Skyrunner issue 4

Skyrunner Australian & New Zealand

R

blake hose a young gun on the rise mt difficulty ascent

gear reviews

the steepest race in ANZ

Jo johansen what makes her tick The buffalo stampede The oceania championships did not disappoint

D E F Y C O M P R O M I S E S A C R I F I C E N OT H I N G – W I T H T H E TO U G H E S T, L I G H T E S T M O U N TA I N F O OT W E A R .

NEVER STOP EXPLORING

™

U LT R A C A R D I A C AVAILABLE IN MEN’S & WOMEN’S

THENORTHFACE.COM.AU/ULTRASERIES | FOR STOCKISTS CALL 02 8306 3311 PHOTO: Tim Kemple

R

Skyrunner Australian & New Zealand

issue four. july 2015.

features

06

09 12 13

20

27 31 40

editorial a note from skyrunning ANZ

news and products the latest from around the trails

gear tests we wear then share our thoughts

blake hose the future looks bright

the steepest race in anz A photo review

jo johansen as tough as they come

the buffalo stampede a weekend of mountains & surprises

series points table the race for the oceania series title

www.Skyrunninganz.com

THE CHOICE OF

CHAMPIONS

Ben Duffas

Scott Hawker

Caine Warburton

3rd Sky Running World Championships 2014

2nd TNF100 2015

Australian Sky Running Champion 2014

5th TNF100 2014

7th Lavaredo Ultra Trail 2014

9th Sky Running World Championships 2014

Compressport is improving the performance and recovery of over 500 Elite Athletes across the Globe, including numerous World and Olympic Champions.

Our Seamless medical grade compression reduces your muscle damage, delays fatigue, accelerates recovery and will reduce your risk of shin splints, tendonitis and muscle related injuries.

2 YEARS QUALITY WARRANTY

1800 000 180

www.compressport.com.au

a note from skyrunning ANZ:

the year rolls on In May I was fortunate enough to be invited to race at the incredible Transvulcania UltraSkyMarathon on the small island of La Palma off the West African coast. This is a race that has not only captured the hearts of ultrarunners all over the world but also beautifully crafted the spectacle of running up the inside of a volcano with some of the craziest crowd support at any sporting event I have witnessed. It is a must do race! It was also fabulous to see the hard months of training Aussie Blake Hose has put in off the back of his Buffalo Stampede win to get on the podium and cement his position as our leading runner in 2015 capable of beating anyone on his day. He is humble, approachable, engaging but loves to put other runners to the sword when it matters most. It is also interesting see how well he has responded to changing coaches and under the guidance of Dave Byrne he has gone to another level.

While away the various member countries of the ISF got together to address some areas of focus and contention within the sport of trail running. As we know there is the potential for politics, rules, bureaucracy and ego’s to potentially harm the sport. Skyrunning has grown rapidly in the last few years and more and more races mean more and more opportunities for the sport to forget where it came from. One thing Skyrunning has always stood for is allowing athletes to test themselves on the most technical of terrain in some of the world’s most stunning locations. This is going to be our focus for the future of the sport. More focus and energy will be spent working with willing Race Directors to bring these types of events to current and future Skyrunners around the world. With this in mind we will be adding some new members to the Skyrunning ANZ committee in the coming months to help us on this journey.

I would like to personally thank Matt Bixley and Grant Guise who will stand down from the committee in 2015, for their hard work in getting the sport up and running in our part of the world and wish them well in their future running and professional endeavours.

Shortly, we will be sending out expressions of interests to all RDs who feel they can meet these criteria as we look to assemble a world class series of races in 2016 and beyond so watch this space.

Marcus Warner President - Skyrunning Australia & New Zealand

6 Skyrunner

Skyrunninganz.com 7

findyourfeet.com.au

Arcteryx The North Face Salomon S-Lab Suunto Inov-8 La Sportiva Icebreaker Patagonia Prana Petzl Black Diamond Ultimate Direction Clif Shotz MSR

15% DISCOUNT use SkyRunMag code free express post* (orders over $100)

Retail & Online Store Gone Running Tours Running Camps & Clinics

Performance Seminars Events

Endura Sports Energy Gels

running essentials.

Endura Sports Energy Gels are a concentrated source of carbohydrates, providing a huge boost of energy in a single compact serve. Each serve contains 26 g of carbohydrates to replenish your glycogen stores and give you the fuel to keep on going. So when you need a blast of energy in a convenient, quick and easy form, take an Endura Sports Energy Gel. Consume with fluid 15 minutes prior to exercise and every 30 minutes during, to prevent glycogen depletion and energy loss. Endura Sports Energy Gels can also be taken directly after exercise to aid recovery.

Available in Citrus, Coffee, Cool Mint, Grape, Raspberry & Vanilla.

For further information or your nearest stockist: Call 1800 777 648 Visit www.endura.com.au

news 2016 World Skyrunning Champs The International Skyrunning Federation is pleased to announce the venue of the 2016 Skyrunning World Championships which will be held from 22 -24 July. The Vall de Boí in the heart of the Spanish Pyrenees, will be the location, hosting a super-technical Ultra, a SkyMarathon® and a Vertical Kilometer®.

It was here that in 2012 the SkyGames® were held, a spectacular natural arena surrounded by 3,000m peaks and 200 mountain lakes. Rich in cultural history, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Skyrunning is not just about distance and vertical climb, but technical difficulty. The events here tick all those boxes, starting with the 105k Buff® Epic Run. A gruelling 8,000m elevation gain and a maximum gradient of 56%, it’s not for the feint-hearted. Strict qualification standards will be enforced for participants, which are capped.

