Just five days to go to the 2013 Transvulcania La Palma on the island of La Palma in the Canaries. Without doubt one of the racing highlights of the 2013 calendar. It is a who’s who of ultra running and here is the current confirmed line up for May 11th.
Make sure you follow all the race build up by Talk Ultra. I will be uploading images and commentary to Facebook, Twitter and this website. In addition, I will be conducting pre race audio and video interviews.
On race day we will keep you informed of all the action, phone connections allowing. Rest assured, we will be providing all the information and excitement as this iconic event unfolds.
On this weeks show we speak to 22 year old Nick Hollon who just recently finished the infamous Barkley Marathon. We catch up with Natalie White who tells us all about the future plans for UK based Inov-8 who are 10 years old in June. We have chat with Ozzies Brendan Davies and Shona Stepehenson who placed 5th and 2nd respectively at UTMF in Japan. In Talk Training we speak to Mitch from Stride UK. We also speak to Chris Mills in 15 mins of fame. We have a blog, the news, up and coming races and of course, Speedgoat.
00:00:00
00:00:45 Start
00:09:50 News
Evesham Ultra
Robbie Britton 6:47:17, Mark Davies 07:11:58, Mark Denby 07:12:04
Hayley Stockwell 8:47:51, Joan Clarke 8:57:08, Sandra Goldsack 9:12:54
Lizzy Hawker
once again continues to inspire, she recently broke her own speed record from running Everest Base Camp to Kathmandu – 319km in 63hr 8min.
She is now pack in Nepal to do the Mustang Mountain Trail Race – multi stage 277k in 8 days
Iznik Ultra
130km
1 Mahmut Yavuz 13:52 2 .Aykut Çelikbas 14:15 3 . Mustafa Poyraz 15:14
1. Elena Polyakova 15:00 2. Muazzez Özçelik 19:53 3. Bakiye Duran 22:55
Asier CUEVAS 6:53:14 Michaël BOCH 6:56:49 José Antonio REQUEJO 6:57:02
Irina ANTROPOVA 7:42:52, Sue HARRISON 7:48:12 and Sophia SUNDBERG 7:53:21
http://www.5000mileproject.org – British couple, David and Katherine are running 5000m across South America in 1 year! They started on July 28th. I have had some email chats with David and we hope to hook up within the next month or so.
Zion 100
Pierre Loic Deragne 17:52:10, Andy Pearson 17:55:12, Matt Cecill 18:42:22
Lee Kemp 7:02:50 (new CR), Ricky Lightfoot 7:09:30 and Matt Williamson 7:21:51
Tracy Dean had a real battle to the line with a calf injury but held on to win by just over 1 min ahead of Fionna Cameron 9:12:21. Third was Sandra Bowers in 9:17:02
00:2415 Brendan Davies – Brendan recently raced at Tarawera ultra in New Zealand. Part of the Inov-8 international team, he recently raced at the Ultra Trail Mt Fuji in Japan. He says it is the hardest race he has ever done… he was 5th. We caught up with Brendan just days after the race. Website HERE
00:36:37 Back to News
00:38:30 Shona Stephenson – Shona, a personal trainer and mum of two girls also raced at the Ultra Trail Mt Fuji. Like Brendan, she is also part of the Inov-8 international team. Shona secured an impressive second place behind US based Krissy Moehl, we caught up with Shona when she arrived back home in Australia. Website HERE
00:56:08 Back to News
01:05:10 Meghan Hicks – has raced at Marathon des Sables several times before. However, in 2013 she returned with several objectives. Her main priority was to make the podium but her ultimate goal was to win the race…. we caught up with Meghan at her home in Utah, less than 14 days after the iconic 28th edition of the MDS. Website HERE
01:43:10 Blog – Anton Krupicka is back…. he always writes a very detailed daily post. Here is a highlight:
Sat-AM: 6:59, 11,500′ ~ Grand Canyon Double Crossing
