Ricky Gates

Transvulcania is here!

I have been waiting for this trip to come around… when I was asked to go to the Canaries and report on this race, little did I know at the early stages that this race would be so ‘stacked’. It is easier to say who won’t be at the race!

The course is a brute. It has some 8500m of climbing and ascent over 83km’s on trail and tracks within a volcanic setting. Based on La Palma the race will pretty much take over the whole island.

So who will be toeing the line?

The ultra king and I guess pre race favourite Kilian Jornet heads up the elite field but don’t get me wrong. Nothing will be guaranteed in this race. Previous UTMB winners Iker Karrera and Seb Chaigneau will be next to the Spaniard. From America we have a who’s who of ultra running with Mike Wolfe, Geoff Roes, Anton Krupicka, Dakota Jones and Ricky Gates. From the UK we have Andy Symonds. All these guys excel in the mountains and in addition to this premier list we have the female contingent that includes Anna Frost, Darcy Africa, Kasia Zajac, Nikki Kimball and Maud Gobert.

It really is a stellar field and it is set up to be ‘the race of the year’!

Last years winner, Miguel Heras, set a stunning course record in a shade over 7.5 hours, his time was 7:32:13. With this line up pushing each other, will the CR go?

In addition to the elite field some 500 other runners will line up against the best of the best to do battle over a course that will test each runners legs to the limit. Starting at sea level the high point of the race is 2423m at the Islands Volcano. Covering a total ascent and decent of 8500m the race will finish at sea level in the town of Los Llanos.

This will be a race to watch and follow.

Follow on http://www.skyrunning.com and check out the race website at http://www.transvulcania.com. The Twitter feed may also be a great source of information, go here

Zegama – Skyrunning

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