one on sand, one in the mountains and one jungle for example? Without this specified, I could maybe do three 100k races on fast trail and get maximum points if that is what I was best at? We need clarification.
World destinations, iconic races are great. I can see the beauty and excitement of going to New Zealand, Hong Kong and so on, BUT these races already exist and to be honest, if I went to one it would be highly unlikely I would go to another. Far too expensive for the average pocket.
Travel and hotels for elites are all well and good but who is paying? Surely that is what sponsorship from a team is about. I am we’ll aware that places are offered and expenses paid already exists but this is very much in conjunction with a race, the RD and the athlete. Blanket travel and hotels need to be paid for and by someone and that will come down to the everyday runners and the races themselves who I am assuming are paying a yearly fee to be part of the UTWT. Transparency is needed here. Many figures have been mentioned that ravces are paying 15,000 to 30,000 euro to be part of UTWT. I believe this to be speculation.
The UTWT title needs additional incentives. Prize money! However, that has no bearing on all the other runners. I can’t help but think that only a small few (who are rich enough) will travel to several continents to experience the world tour.
What will the races get out of it? Well, recognition and exposure for one. But, I know I go back to Western States, does that race need more exposure… Does it need more entries, does it need more PR? Same applies for UTMB, you already have to get points and enter a lottery, so, if you get a ‘Passport’ does it mean you get automatic entry in a UTWT event? Confusing!
MDS is a completely different race to all the others, to have just one stage race and no others would be long term problematic. In addition, I am not even sure it should be in this series. A great race but is a unique race.
We also need to think about the runners, all the runners. The calendar is increasingly becoming larger with more and more choice. Do we really need to insist that participants run three races over 100k to be a world champion? In addition, for this to be a true championship, one of those three races would need to be a 100-miles.
Ultra is not always better when longer. I wonder if some races under 100k should be allowed?
Why not have an Ultra World Tour and include road? Comrades is an iconic race for example and surely a true ultra world champ should be able to run road too?
Are we seeing the creation of an ‘Ironman’ for trail or is this ‘just’ a series of races with quite simply a world title?
I’d like to know who is beyond this with clear transparency. I have experienced many things in the last twelve months that I have questioned and now suddenly they all add up. For example, late 2012 WAA (What an Adventure) became the official pack for MDS. At the 2013 MDS, Catherine Poletti was present at the finish in the Sahara and then WAA became the official supplier of the blue UTMB bag. Also, I believe that Catherine Poletti visited Western States to view the event… So, is the UTWT an extension of the UTMB organisation and what does it mean? Is this good or bad? I merely ask the question.
At this stage we do not have any answers. Paul Charteris from Tarawera ultra was prepared on Sunday at the press conference, although he did not attend he was online and responded to my tweets. He also had a press release ready and he has been open and transparent. Equally, Transgrancaria have been proactive and the team at Lavaredo I spoke with personally. They all want the races to be valued, increase in size and stature and be part of something bigger. I think Craig Thornley and team are having a harder time. Western States is the holy grail and change here will be difficult and in many cases not welcome. The sport must move on and grow and that means all the sport, Craig in many ways is correct when he tweeted, “We could make runners stash their own gatorade bottles (glass) and run with the horses, but it’s not 1974.”
So what do YOU think?
I don’t have the answers and I will have missed many points. Please provide some input.
*Please note, for reasons of clarity, I do work alongside the ISF Skyrunning Federation and my thoughts and comments in this posting are impartial and with the pure objective of what is the best for our sport.
Ultra-Trail® World Tour: bringing together the most emblematic trails (of 100km or more) in the World.
Chamonix, 1st September 2013
The organizers of:
– The Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run
– Marathon des Sables
– The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®
– The North Face® Transgrancanaria
– The North Face® Lavaredo Ultra-Trail
– Vibram® Tarawera 100km Ultramarathon
– Vibram® Hong Kong 100
– Ultra-Trail® Mont. Fuji
have today announced at Chamonix their participation in the 2014 Ultra-Trail® World Tour.
International circuit, shared values
The races in the Ultra-Trail® World Tour, in their specific natures, illustrate all the diversity of trail: steep paths of the Alps, California trails, hills and beaches of Hong Kong, Moroccan desert…
The races’ many different formats will present participants with a real adaptation challenge .