Used the standard South-North Kaibab route and clocked a 6:59:24 roundtrip, which was a 17min PR for me and I think ~30sec under Mackey’s previously 2nd-fastest time (but still 6min short of Dakota’s FKT). I didn’t know if I was going to go particularly quick today, but thought I’d just see how the legs were feeling. After getting down to the river pretty quickly (despite being slowed a minute or two by a descending mule train), I decided to keep going steady and see how things shook out. Felt pretty solid all the way to the North Rim, hiking a fair bit above the Supai Tunnel, but then on the way back down I was definitely already getting pretty tired by time I made it back to the residence water spigot. Things got progressively worse on the run back to Phantom Ranch (stiff, achey, tired legs), but I pounded three bottles of water there (spending 4min at the spigot) and then climbed quite strongly all the way to Tip-Off, but above there things got pretty weak/queasy as I ran out of water about half-way up. At Tip-Off I thought there was a really good chance I could still get Dakota’s record–even take 5min or so off of it–but in the end I was just psyched to sneak in under 7hr. Great run, and a good confidence boost going into TV, as I know I still have a lot of running fitness to gain. Had another 12min of running on the day, getting to and from the South Rim. Splits: River, :46; Phantom Ranch, :53-54; Cottonwood, 1:54; Residence, 2:09-10; Bridge, 2:42; Supai Tunnel, 2:56; North Rim, 3:22; Supai Tunnel, 3:35; Bridge, 3:43?; Residence, 4:04-6; Cottonwood, 4:16; Phantom, 5:08-12; River, 5:19; Tip-Off, 5:49; Skeleton Pt, 6:14; Cedar Ridge, 6:37; South Rim, 6:59:24.
01:45:10 Talk Training – this week we introduce Mitch to Talk Training. Mitch is based in the UK and has a practice called STRIDE UK (http://www.strideuk.com). In our first episode we touch on the importance of flexibility and stretching.
01:59:45 Natalie White Inov-8 – UK based company Inov-8 have a reputation for making some of the best running shoes available. They have made some iconic products such as the famous ‘Mud Claw’. In 2013 they are introducing a new clothing range to the brand, they have created an inter nation racing team and they also celebrate a 10th birthday in June. Website HERE
02:17:45 Nickademus Holllon – Barkley ultra marathon is infamous. It strikes fear into any runner. So difficult is this iconic ultra that finishers are few and far between, Nick Hollon not only completed the race in 2013 but at the age of 22 he also became the youngest ever winner. We caught up with Nick to hear all about how he achieved a finish and also to find out how started in running… he has a great story. Believe me, he doesn’t like to make things easy! Website HERE
03:09:45 Back to Karl
03:14:00 Meltzer Moment – Speedgoat gives us his Good, Bad and Ugly.
03:18:40 15 min of fame – this week we speak to Chris Mills (24fifty.com). Chris is just an ordinary guy. He actually hasn’t run an ultra…. yet! But I am sure when you listen to him, you will find his story inspiring.
03:3210 Races – the up and coming races for the next two weeks.
This weeks show honours the injured and fallen at Boston Marathon. We have daily chat from the Marathon des Sables (Tobias Mews, Danny Kendall and Stuart Rae) bivouac and interviews with top placed Brits, Danny Kendall and Jo Meek. We interview Arc’teryx athlete, Adam Campbell. We discuss Mojo in Talk Training with Niandi Carmont, we have ‘A year in the life of…’ a Blog, Speedgoat, the News and ‘Up & Coming Races’.
00:00:44 Start
00:18:40 A year in the life of… with Amanda Hyatt. Amanda has been struggling with training and recently run the Brighton Marathon.
00:29:30 News from around the ultra world
00:35:40 MDS special from the bivouac with chat from Stuart Rae, Danny Kendall and Stuart Rae.
01:11:55 Back to the news
01:18:45 MDS special – after 28 editions of the race, Danny Kendall has surpassed James Cracknell and is now the highest ever placed Brit in the race.
