European Skyrunning Championships 2013

Posted on July 11, 2013 by talkultra

Italy will host the third edition of the biennial championships. The Vertical and Sky disciplines will take place in Canazei, Trento, on July 19 & 21. The Ultra distance, for the first a championship discipline – will be celebrated in Vicenza, on July 27. The skyrunning “hall of fame” is unveiled

The third edition of the European Skyrunning Championships kicks off in Italy with not just Europe’s best, but no less than seven world championsrepresenting sixteen nations. The events will mark the first European Ultra title, as well as the Vertical and Sky distances.

Taking on all three disciplines will be super-champs Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg, for whom only the sky is the limit. A number of other athletes will take on the three-race challenge but mostly the specialists are aiming for medals in their preferred categories.

The strong Spanish team includes 2011 Skyrunning World Champion Luis Alberto Hernando who will take on the Ultra with 2012 Ultra Champion Nuria Picas.

The twelve team members also include three-time World Champion, Agustì Roc and Vertical Champion Laura Orguè.

Italy will be aiming at the Vertical and Sky distances with a robust line-up headed by Vertical World Champion Urban Zemmer and Antonella Confortola who took third at the recent KM Vertical in Chamonix. The Italian squad is supported by Nicola Golinelli (4^th Mont-Blanc Marathon), Marco Facchinelli currently heading the SWS Vertical Series together with Marco Moletto (ranked 4^th). Silvia Serafini (4^th in Mont-Blanc Marathon), will race both distances while Stephanie Jimenez will take on the SkyMarathon®.

Many more world-class names have signed up to represent their county in the European Championships. Among them, the strong French team: Michel Lanne, Emilie Lecomte, Matheo Jacquemoud, Didier Zago, Celine Lafaye and Corrine Favre; Philipp Reiter and promising “new” skyrunner Florian Reichert (Germany); Ferran Teixido and Oscar Casal Mir (Andorra); Zhanna Vokueva (Russia); Csaba Nemeth (Hungary); Ionut Zinca (Rumania); Tessa Hill(Great Britain).

The Netherlands are not new to skyrunning after their first experience at the 2012 SkyGames®. They are led by Ragna Debats, 5^th at Mont-Blanc Marathon. New entries include a very strong representation from the Czech Republic with no less than thirteen team members they are determined to make an impression on the international skyrunning scene.

To date, the sixteen countries entered are: Andorra, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Rumenia, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden.

The events kick off on July 19 in Canazei, Trento, Italy with the Vertical Kilometer®, followed by the Dolomites SkyRace® on July 21. The Ultra distance will be disputed at the Trans d’Havet just six days later in the nearby Veneto Region on July 27.

With such a deep field in every category, records are likely to tumble.

The record on the unforgiving Vertical Kilometer® course, just 2,1 km long, stands at 33’16” by Urban Zemmer and Antonella Confortola, 39’13”, back in 2008 when the course was inaugurated at the SkyGames® .

The Dolomites SkyRace® favoured by the world’s top runners offers a new challenge after record-breaking performances last year by Kilian Jornet in2h01’52 and Emelie Forsberg, in 2h26’00. The challenging and often technical course represents one of the toughest proving grounds for the relatively short distance: 22 km but with 1,750m climb to the summit of the Piz Boè which, at 3,152m altitude, towers majestically above the start and finish of the race in Canazei.

Moving on to the much anticipated Ultra, the Trans d’Havet is an 80 km point to point with 5,500m vertical climb traversing the Piccole Dolomiti in the Veneto Region. The route, technical in stretches, includes 6 km of tunnels.

Course records at last year’s launch were: 10h58’44” by Daniele Palladino (ITA) and Francesca Canepa (ITA) 11h44’45’’.

The winning formula? Easy: the European Skyrunning Championships are open with individual titles at stake in each discipline. Ranking is based on the sum of the highest points scored in two out of three events. The national title is based on the score of the first three men and one woman in all three events.

Vertical

Dolomites Vertical Kilometer®, Canazei, Trento, July 19

Sky

Dolomites SkyRace®, Canazei, Trento, July 21

Ultra

Trans d’Havet, 80k, Piovene R, Piccole Dolomiti, Vicenza – July 27

Skyrunning Website HERE

Trans D’Havet 2013 why not?

Posted on June 9, 2013 by talkultra

Why not?

Why not indeed… Trans D’Havet is waiting for you! Take advantage of the European Skyrunning Championships and enter one race, two races or all three and make a week of it in the perfect location of the Dolomites and the Veneto. Still places available!