Between The North Face® Lavaredo Ultra-Trail and the Vibram® Tarawera 100km Ultramarathon, between the Ultra-Trail Mont Fuji and The North Face® Transgrancanaria, participants will need very different qualities to win, or simply to become a finisher.
While being fundamentally different, the Ultra-Trail® World Tour races will have common values, which they are proud to share and to promote. Ethics, equality in sports, self-respect, respect for others, for the Environment…
Taking part in the Ultra-Trail® World Tour will be the opportunity, throughout the years, to discover cultural and sporting differences. Every continent will be visited: Africa, America, Asia, Europe, Oceania… providing opportunities to enhance their sporting culture, create new friendships, and to feed on emotions in order, one day perhaps, to be a “finisher” in all the events!
Simple criteria of eligibility
Long distance trail running races of at least 100km.
Emblematic venues.
Popular races (around 500 runners minimum).
International events (a minimum of 20 countries represented).
Minimum 2 realized editions
An annual ranking for the award of the title of champion of the Ultra-Trail® World Tour
Any “Finisher”, according to his performance, will be assigned a number of points and be integrated into the international ranking , updated for each race, and available online at http://www.ultratrailworldtour.com site.
The Ultra-Trail® World Tour will propose an international competitive circuit, in partnership with the International Trail Running Association (http://www.i-tra.org).
With the goal of bringing together top athletes, a limited number of races will be labelled «Ultra-Trail® Series». Only the 3 best results should be taken in consideration, with a maximum of 2 “Ultra-Trail® Series”.
At the end of the year, after the last race, the titles of “Ultra-Trail® World Tour 2014” champion, male and female, will be awarded.
Who will win? Encourage your favorites!
A passport for all races
By the end of 2013, all runners planning to participate in one or more stages of the Ultra-Trail® World Tour can order their “Ultra-Trail® World Tour” passport on the http://www.ultratrailworldtour.com site.
Whenever they are “finishers” in a racing circuit, they receive a visa to stick in this passport.
Participation in one of these circuit races will automatically imply integration in the rankings for the Ultra-Trail® World Tour of the given year .
2014, a year full of promise
For its very first year, the Ultra-Trail® World Tour will be present on all the continents, with a dozen venues spaced out throughout the year.
The following have already been confirmed:
– January 18th: Vibram® Hong Kong 100 (Hong Kong, China)
– March 1st: The North Face® Transgrancanaria (Spain)
– March 15th: Vibram® Tarawera 100km Ultramarathon (New Zealand)
– April 4th to 14th: Marathon des Sables (Morocco)
– April 25th to 26th : Ultra-Trail Mt.Fuji® (Japan)
– June 27th to 29th : The North Face® Lavaredo Ultra Trail (Italy)
– June 29th: The Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run (USA)
– August 29th: The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® (France, Italy, Switzerland)
Other emblematic races will soon be confirming their participation.
Many questions were left unanswered at the press conference. It felt as though the organisation wanted to monopolise on the media presence available for the UTMB and spread the UTWT news.
Importantly, when I asked questions directly about Western States the answer was less than reassuring. I can’t help but think all those who love WSER will be asking serious questions.
I will update more on this but please respond? Make your points here.
For in depth live coverage from the press conference go to @talkultra twitter feed and follow by blow-by-blow comments from 0930 French time. Or use #UTWT and follow the thread.
More to follow
Everest! Do you really need any other description? Later this year, the third edition of the Everest Trail Race (ETR) will take place. Starting on the 3rd November and finishing on the 15th November, runners from around the world will join together for one of the toughest high altitude ultra marathons.
Image taken from – everesttrailrace.com ©
Set against one of the most awe inspiring backdrops, the race will last for six days covering a total distance of 160km. Daily distances are on the face of it relatively easy at; 22, 28, 30, 31, 20 and 22km, however, daily altitude difference goes from 3000m to almost 6000m.
It is a demanding race and although each participant is required to be self-sufficient during each day, food, water and an evening camp are provided by the race organization.
Image taken from – everesttrailrace.com ©
Daily temperatures can vary from -10c to +18c and the terrain will offer incredible variety; frozen earth, snow and rocks of varying color. Without doubt, the ETR is a challenge, why else would you do it? But it is a challenge all can undertake with some specific training. It is ideal for runners or hikers who want to push the limit.