01:35:40 MDS special – Jo Meek entered the MDS several years ago and in 2012 got the nod that 2013 would be the year. With no experience of multi day racing, Jo wanted to finish the race but also perform to the best of her ability – she made the podium in 2nd place!
015215 Blog – Nick Cark always writes an in depth blog about his running HERE
01:52:55 Back to Karl
01:55:30 Talk Training – have you lost your Mojo? We discuss ways to get your mojo back with Niandi Carmont.
02:03:10 Interview – with Arc’teryx athlete Adam Campbell as he prepares for the 2013 season.
A former member of the Canadian National Triathlon and Duathlon teams, in 2006 Adam decided to shed the extra gear and rely solely on his running shoes to get around. He also decided to put down the stopwatch and set intervals and hit the trails.
Adam’s love for running began on the beaches of West Africa and Spain, where he spent his childhood running after soccer balls and chasing waves. It wasn’t until he moved to Canada in his late teens that he began running competitively. Adam’s love for all individual athletic challenges quickly saw him jump into the multi-sport world of triathlons and duathlons where he was renown for his running ability, which saw him win a national duathlon title.
However the drudgery and structure of training and racing for triathlons caught up with him and he began to seek out new challenges. After running the roads for a year, he jumped into his first trail race in 2007 and a new love was born. Adam qualified for the Canadian Mountain Running Team in his first trail race and continued to post the best ever finish by a Canadian at a Mountain Running World Championship at the Jungfrau Marathon, a gruelling 42k uphill run with 6000ft elevation gain from start to finish.
His running goals are to seek out interesting challenges in inspiring settings. A lifelong traveler and racer, Adam’s new belief is: if you are going to be suffering, you might as well suffer somewhere beautiful!
Occupation: Trail runner/law student (environmental, aboriginal, employment law)
Favourite Trail: anywhere I haven’t run before
Favourite Place to run: Soft & hilly terrain. Summer alpine runs
Favourite Race: Comfortably Numb, Whistler BC/ Jungfrau Marathon, Interlaken Switzerland
Favourite Distance: I will race anyone, anywhere…
To work in a race environment and capture the action in words or audio is a real pleasure. I have played with video and although I enjoy the medium, I do prefer a ‘still’ image. It is a moment captured.
These two images really capture everything that combines to make a great image.
Meghan Hicks on the first stage of the 2013 Marathon des Sables (which she went on to win) running up a dune on the first day. I captured the image by running alongside her.
From behind, my fellow photographer, Mark Gillett captures the process involved. Story making at its best, running at its best and the use of imagery at its best. I have often been asked HOW? I manage to capture images that make the viewer feel like they are in the moment… well here is how.
Copyright Mark Gillett
Pictures tell stories… thanks for the inspiration Meghan and thanks for capturing Mark.
Emelie burst onto the running scene in 2012 with a 2nd place at the Three Peaks in the UK. Throughout 2012, taking one step at a time, Emelie progressed through the Skyrunning calendar with consistent top 3 placing’s. She crowned her 2012 season off with a Skyrunning World Championship and a stunning win at San Francisco 50. Speaking from her home in Sweden, I catch up with her just before her 2013 run season starts. Cinnamon buns are in the oven and the hot chocolate is steaming on the table…
IC Welcome to Talk Ultra
EF Thank you Ian.
IC We all have followed your progress in 2012 and it has been a quick progression in the sport, but many ask, what were you doing before?
EF I have been a student for some years. Whilst studying I have lived and worked in Swedish and Norwegian mountain resorts.
IC You have mentioned work, I’m interested. By work I am assuming you don’t mean skiing or running?
EF Baking. I am a baker. In fact, I am actually baking bread right now.
IC So this is why you always post photos of you and food on Facebook. You have a secret passion.
EF (laughs) I love good bakery!
IC You love bakery but you also love Nutella if my memory serves me well?
EF Yes, I love Nutella too.
IC So you are a baker but you also worked in hotels too, I assume you must have been doing sport during this time. You are an accomplished skier, is that your sporting background?