Entry available HERE

Every two years the European Skyrunning Championships are celebrated and 2013 is no exception. The big news is the inclusion for the first time of the ultra distance. The venue is all-Italian with the Vertical Kilometer® and SkyRace® in Canazei, Dolomites on July 19 and 21, while the Ultra will take place just six days later in the nearby Veneto Region.

The Dolomites will again host two of the events in the three-year history of the Championships. The record on the unforgiving Vertical Kilometer® course just 2,1 km long, stands at 33’16” by world record holder Italian Urban Zemmer and Antonella Confortola in 39’13” back in 2008 when the course was inaugurated.

The classic Dolomites SkyRace® favoured by the world’s top runners offers a new challenge after record-breaking performances here this year by Kilian Jornet in 2h01’52”, and the three top women, Sweden’s Emelie Forsberg,American Kasie Enman and Spaniard Mireia Mirò – all under record time. Forsberg’s record stands at 2h26’00”.

The challenging and often technical course represents one of the toughest proving grounds for the relatively short distance: 22 km but with 1,750m climb to the summit of the Piz Boè which, at 3,152m altitude, towers above the start and finish of the race in Canazei.

The much anticipated Ultra is embodied by the Trans d’Havet, a point to point 80 km long with 5,500m vertical climb traversing the Piccole Dolomiti in the Veneto Region. The route, technical in stretches, includes 6 km of tunnels dating back to the First World War, created by General D’Havet, to whose name the race is dedicated.

Info:

Distance: 50 km / 62.1 miles Elevation gain: 5,500m
Elevation loss: 5,500m
5 peaks or passes at 1,600m altitude
Max altitude: 2,239m (Rifugio Fraccaroli) Pass below galleries of the first World War 8 aid stations
23h time limit
2012: Daniele Palladino (ITA) 10h58’44’’
2012: Francesca Canepa (ITA) 11h44’45’’

Francesca Canepa copyright iancorless.com

At the launch in 2012, the men’s winning time was 10h58’44”, no doubt destined to fall with the top European runners participating here in 2013.

Following on from the Dolomites SkyRace® on the 21^st, five days’ activities and fun-packed action are being organised for runners who want to stay over for the Trans d’Havet. More news on this later.

The European Skyrunning Championships are open with individual titles at stake in each discipline based on the sum of the highest points scored in two out of three events. The national title is based on the score of the first three men and one woman in all three events.

Vertical

Dolomites Vertical Kilometer®, Canazei, Trento, July 19

Sky

Dolomites SkyRace®, Canazei, Trento, July 21

Ultra

Trans d’Havet, 80k, Piovene R, Piccole Dolomiti, Vicenza – July 27

LINKS:

Trans D’Havet website HERE

Dolomites Sky Race HERE

Dolomites VK HERE

Skyrunning website HERE

Dolomites Sky Race

Posted on July 22, 2012 by talkultra

Records fall at the 2012 Dolomites Skyrace with Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg taking the respective wins in the male and female races. The Dolomites Skyrace is part of the ISF Skyrunning World Series.

The mens race:

photo by Skialper

Kilian Jornet ran 2:01:52 beating the previous course record by nearly 3 minutes. In second place some 4:39 in arrears was Alin Ionut Zinca with a finish time of 2:06:31 and third place went to Mitjia Coseweli in 2:06:58.

Brit Tom Owens finished 7th in 2:09:45

The ladies race:

http://www.sportdimontagna.com

To confirm the dominance of Salomon Running (they took the top three places), Emelie Forsberg ran a superb race to not only take the win but set a female course record in 2:26:00 on the dot, over 4 mins quicker than Antonella Confortola who set the record of 2:30:09 in 2008. Second place behind Emelie was Kasie Enman in 2:28:09 and in third was Mireia Miro in 2:30:08.

Previous records:

Mens record set in 2007 by Mitja Kosovelj 2:04:53
Womens Record set in 2008 by Antonella Confortola 2:30:09

The Route

The race is 22 km long (10 km uphill, 12 km downhill), the path changes from earth to gravel. The race begins and ends in Piazza Marconi, Canazei m. 1450, the maximum height of Piz Boo is 3.152 m., the uphill altitude is 1.750 m. The course is marked with flags. Refreshments are available at Passo Pordoi (2.239), Pordoi saddle (2.829 m.), Boè (2.871 m.), Pian Schiavaneis. Runners must reach Passo Pordoi in 1 hour and 5 minutes and Forcella Pordoi in 1 hour and 50 minutes.