Image taken from – everesttrailrace.com ©jordivila
Created in 2011 by Jordi Abad, a Spanish extreme ultra runner, the ETR is staged at the beginning of the dry season. Why? Well, the air is clean after the monsoons, visibility is impeccable and the surroundings are resplendent.
In order to get a greater understanding of what the ETR may offer, I caught up with Brazilian, Fernanda Maciel. Fernanda is currently preparing for the ‘CCC’ in Chamonix at the end of August and will make the journey to Nepal in November to take part in the 3rd edition of the ETR.
IC – Fernanda, welcome, how are you, I believe you are currently at your home in Spain?
FM – I am great thanks Ian. Yes, I am in Spain.
IC – I presume you are training in the mountains?
FM – Yes sure, one month ago I damaged my foot so I have been recovering and training. I live in the Pyrenees. It’s a great place to be. It is a great background for training and to prepare for the CCC and other races.
IC – Let’s hope they get good weather at the CCC this year…
FM – I Hope so!
IC – I guess coming from Brazil you would prefer hot weather.
FM – Yes, but I live in the Pyrenees so I am used to the cold and snow but hot weather would be nice for the race.
IC – I often think of you as an ultra runner but you are a much more diverse person than that. Can you take me back to what got you into sport and what made you realize that you had a passion for all things connected to running, cycling and swimming. You have done so many sports with such variety.
FM – From the age of 8 I was training as an Olympic gymnast. At 10yrs old I was in the US doing competitions and training every day for four hours. So, my background in sport was established when I was a child. This helped a great deal. For me the sports I have done in my life I have really enjoyed. I couldn’t separate sport from my life; it is my life. I also did martial arts. My father was a master and my grandfather was also a master in jujitsu. So I was always fighting too…
IC – So a gymnast and fighter, the message is, don’t mess around with Fernanda!
FM – Yes, it was so funny. My grandfather’s house had a fighting ring.
IC – Like a dojo?
FM – Yes a fighting ring. So my cousin and I would fight all the time. It was so funny. I loved this time. When I was 15/16 years old I started to run, 5k on the road and then 10k. When I was 20 years old I started doing half-marathons. The changing point came at 23 years old. I was invited to do some adventure racing. I purchased a bike and started to do mountain biking. I was running before but not MTB. So I progressed to adventure racing at 23. I became an endurance runner through adventure racing. The races are always long, you don’t stop, you don’t sleep so it was perfect preparation for ultra running and ultra trail. It was easy for me to progress to long distance.
IC – Do you think with ultra and trail you have found ‘your’ sport?
FM – I feel complete when I do trail and ultra. I am not sure if I can try another sport and be better but I love running. I cannot be without one day of running. I love it. Of all the sports I have done, running gives me movement, style and great experiences during and after. To be on the trails, mountains, sand or whatever; it is what I really enjoy. Currently I love the mountains. It provides great views, fresh air; I love it. It completes me. I also love flowers and animals so it’s great. Very interesting. When you go above the clouds the sensations are so amazing. It’s a great feeling.
IC – I’d like to talk about your professional life. I think of you as a professional sports person, which of course you are. But you practiced as an environmental lawyer and a sports nutritionist. Do you still practice law?
FM – I have a company in Brazil. I am a businesswoman. I also work in sport nutrition. I can do all my work remotely, so, I just need a computer. I have people in Brazil who help me. In the past I was a lawyer but when I came to Spain I needed five more years study because the law was different. Lawyers need to be in a city, I chose sport instead. Sport nutrition allows me more flexibility. It fits in with my life. I breathe sport. It’s better. I love law, I love to study and read but I didn’t want to be in an office all day. I didn’t have much contact with nature. I also became an outdoor bound instructor in addition to everything else.
IC – If we look back over your run career, it starts in 2006 and you have had some great results. You won at Transgrancanaria, you won Andorra Ultra Trail, you were fourth at UTMB, recently you had success at Lavaredo, TNF Mt Fuji but the one thing that sticks out is Camino of Santiago de Compostela, 860km and you did this as a personal challenge in ten days. What was that like?
FM – It was the hardest run of my life. I knew the Camino. I thought maybe if I run the Camino I could help children with Cancer. When I was in Brazil as Lawyer, I also helped children with cancer. So, I made this project with charity in mind and it was really tough. I was running 90-100km per day without a support team. I carried everything and slept in huts along the route. It was super tough. It think it’s a great way to do the Camino… I am writing a book now about the experience to encourage others to maybe run the Camino instead of hiking.