EF Skiing is my sport as well as climbing and some running. But I only started running in the last 4 years. I run mainly in the mountains. I love being outside.
IC What was it at the end of 2011 that made you decide that you would come away from your home and start to basically to race around the world.
EF It was my Swedish brand ambassador for Salomon who asked if I would join the Swedish Salomon Team initially and then Greg Vollet, Salomon Team Manager, asked if I would join them for a weeks training? After that a decision was made that I should try some international races. I have just progressed. I wanted to take each race at a time. I didn’t want to put too much pressure on.
IC It has been a meteoric rise for you, Three Peaks was a low-key start in the UK and you got 2nd place. At Zegama, it was your first proper mountain race against an international field. You had no hiding place. But despite that pressure, you performed tremendously in what was a new experience for you.
EF Yes, a new experience. Actually, I was a little disappointed. I hadn’t run much before Three Peaks and Zegama. Of course I was happy to do well but I could have done so much better. I learnt I need to start running before racing.
IC Funny, you say you should run before racing. Seriously, you did no running before Three Peaks? What had you been doing?
EF I had a weeks running in April with the Salomon Team but when home I was doing SkiMo (Ski Mountaineering) or I just ran a couple of miles to University each day. So I wasn’t doing much. Certainly not to race. I do ski with heavy ski’s to add resistance and that really gets you fit and strong.
IC One thing that becomes apparent with mountain runners is that SkiMo plays a big part in winter prep. For example Kilian Jornet, Nuria Picas, and Philipp Reiter amongst others spend months during the winter doing this. Skiing really does transfer across well. Is it just great endurance training or does is provide other strengths.
EF Endurance is key. It is great uphill training too and the speed in SkiMo is great. The speed going downhill is great for downhill running. You learn not to be afraid, it builds confidence.
IC What is apparent is that you can go downhill really quickly. You have already gained a reputation for this. You put this to great use at Pikes Peak when at the summit you had a 10 min deficit but you pulled it back on the descent and got the win! What is that enables you to run downhill so quickly?
EF I love the speed and freedom. I love fast! You don’t need great power. During my life I have always been moving in technical terrain, which gives me confidence to recognize different kinds of trails and decide the correct route. I am not afraid. It’s a combination of no fear and confidence.
Trofeo Kima 2012 copyright Ian Corless
IC I think back to Trofeo Kima in 2012, you said before the race that you wanted to just have fun! You even took sandwiches…. On one of the toughest courses in the Skyrunning calendar!
EF I did
IC Admittedly you didn’t get time to eat them… the course was too hard. But I love the mentality. You wanted to enjoy it. I love that balance that you bring to your sport. You want to do well but ultimately you want to have fun. You have struck that balance so well. At Trofeo Kima you ran with Nuria Picas and then Nuria pulled away but you weren’t bothered, however, that competitive edge came in at the end when you could sprint for 2nd place. You put the ‘speed’ you love to good use then.
EF It’s a combination for sure. I want to have fun and I like to win. Running is great fun, for sure, my life is running. It’s liberating, it’s a big part of me. I must enjoy it. I need to enjoy what I do. Competition is great, I love to feel strong and I do love to race. Winning is great and once you have won, you think, I would like to win more but I need to keep balance.
IC I feel fortunate to have witnessed most of your races in 2012, the exception San Francisco when you won. I saw you on multiple podiums. But I also saw both sides of you… the fun person and the racer. For me, the race of the year was Cavalls del Vent. You are great friends with Nuria and Frosty and pre race you three hang out together. You laugh, giggle, drink coffee and even when racing you are great friends having a laugh. At Cavalls, all three of you battled in tough conditions. As it turned out Nuria won and Frosty was 2nd but for you 3rd was not a disappointment. It was your first long race. Did you feel intimidated by the distance?
