A star-studded world class entry list is announced by the Zegama-Aizkorri Maratòn, one of the most popular skyrunning events – valid for the Skyrunner® World Series champion title. 

 The line-up stars last year’s winners, Kilian Jornet and 2011 Skyrunning World Champion, Oihana Kortazar, both from Spain; Britain’s Tom Owens, just 30” behind Jornet last year;  and, at his first SkyMarathon attempt, America’s Max King, 2011 World Mountain Running Champion.

 Americans getting their first taste of the SkyMarathon and European style racing will also include: Rickey Gates, Mount Washington Road Race 2011; and ultra distance specialists, Nick Clark, Joe Grant,  Dakota Jones, Anton Krupicka and Mike Wolfe.  Two Briton’s living in the US, Nick Clark and Ian Sharman, will give the shorter, more technical Zegama race a crack.

The extraordinary line-up continues with top French runners:  Michel Rabat among the favourites, Thierry Breuil, Sebastien Chaigneau, Erik Clavery, François  d’Haene, Michel Lannes, Thomas Lorblanchet; also Csaba Németh, Hungary; Florent Troillet, Switzerland; Gustavo Reyes, Argentina.  Look out for new entry, Greek Dimitris Theodorakakos, who willtest his skills in this exceptionally strong field.

Many of the international runners heading for Zegama in Spain’s Basque Country will have competed in the Transvulcania Ultra Marathon just one week before – a short recovery time for most, but an irresistible challenge to race the 42 km course with a gruelling 5,472m vertical ascent and descent…

Favourites in the women’s field are led by last year’s winner, Oihana Kortazar, running on home ground, followed by fellow countrywoman, Mireia Mirò.  “Fresh” from the Transvulcania Ultra Marathon, New Zealand’s Anna Frost, American long distance specialist Nikki Kimball and Maud Gobert fromFrance will compete.  Also from France, Corinne Favre, past Skyrunning World Champion; Russian Zhanna Vokueva and Sweden’s Emelie Forsberg complete the élite women’s line-up.

This incredible field world class runners look set to deliver plenty of action and perhaps take a shot at the long standing records:  3h54’18“ by Briton, Rob Jebb (2005) and 4h38’19“ by Italian, Emanuela Brizio (2009).

 

Major industry players are represented with strong international teams including:

Adidas, Arc’teryx, Asics, Innov8, Montrail, New Balance, Pearl Izumi, Salomon, The North Face.

One of the key factors that have world-class runners coming back year after year to Zegama is the enthusiastic participation of 8,000 spectators along the course, cheering every single runner every single step along the way.

Follow news and updates on www.skyrunning.com and on Facebook and Twitter.  Race website: www.zegama-aizkorri.net