IC – I remember when we spoke at Haria Extreme race you told me of the difficulty on getting approval. They wouldn’t stamp your card because you moved along the trail too quickly.
FM – Yes, the church think that the runners move too fast so they don’t have time to think and reflect… I told them I had plenty of time! I was running ten or eleven hours a day. I had plenty of time to think. I hope that running will be an option for others in the future.
IC – Other races in your career, what would you pinpoint?
FM – I love the UTMB, CCC and TDS. I did the TDS in 2009 and for me it is an amazing race. It is so technical and beautiful. It is so different to the UTMB. The views are amazing. It is a really great race and one I would recommend. I have run in many races around the world, but I prefer races in Europe because they have more elevation. I prefer high mountains. I would like to try Hardrock 100. Hopefully I can get a place next year? I am going to Patagonia soon, this will give me high mountains and altitude.
IC – You have mentioned the high mountains and both of us will be in the high mountains in November. We are going to Everest Trail Race. I will be along as a journalist and photographer, very exciting for me. You will be participating. An exciting place to race…
(Laughter)
FM – Yeeesssss!
(Laughter)
IC – I can hear the excitement.
FM – Yes, I am so excited. We have support but we also need be self-sufficient too. I prefer this. It is wilder. I like this aspect of racing; it makes things more interesting. The race will provide the best views ever. It will be hard and it will be technical. It is my first stage race. It will be interesting; I can share my feelings and thoughts with other runners. We will all learn so much. The mountains will also teach us. We will be one week in this environment.
IC – It takes place in the Solukhumbu region of the Himalayas in Nepal. It has an altitude gain of more than 25,000m (ouch). It has long hard trails of frozen earth, snow, rocks it is 160km in total over 6-days broken down into 22, 28, 30, 31, 20 and 22km‘s per day. The distances don’t sound too much but when you look at elevation per day of 3000 to 6000m per day that will be extremely tough. It will be a different experience. Have you been doing anything specific in preparation?
FM – I am already preparing as I climb and spend time at elevation. It will be like a climb/run because of the elevation. The race has short distances but high elevation and that will make it tough. I go into the mountains to adapt, in the last two weeks for example I did a 60km race and I did 4500m in elevation. This is good preparation. I need altitude and high elevation. Sometimes I prefer to climb, it is good cross training and it is also good for my mind. It’s good to be in open areas.
IC – In terms of the race, snacks, meals and water are provided both along the route and at camp at the end of each day. During the race you need to be self sufficient in terms of safety kit. You need technical kit, sleeping bag, warm clothes, and mandatory kit. You have already said that this is something that excites you. Do you have any specific things that you will take?
FM – No. I will have what I need and what is specified in the rules. I will want my kit to be light, so, I will use the lightest products possible. I won’t have special drinks or food. I don’t eat cheese or meat but I have made sure that vegetarian food will be available. Apparently we need to be careful with water but apparently we will be supplied good water.
IC – You are sponsored by TNF (The North Face), are they producing any products for you specifically or will you use what is available in the consumer range
FM – I will use normal product. I may have some prototypes to test in the coming weeks, so, I may take some of this with me but I will need to test. But I think for Everest, the pack, sleeping bag, jacket and so on will be normal product in the TNF range.
IC – One thing that has always impressed me is that you like to raise money for charity. You get involved. Are you doing anything in particular for the Everest trip.
FM – Yes, at the Everest trip I have one day free after the race. I have a friend who asked if I could help children for Fundació Muntanyencs per l’Himàlaia. So, the Everest trip was perfect. Last week I had a meeting with the foundation in Spain. They need children’s clothes. In the race, we will pass through the villages of the children, where they were born. So I will hopefully bring clothes and resources to Nepal and provide them for the foundation. In the coming weeks I will start to collect everything and then I can take it with me.
IC – Great, something really incredible to help the local communities.
FM – We will need to run to the Village to help them, so if you can help me that would be great. Also, I hope Lizzy Hawker will help us too.
IC – Absolutely, I would love to get involved. It’s a great thing! Finally, many people will read this and look at your achievements and the experience you have. If you had to give advice to someone who was maybe thinking about going to Nepal, what advice would you give to help him or her?