EF I wanted to try a longer race. If you have never tried then you don’t know what it feels like. I needed to push myself. I actually started at Cavalls quite fast and I lead for almost half the race. I felt super strong. I could eat, I could drink, it was cold but I could manage it. In the end when Nuria and Anna passed me, I was mentally tired. Just super tired in my brain. I couldn’t push even though I wasn’t tired. Running uphill with Anna I couldn’t go with her. It was very unusual. We probably only had 40 mins to the finish of the race and Anna screamed at me “Come on Emily, push”. But I was just tired. I learnt something in that race.
IC What did you learn, what did you take away from Cavalls?
Cavalls del Vent copyright Ian Corless
EF I think I need to work on my mind and my physical. I need to connect them and I need to be stronger. It was my first long race and it was much longer than I had ever run before. To be honest, it is good to run with others too. I learnt that maybe running with others is better than running alone.
IC It is interesting what you say about running with others and talking. That is one thing that Kilian likes. I noticed it at Cavalls, he always seemed as though he wanted some company. In that race it was Anton Krupicka. Of course when it comes to the end, he runs away for the win. I guess time passes so much easier and quickly with company…
From Cavalls you went to La Templiers in France, which starts in Millau. It’s a big race in France. You raced Nuria and Lizzy Hawker. Nuria once again won. But you really gritted your teeth and outsprinted Lizzy for 2nd.
EF Yes it was satisfying but that race was problematic. I had stomach issues and I had to stop six or seven times. So that took energy. Plus I couldn’t eat. I felt I could have done so much better. I could have run with Nuria but I don’t know if I could have won? At the end I almost felt rude sprinting past Lizzy…
IC Racing is racing Emelie and Lizzy would have done exactly the same so don’t feel guilty.
Lets move to the final of 2012. Ultimately your best race, not only a stunning victory but a nice payday too, eh! (First prize in the Ladies race was $10,000)
EF Yes! a nice payday.
IC San Fran, funny, so many races have had difficult and tough with bad weather. It was no different here. Do you perform better when the conditions are like this?
EF Maybe not better but I am used to harsh conditions and I don’t worry.
IC San Fran was a great win. Talk me through it. Pre race I actually predicted you wouldn’t win because I thought you maybe had a little too much time skiing after Templiers. However, you proved me wrong, I hang my head in shame; I should have had more confidence in you. Talk me through it.
EF I wanted to start with Lucy and Maud Gobert. They are famous for being fast starters. I tried to keep up with them but very early on I thought I can’t go this fast… I was a little scared. Normally it is ME that starts fast. I slowed down. I felt confident and I was feeling okay and then two American girls passed. I then thought, wow, have I not run enough and have I had too many buns and hot chocolate (laughs) After about 20k I could see them again and I started to reel them in. I passed Lucy; she wasn’t having a good day. When the American girls picked up pacers I passed them too, this was about 30k into the race.
IC Early on then?
EF Yes, I still felt confident. I was not tired and I was looking forward to keeping on running at the same pace. Just before I picked up Anna Frost, my pacer, I passed Maud Gobert who was leading the race. I was now in the lead! I thought, I can do it… I had started the race slower and it was working. It was a great confidence boost. Anna was such a great pacer. We had such fun. She kept telling me “you can win”. It was great to be at the front, leading. It was fantastic. At the finish I was almost nervous, I had never won a long distance race before. When you think you can win, you really want it and then the nerves strike. I had a perfect day out.
IC It was a stunning win and a great way to end an incredible 2012. Can I ask, you say you started slower, it payed dividends in the latter stages, do you think that is something you will now transfer to other races? Maybe patience is good and you should hold back?
EF Yes and no. Sometimes I just want to run the way I feel like and not have tactics. I wonder to myself if can go fast all race without slowing, so why start slow (Laughs) Greg Vollet would not agree! He thinks I should start slower.
IC Shhhh we wont tell Greg. Greg, if you are reading this, she didn’t say that!
EF (Laughs)
IC I understand, lets say for example you are racing Nuria and Anna; you would rather be with them instead of watching them run away. Better to be with them and then you can adjust your pace accordingly, it may well be that you are running easy?
EF Yes, maybe.
