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NOT FINISHED YET JONATHAN WYATT MOUNTAIN RUNNER story and photos NICK WARREN

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onathan Wyatt’s list of career achievements and records is as long as the mountain trails he runs. Yet for as high as he has climbed, collecting almost every accolade and honor available in his field, Wyatt has remained remarkably down to earth.

Not only is the six times World Mountain Champion a true professional, but also absolutely devoted to the development of mountain running. His approachability and infectious enthusiasm for the sport ensure that crowds of followers who are always thrilled to meet him are never disappointed. In his long and winding career, Wyatt has continued without pause until now. Will the 39-year-old look to keep going or finally call time on competitive running?

This year has sadly been the hardest in Wyatt’s career. Hampered by a recurring injury, the New Zealand athlete has suffered several false starts and setbacks. Yet Wyatt remains positive and prefers to look at the bigger picture: “I know a lot of friends and other runners that have had injuries early in their careers and had to stop. Some of these runners were really talented as well so I think I’m pretty lucky to have got to where I am.”

Wyatt has indeed enjoyed a remarkable run of 11 years with almost no injuries. But is it now time to call it a day?

“Definitely not. I think mountain running, off-road running and trail-running scene are sports where the older guys are still really competitive and even if you are not always on the podium, as long as you’re out there enjoying it, that’s okay,” says Wyatt. “There are so many events out there, so many really good races and beautiful countries that I would like to visit… So I’m not thinking about finishing things up just yet.”

There are certainly many targets on Wyatt’s hit list and the ambitious runner has already lined up his next events. “I think the next challenge for me is to look to do a few of the longer trail running races. I have never raced anything over a marathon distance before so I would quite like to have a go at something like a 50km or 80km. I am in an international team that gets the chance to travel around the world and do some really cool trail running races,” says the veteran runner enthusiastically.

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Wyatt is no stranger to globetrotting and competing in different countries and has a full trophy cabinet to show for it. What are the personal highlights of his career thus far? “The 5000m event in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and placing 21st in the marathon in the Athens Olympics in 2004,” replies Wyatt without hesitation.

“Then the other big moment that defined my career was winning my first ever mountain running title in 1998 in La Reunion - it was my second ever mountain race in my life. The other thing I look back on which was good for me was to win a world championship title in my home-town of Wellington, New Zealand in 2005.”

So what about the lowlights? Does Wyatt regret missing out on any events? “Probably the 100m gold at the Olympic Games!” jokes Wyatt.

“No, I have no regrets at all, just really thrilled with what I’ve been able to do and looking forward to the next challenges.”

It seems the pressure is off Wyatt but he still keep a keen eye on his performances. “Nowadays I tend to put even more focus on enjoyment rather than results. Of course, I still like to know how I’m doing and whether I can improve – I’m running my own training diary on Movescount.com, and I like to take a look at the details of my runs. I also like to compare my training with those of other Movescount members.

It’s great to see what other people are up to, and there’s a bit of a competitive feeling for me there as well.”

Accordingly Wyatt’s training regime has also changed over the years since he first began running 22 years ago. “I think the main change has been in my attitude. I’ve spent so much time racing, training for races, and following demanding training programs that nowadays I find it very refreshing to just enjoy the sheer freedom of running in the great outdoors. When training for the track and running cross-country races, I used to have a coach. Nowadays, I can just relax, and rely on my years of experience– and also on the information from my heart rate monitor!”

“When preparing for the World Mountain Running Trophy, I was very interested in EPOC, and in the relationship between altitude and my heart rate. Nowadays, when running for pleasure, I’m much keener on following speed and heart rate. It’s also more important for me not to over train, so I like to see the recovery time of my training – advising me when I’m ready to hit the trail again. I’m more interested in speed these days to ensure my hard workouts are at a higher enough pace to give me the right speed training effect. As you get older it becomes harder to keep your leg speed so Suunto makes sure I am running at an honest pace. I have adapted my

cross-country training to suit mountain running and, to be honest, there probably isn’t anyone who knows mountain running better than I do!”

Wyatt believes that more communication between off-road running events is necessary and believes that there is plenty of opportunity for growth. “Off-road running is a little bit fragmented at the moment. There are so many types of events such as mountain running, trail running and sky running. I would like to see a bit more co-ordination and these events coming together as one organization,” says Wyatt. “Where I would like to see mountain-running go is that it becomes a bit more international, growing worldwide and building more presence in the USA and Canada.”

It is easy to see why Wyatt is considered to be a hero. In fact, the term ‘mountain running legend’ is a term frequently used to describe Wyatt. How does he feel about this tag? “Well, it sort of implies that you’re getting on in years, and that’s probably right,” chuckles Wyatt. “There have been many good runners through the years and I guess I had a good run over the last few years. It’s a big honor that people respect what I’ve done and it’s quite amazing that people say that.”

“I was at a nice event in Switzerland where I was able to join the runners who were doing the Transalpine run which is eight days of running, crossing four countries in Europe. The people will really thrilled to meet me and we got talking and discussing training tips. It’s nice because of what I’ve done in the past to give something back to the runners in the future.”

Wyatt’s wife, Antonella Confortola, has also achieved her fair share of sporting success. Her prowess as a cross-country skier has earned her a place in four Olympic games and a bronze for her efforts in Turin in 2006.

Giving back is something the couple passionately believes in.

“What we often do is give some of our trophies to the local ski club here in our little town, and the club gives them out to the children, so it’s the ultimate in recycling.”

An incredibly gifted runner, and a generous spirit, it is easy to be inspired by Wyatt. No-one would not hold it against him if he hung up his shoes and took a deep breath. Instead he is more dedicated to the sport than ever. ‘Legend’ is certainly high praise, but is a term certainly befitting of Jonathan Wyatt. In the twilight of his career, it seems the legend is just settling into his stride.

For more information see Jonathan Wyatt’s personal website: http:// www.jonospulse.com/ Or view his profile on Movescount: http://www. movescount.com/members/JonathanWyatt www.adventuremagazine.co.nz// 59