FM – Have an open mind and open heart. The mountains will talk with you. This is the best experience for everyone. It will be incredible to be in this place. Yes, for sure, you need to train but this is only one aspect. Train the mind and the heart, the rest will follow.
IC – Perfect. Of course, the Everest Trail Race is about experience. Due to the nature of the terrain and altitude it will not be a full on running race, you will also need to be a good hiker…
FM – Yeeesss. For sure! I think if you have confidence and a good mind then it won’t be a problem. Yes we will walk, we will also run but we will also take photographs. It’s about being in the mountains. After all, it is Everest! It is another world.
IC – Fernanda, than you so much for your time. I am looking forward to catching up at CCC and of course later in the year in Nepal.
FM – Great. Here are the details of the foundation:
The children (5 to 18 years old) that we can help…
Mountaineers for Himalayas Foundation
Fundació Muntanyencs per l’Himàlaia
info@mount4him.org
Finally, a word from Jordi Abad, ETR director.
” If this was only a pure and hard competition, it would be a nonsense; environment gives its hardness but not the competitiveness itself. We are here to share and to help each other. It is possible to make the effort running any city marathon in the world, but the sensations, the environment and the feelings are to share them with friends, to know new people with whom laughing and weeping. This is what remains in the end and what makes it an unique experience for all”.
LINKS:
INTERESTED? in participating in the 2013 Everest Trail Race? It is not too late… some places are still available. Please use the contact form below and obtain a discount, only available through this contact form:
The North Face ® Transgrancanaria will be held on March 1st 2014, with radical format changes. The Transgrancanaria will be different in terms of routes and distances. The most significant change will be the arrival of the runners to the south of the island, a twist which aims to raise the profile of Gran Canaria and promote it’s strengths outside of the island.
The distances of some races also vary with respect to the last edition. In 2014 the route of the main event will consist of 125km and 7600 meters of positive elevation. The Advanced and Transmarathon races will keep the same distances of 83km and 42km respectively, while the Starter race will extend from 24km to 30km. A new race will be added as a new feature, the Promo race of 15km, aimed specifically at those people who wish to play a part in this epic adventure.
What does not vary from the Transgrancanaria and Advanced races will be the place of departure, which will be held for one more year at the Agaete port. The Transgrancanaria Marathon also will repeat the departure place at Garañón, but the end in the next edition will be at “Faro de Maspalomas”, after a tour that runs through “Pico de las Nieves” mountain, the road of “La Plata”, Tunte and Arteara villages. The Transgrancanaria Starter event is the race that will see the most changes, increasing in kilometers and showcasing the new departure from Tunte to Faro de Maspalomas.
In the press conference, the presentation of a new website with new content, better interface and more user friendly features was unveiled. With the launch of the new site, the registrations for next year was opened. For the third consecutive year, the price for race entires has been frozen. You can find more information about the new routes and registration on the following:
Episode 30 of Talk Ultra – We bring you interviews with Philipp Reiter and Julia Bottger from Gran Canaria. We have a main interview with Brit, Tom Owens. Talk Training is about nutrition and was recorded live with an audience in Lanzarote. We have all the usual features, the news, up and coming races, ‘A Year in the life of…’ our MDS special, Speedgoat Karl and of course the up and coming races.
000044 start
000408 ‘A year in the life of…’ with Tyler. It has been a while since Tyler was on the show. He has an excuse though… a wedding. His own!
001218 News with Karl Meltzer
002315 An interview with Salomon athlete Philipp Reiter just before he ran an incredible 2nd place at the 83km race at Transgrancanaria. Website HERE
005510 News
005600 An interview with Julia Bottger. Julia was 3rd lady at the 2012 Diagonale des Fous (Raid de la Reunion) and this year plans to run Ronda del Cims. Website HERE
012300 News
012956 Trail Atlas Tafraout had it’s first edition race in February and Niandi Carmont attended to feed back how this inaugural event.
014015 News
014126 Blog – http://sebmontaz.com video blog. The man behind so many incredible films about adventure. Of course many of you will know him from his efforts with Kilian Jornet and Salomon running but take a look… he is quite the inspiration.
014210 Talk Training – On this weeks talk training Marc Laithwaite and myself took advantage of being in the same location at our training camp in Lanzarote. We decided to do a talk on nutrition and include the audience…. We hope you enjoy!