IC What is on your 2013 calendar? Tarawera kicks off the year but that will be a low-key start as you are doing a relay. So will Transvulcania be the first big race?
EF Yes, I am not ready for 100k at Tarawera yet. I have planned to do some run coaching holidays and then I will go to Transvulcania La Palma. Transvulcania will be my first ‘proper’ race of 2013.
IC Superb, it’s a wonderful course and it will be great to see you racing Frosty and Nuria and some other great competitive ladies. Another classic battle lies ahead. After that, where do you go? Zegama?
EF Yes, Zegama.
IC Zegama is two week later and is a Sky marathon so will the remainder of the year be decided after these two races or do you already have 2013 planned out.
EF It’s almost planned out but I need to be flexible and I need to listen to my body. So I will change races if I need to
IC Can you tell us what your plans are?
EF I have several races in Sweden, mainly half marathons. Then I want to do Mont Blanc Marathon and the Vertical Kilometer, I will follow these two races with the European Champs (Skyrunning), I may even do Ice Trail Tarentaise.
IC Will you do UROC for the final of the Skyrunning Ultra champs?
EF Yes, I hope so. It will be my first 100k. It will be more distance than I have run before, so, I need to feel good but if I do, I will run.
IC An exciting year ahead and all those races are pretty much Skyrunning events. Exciting.
Trofeo Kima copyright Ian Corless
I have some questions from fans for you, is that okay?
EF Sure
ICJames Stewart asks, “Have you had a VO2 test?”
EF No, I have not. I’m not interested. Maybe some day.
IC I guess in principal a VO2 test doesn’t matter, you are running well and you can run quickly. That is all we, and you need to know.
Cavalls del Vent copyright Ian Corless
IC Who would you like to race in the future?
EF I would love to race against so many, I enjoyed racing Lucy at San Francisco. Maybe it would be nice to race more of the American runners. They are very good and they have a different approach. I’d also love to race Ellie Greenwood.
IC If you do some races in the US, particularly Speedgoat and UROC then that wish may come true. I think Ellie is doing Speedgoat 50k.
Daniel Caulderon asks, “What is your nutrition plan?” Not sandwiches at Trofeo Kima and not cinnamon buns with hot chocolate.
EF I don’t have a nutrition plan. I recommend that you listen to your body. I always eat what I want. But I do eat lots of vegetables, beans and salad. But I love hot chocolate and cinnamon buns too!
ICJill Suarez says, “I want the recipe for Nutella Brownies”
EF Shall I tell you the recipe now?
IC No, email me and we will add it afterwards.
RECIPE
2 eggs
2 dl (0.2 l) sugar
5 big spoons of kakao
A small spoon of vanilla sugar
Very little salt
100 g butter
1 dl (0.1 l) Wheat
A little coffee
Stir the and the eggs and sugar very gently ( no whisking!)
Things to add in the cake: everything you like! I prefer nutella, walnuts, m&m´s or chocolate pieces.
Then add all the ingredients, put it in the owen at 175 Celsius. 15-20 minutes depending how you like the consistent to be like!
Enjoy!
This was what I eat during my first mountain marathon! Nyam nyam!
Apparently best served with Almond Milk….
Emelie, I want to finish and once again thank you for your time. It’s a pleasure to spend time with you. You are one of the most ‘smiley’ people on the ultra scene. What you do in racing is reflected in your smile. You love it and that is great to see. Have a fantastic 2013 and I am so looking forward to catching up with you in the mountains during the coming year.
St Patricks Day! A perfect opportunity to enter a race in Ireland.
The 100k Ultra will start in Glenarm on the eastern shore and will follow the roads and forest paths towards the world famous Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. From here participants will follow go through Ballintoy and past Dunseverick Castle, along the Causeway Coast Way which skirts the cliff path along the headlands of the Giants Causeway and passes stretches of sandy beach before reaching the turnaround at Dunluce Castle and retracing the route back to the finish at Ballintoy, close to Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. This run covers a route along one of the most spectacular coastlines in the whole of the UK and past one of the most photographed places in the world The Giants Causeway. The highlight of this section is a run through the Giants Causeway area and the Shepards Steps carved into the cliffside.