022415 Our main interview is with Brit Tom Owens. Tom Owens is at home in the fells or the mountains. In 2012 he achieved new heights with a series of impressive results in the Skyrunning series.
Achievements:
1st Senterio delle Gringe Skyrace 2011
3rd Transrockies Race 2011
4th Giir di Mont Skyrace 2011
1st Salomon 4 Trails 2011
2nd World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge, Slovenia 2011
2nd Zegama Skyrace 2011
1st Yorkshire 3 Peaks Race 2011
1st Mournes Peaks Race 2011
1st TransGrancanaria Marathon 2011
1st Carnethy 5 Hill Race February 2011
1st TransAlpine Race 2009 & 2010
1st SkyRaid®World Championships 2010
6th Giir di Mont Skyrunning World Championship
1st Trail du Ventoux 2009
1st Scottish Hill Running Championship 2009
2nd British Hill Running Championship 2009
2nd World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge 2008
2nd TransRockies Race 2008
2nd Mountain X Race 2008
3rd in British Hill Running Championship 2007
1st ToughGuy Race 2006
025500 A Meltzer Moment with Speedgoat Karl
Video link – Is ultra running bad for us? – HERE
030130 Mds Special with Tobias Mews – just less than 4 weeks to go….
030850 Races – Up and coming races for the coming two weeks.
031038 Close
http://traffic.libsyn.com/talkultra/Episode_30.mp3
ITunes http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/talk-ultra/id497318073
Tough weather conditions took it’s toll on the 2013 The North Face Trans Gran Canaria with some key favourites in the 119km race dropping – Miguel Heras, Carlos Sa and Gustav Reyes amongst others did not make the finish.
A super motivated and inform Sebastien Chaigneau dominated the race for The North Face team and secured a dominant victory. After a mixed year in 2012 he will be really motivated and confident with this performance. Oier Ibarbia was 2nd some 25 minutes behind and Yeray Duran was 3rd another 30 minutes behind.
Nerea Martínez completed the 119km race in 17 hours and 16 minutes to take the win, the Canarian, Esther Fernández placed 2nd once again (same as 2012) and the Swiss Denise Zimmerman placed third.
In the 83km race as predicted, Ryan Sandes dominated the race to take the win and in doing so has now won races on four continents. It’s a great start to his 2013 campaign. Behind Ryan was his Salomon team mate, Philipp Reiter. Philipp has only just come of skis so he has found form very early. It will now be interesting to see how he performs on anothe Canary Island in May for the Transvulcania La Palma. Taking the final spot on the podium was David Lutzardo.
In the female category of the 83k race, Yurena Castrillo got first. Lidia Gómez arrived in the second position: she was one of the favourites due to the fact that in the past she had won three times this race. Sophie Grant, the New Zealand runner, placed third.
The marathon race was won by Marcin Świerc in 02:58:53 dominating the distance ahead of Lexis Almedia Benitez who was over 15 mins behind. Rafael Bethencourt Guimera completed the podium 30 minutes behind the winner.
Emelie Forsberg from Salomon running once again confirmed that she is ‘one to watch’ in 2013 by winning her first race of the season. Nuria Dominguez arrived at the finish just 3 mins behind Emelie and Janelle Tarum arrived 10mins later.
Marco Olmo racing the 83km
Philipp Reiter in the early stages
Philipp Reiter putting his poles to great use for 2nd place in the 83K
Ryan Sandes on his way to victory in the 83k race
Ryan Sandes
Seb Chaigneau in the early hours of the morning after a midnight start
Seb taking a really tough section of trail in his stride on his way to victory in the 119km race
Ryan talking about another victory. He has now won races on four continents
RESULTS
CLASIFICACIÓN GENERAL MASCULINA 42 KM
CLASIFICACIÓN FEMENINA GENERAL MARATON 42 km
CLASIFICACIÓN GENERAL MASCULINA 83 KM – Ladies results to follow
CLASIFICACIÓN GENERAL MASCULINA 119 km – Ladies results to follow
I have just had confirmation that I will be flying over to Gran Canaria on Monday 25th for several days ahead of the race the following weekend.
I will be staying at a holding camp with the elite athletes so that I can obtain some interviews, capture some images and report back before the action commences.