Where – Ireland, Antrim Coast
When – May 4, 2013. 100k and 100k relays start at 0600 hours. Please inquire about start times of other races.
Distance Options – Ultras 100k/50k
Additional race options – 25k
100k relay – 4 person team (NEW) (25k + 25k + 25k + 25k)
100k relay – 2 person team – (50k + 50k)
50k relay – 2 person team – (25k + 25k)
Team trek – 50k trek (team of 4)
Terrain – 85% trail, single track, forest, glens, coastal cliff trail, bogs, beach and headlands.
Pacer Option- (NEW) Pacers will be allowed to insert into the race to pace a competitor at either kilometer 50 or kilometer 75 at Dunluce Castle. They will not be ranked, timed or be given big numbers but must both register to be a pacer, check in with race organizers before race begins and check in with course officials at entry point, have signed waivers and have any mandatory gear required to be on route.
Peter Ferris MBE (Irish Marathon Record Holder) after running the shorter Causeway Coast Marathon: – “For me the Causeway Coast Marathon was a real cracker full of stunning, mind blowing world class scenery. It was the best ever marathon in my life and I have over 350 of them run from North Pole to Antarctica, from Mount Everest to Sahara Desert and the Causeway Coast Marathon is way out in front!”
Skyrunning hits Southern Africa with the Lesotho Ultra Trail
A new ultra-distance race has hit southern Africa’s trail running calendar with the announcement of the Lesotho Ultra Trail, to take place in northern Lesotho on 30 November.
Created by well-known KZN race organiser Andrew Booth, the 68km race will traverse mountainous, rocky trails combining steep ascents, descents, some contour running and loads of single track, will be hosted by Maliba Mountain Lodge, just one hour south from the Free State town of Clarens.
Sanctioned by the South African Skyrunning Association (SASA), the event will be is recognised by the International Skyrunning Federation (ISF) as Africa’s first Ultra Skymarathon®, earning it the potential of being placed in the global circuit of ultras on the international trail calendar.
Defined as mountain running up to or exceeding 2 000m, where the incline exceeds 30% and where the climbing difficulty is not more than 11˚ gradient, the sport of skyrunning has taken the trail running world by storm in Europe, America and Asia over the past 20 years.
Skyrunning, a term coined by the ISF, is a discipline conceived by Italian mountaineer Marino Giacometti who, with a handful of fellow climbers during the early1990s, pioneered records and races on Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa in the Italian Alps. In 1993, sponsored by Fila, skyrunning took off across the world’s mountain ranges with a circuit of challenging races spread from the Himalayas to the Rockies, from Mount Kenya to the Mexican volcanoes.
copyright Andrew Booth
Giacometti’s term skyrunning is, as the name suggests, where earth and sky meet.
Today, skyrunning has grown to span some 200 races worldwide, with about 30 000 participants from 54 countries.
Formed in 2011, SASA is an associate member of the ISF, and aims to promote and facilitate the growth of skyrunning in South Africa.
“The Lesotho Ultra Trail is the ideal event to pioneer the way forward for skyrunning in southern Africa,” said SASA chairman James Hallett.
“Not only does the location and route of the race represent the philosophy of skyrunning, but we have no doubt that it will the race be of a world class calibre. Offering spectacular terrain, incredible high altitude vistas and a 5-star host venue, we are extremely excited about the prospects of the Lesotho Ultra Trail.”
copyright Andrew Booth
Hallett is confident that the Lesotho Ultra Trail will be incorporated into the ISF World Ultra Series, a new addition to the Federation’s global series offering.
“Following the inaugural running of the race in November, we will submit our recommendation and application to the ISF for possible consideration into the 2014 series. If successful, this will put South Africa into the world skyrunning arena, further exposing our country to top international athletes.
Booth said he believed there to be a great synergy between the race, its location and the development of skyrunning in South Africa.
“The Maluti Mountains offer some of the best terrain for high altitude running in the world. To be able to stage what is sure to become a world class event in this region is very special, and we look forward to playing a role in the pioneering of skyrunning in southern Africa.”
courtesy of Maliba Lodge
He added that the event’s partnership with Maliba Mountain Lodge as host for the race added an extra angle of quality to the event.
Hallett added that as the first official skyrunning event in southern Africa, the Lesotho Ultra Trail will also help facilitate the creation of a national circuit of skyrunning events.
“The Lesotho highlands and the regions of South Africa surrounding Lesotho are prime skyrunning regions, and we will be working with other race organisers in this area and around South Africa to develop the opportunities that present themselves there,” concluded Hallett.
Extreme fire danger means that New Zealand’s Vibram Tarawera Ultramarathon100 kilometre-long run will be even tougher to complete for the 430-strong field.
The event is on this Saturday, March 16 and was scheduled to run from Rotorua to Kawerau in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty. However, because of a prolonged drought the fire risk is so high the last 40 kilometres of the course is now closed to the event organisers.
Instead of finishing on relatively easy forestry roads in Kawerau, the runners will turn-around at the 60km mark of the race – right next to the Tarawera Falls – and run another marathon over rugged, hilly trails.
“Mind you, ‘easy’ really is a relative term,” says event organiser, Paul Charteris. “Once you’ve been running for 60km, the thought of running another marathon of any sort is mind-boggling, even for the most experienced runners.”
The Tarawera Ultramarathon has a reputation as being relentlessly tough – but achievable – even for a first-time ultra runner.
“I’m afraid this new course is going to break some of those runners,” continues Charteris. “It’ll mercilessly eat them up and spit them out.”
For those who may get chewed-up on race day, the Tarawera Ultra has shorter options with an 85km and an 60km distance. Both will be run on many of the same trails as the 100 kilometre distance.
“The choice to re-route the course was an straightforward one,” says Charteris. “The safety of runners, spectators and volunteers is always the number one priority.”
For the runners, the last minute curve ball throws in some new challenges.
With more of the route being covered by rocks, roots and hills, runners will need to conserve more energy for later in the race. The winner of the 100km event is expected to finish in a little over eight and a half hours. The final finisher is expected home just before midnight.
Many of the world’s best off road distance runners will be racing Tarawera. For the European and North American favourites, this is their first clash of 2013. The world’s ultra running media are keen to see how they fare against the best from down under, including top runners from Australia.
“Christchurch’s Vajin Armstrong will be defending Kiwi honour in the men’s race and 21-year-old ultra phenom Ruby Muir in the women’s 100k race,” adds Charteris. “Both runners are sponsored by American brand, UltrAspire.”
Armstrong has been running an astonishing 250km per week to prepare for the race, while Muir has continued her habit of winning every race she’s entered.
Many of the Northern hemisphere athletes have already arrived to get acclimatised to the heat and to course conditions.
Francois d’Haene TNFUTMB 2012 copyright Ian Corless
France’s Francois D’Haene, a professional athlete from the European-based Salomon Racing Team, has been training in the South Island, getting acclimated to the roots and rocks of New Zealand trails. In 2012, D’Haene won the coveted Ultra Trail Mont Blanc title in his home country, with over 2000 runners in the field.
For Race Director, Charteris, it’s been a hectic few days re-arranging the course. There’s an army of dedicated volunteers putting on long hours to make sure the race come off smoothly. An added complication is that large sections of the race are now only accessible by boat.
“I’m trying to figure out a way to transport about 20 volunteers and about quarter of a million calories worth of food across Lake Tarawera,” he says.
Rotorua is renowned for hosting a number of international sporting events. In 2006 the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championship were in Rotorua and the Single Speed World Champs were held in the Whakarewarewa Forest in 2010.
On race day, running shoes will replace wheels on many of the same trails.
“With this sort of fierce competition, there will be a large national and international media following for this race,” adds Charteris. It will be a big week for the region.”
IAN CORLESS 