Unfortunately due to prior commitments I will be unable to stay for the race as I need to leave for Lanzarote on the 28th, rest assured though I will provide as much feedback as possible.
I guess the breaking news is as follows:
Lizzy Hawker has withdrawn from the 119km race as she needs more time to allow for adequate recovery before moving on with a very hectic 2013 racing schedule.
Emelie Forsberg is a last minute addition but she is taking the short option of 42km. It was only last week that she stepped of skis so this will very much be an easing into 2013.
Emelie Forsberg copyright Ian Corless
Ryan Sandes said it’s still early season and has dropped from the 119km distance to the 83km. He obviously has big plans for later in the year and quite rightly is taking a cautious approach to what is still very early in 2013.
CONFIRMED ENTRANTS as of Feb19th
119km
Miguel Heras copyright Ian Corless
Seb Chaigneau copyright Ian Corless
83km
Philipp Reiter at Cavalls del Vent copyright Ian Corless
42km
Update on Talk Ultra – @talkultra
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/talkultra
Blogs, photos and posts – https://www.iancorless.com
Transgrancanaria is a race that has been held on the island of Gran Canaria since October 2003. In the Transgrancanaria participants must cross the island on foot passing through several aid stations where they can replenish their water and food supplies, also giving the organisation a chance to monitor the competitors’ progress.
The Transgrancanaria is the pioneer of this kind of event in the Canary Islands. Arista, the organizer of the race, have placed Transgrancanaria as one of the main highlights on the national , European and now, the World stage.
The Transgrancanaria is held in the first week of March and has four different races, making accessible to everyone:
The first edition of Transgrancanaria in October 2003 had a total of 65 participants, and over the years has grown to more than 1400 athletes, walkers, joggers and nature lovers from more than 20 countries that have decided to take the challenge of crossing the island on foot in less than 31 hours. On this route participants can find rain, sun, mud, dust … but above all they will enjoy direct contact with nature. The course is the same for everyone and will be fully marked to avoid errors.
The Transgrancanaria not intended only to test the elite, but is an event for everyone, which is why you have 31 hours to do it. The first competitors will finish in daylight and the last will finish in darkness, however all will pass through the aid stations ensuring the competitors’ safety and comfort.
Copyright Protected – http://www.altissima.org
The North Face Transgrancanaria 2013 will be on 1st, 2nd and 3rd of March and will have four races: Starter, Marathon, Advanced and Transgrancanaria. The main race (Transgrancanaria) being one of the highlights in the national and European racing calendar.
The North Face athlete, Sebastien Chaigneau 3rd in 2011 and winner in 2012 with a time of 12:54:19 will be returning in 2013 to hopefully dominate on this rough and tough course. He will have some competition though from Salomon athletes Ryan Sandes and ‘wonder kid’ Philipp Reiter.
The ladies race will have returning champ and The North Face athlete Lizzy Hawker (**updated 18th Feb Lizzy Hawker will no longer be racing, she is still recovering from a stress fracture) and Julia Boettger fighting for the win. UPDATE – Emelie Forsberg has now confirmed that she will be racing (17th Feb 2013)
Taken from http://www.corredordemontana.com link HERE
Although some elite runners are still to be confirmed , just over a month before the start of the race, some of the most internationally renowned professionals shave secured an entry for March 2nd in Gran Canaria. Sebastien Chaigneau and other runners such as Ryan Sandes, John Tidd, Zigor Iturrieta or Portuguese Carlos Sa, are favorites to win the test.
Also included in the participation of the race is ultra legend, Italian Marco Olmo, who at 64 is still running in the most demanding tests and competing at the highest level. Like other elite runners as Aitor Leal, Llorens brothers, Philipp Reiter, Armando Teixeira, Fernanda Maciel, Nerea Martinez, Lizzy Hawker (not racing), Julia Boettger and Emelie Forsberg.
Published on Mar 20, 2012
Join us in celebrating 1st place wins for The North Face®athletes Sebastien Chaigneau and Fernanda Maciel at the 123km ultra-race of The North Face® Transgrancanaria – Gran Canaria, Spain, 2nd-4th March, 2012.
I will provide an elite start list for the mens and womens race as soon as possible. I am just waiting for this information from the race officials.
Check out the race website HERE
Registrations HERE
The North Face HERE
IAN CORLESS 