The Buff® Epic Run SkyMarathon® is a point to point over a rugged 42 kilometres with 3,200m positive vertical climb. Again, a highly challenging extremely technical race with a nine-hour time limit.

For the short and steep specialists, the Buff® Epic Run Vertical Kilometer® is 4.7 km long with 1,380m positive climb. The average incline is 30.7% and reaches a mean 50.4% at the steepest point.

Skyrunninganz.com 9

gear test

ca

m

The lightest running vest of the Camelbak range, the Circuit is small and quite minimalist, but still packs a punch. The water reservoir has a 1.5 litre capacity, which is ample for runs of up to 4 hours (Depending on your rate of consumption). For shorter jaunts when you may only half fill the bladder, it still sits well inside the pack without the annoying sloshing around that can sometimes occur.

The other cool thing is the external-fill design of the bladder, which enables quick and easy access to top-up on the go – so it’s great for racing!

The front has an additional two elasticised mesh pockets for extra fluids or even squashing in a jacket, gloves or buff. They are very easy to access while running and securely hold whatever you put in there. There’s also an extra compartment that proved ideal for gels and a couple salt tabs. The other great inclusion is the 10 Skyrunner

el

ba

k

ci

rc

ui

t1

.5l

ve

st

sweat-proof pocket for holding your phone and car keys. This is actually a feature we really love as it means doing away with zip-lock bags and makes the phone easy to get too. We all like to take a few photos on those special runs!

The wide, adjustable shoulder straps are quite comfortable and feature breathable mesh.

There was no chaffing or points of contact that became uncomfortable, which was a huge relief. The dual sternum straps make for a snug fit, although we did trim the excess material of the straps off as there was a lot. The pack itself sits quite high, much like most small vests on the market.

The final thing worth mentioning is that the colours stand out in a crowd. So not only will your friends be able to see you in the pack during a race, the bright colours mean you’ll be more visible to traffic when training on the roads or trails frequented by mountain bikers.

When handed this shirt and told to do a review, the person charged with the responsibility was shocked.

“How do you review a shirt? It’s just a shirt!” Well this is what he cane back with: The North Face Better Than Naked shirt is amazing. I know it might sound hard to believe, but there are huge variations in how a top feels and this can have a major impact on how you perform. This top is by far the most comfortable T I’ve ever worn. The soft feel of the material with its stitchless seems and ventilation makes it a top that you can run in all day without ever getting any chafe, what’s more the moisture wicking was impeccable.

The fit is quite tailored, so suited to the typically smaller frame of a distance runner. Plus it’s surprisingly durable for material that seems so light and thin.

RRP: $75

th be e n tt or er th th fa an ce na k

ed

sh

ir

t

GET AHEAD NOW. AVOID THE CRASH L ATER.

Endura Sports Energy Gels are a convenient, great tasting carbohydrate source with energy boosting caffeine to fuel your body during prolonged exercise. Each sachet contains 26 g of immediate impact and slow release carbs, so you can get ahead now and avoid the crash later.

endura.com.au

Available in economical 500mL bottles.

END5039 - 06/15

Fast AND slow release energy. Great tasting.

blake hose Blake is one of the most exciting prospects in the ultra running scene in Australia. Despite his age, he has a wise head on his shoulders that has no doubt helped him achieve some remarkable results already. The future looks bright!

Skyrunninganz.com 13

You started the year in the Asian Skyrunning Championships. What was that experience like?

Hong Kong was a lot of fun. I hadn't really planned on doing that race but was stoked when the opportunity arose.

It was a tough 50km course with some good runners, so I found it a really nice little way to kick off the season and have some new experiences racing in another part of the world.

Next up you had The Buffalo Stampede which had an incredibly good field. What were your plans and goal going into it?

I planned to race it hard and my goal was to run around 4:05-4:10 which I thought would make me competitive on the day. I also knew it was also going to give me a great indication of where I was at and how my body was faring with a pretty high training load in the couple of months preceeding it.

You ran the Ultra in 2014, why did you choose the marathon this year?

The idea behind running the Marathon was that it was going to work as a really important intensity/strength building workout in my training cycle towards Transvulcania. Having raced the ultra last year and unfortunately not finishing, I knew that if I was to have another crack at it that I likely wouldn't recover adaquetly to perform at my best at Transvulcania. Even though I knew I was fitter this year I still thought the shorter option was smarter and would give me more certainty approaching my target race.

How has your training evolved in the last 6 months?

I've been doing more easy runs, higher overall volume and more specific workouts aimed at increasing my

blake hose

economy and overall strength. I'd never really worked specifically on my running economy and I think it's easily overlooked by a lot of ultra/mountain runners when training. I knew it needed to be improved for me to be competitive in the bigger races.

From Buffalo you went to Transvulcania.

Can you describe the course for us.

EPIC would be the best word for sure.

You experience so many miniature microclimates that it really is an absolutely unique race. It is predominately uphill from the start which is sea level, to the 51km aid station at 2420m . This is followed by a monster 2400m decent back to sea level and then another smaller but excruciating climb into the finish town of Los Llanos. The overall accumulated gain is about 4200m and its all completely and utterly beautiful. I'd recommend that race to anybody without hesitation, not only for the course but also the incredible vibe surrounding it.

How did the race unfold?

I went out with the main front pack at a pretty steady pace, with Zach Miller and Salomon team mate Dimitrios out ahead of us by a short margin. I basically wanted to keep myself in striking distance when I hit the summit and still have enough legs and energy to run the descent fast and take some time. Up top I was equal 5th with Manuel Merillas and Dimitrios, I was really happy with the shape I was in at that point and felt like I'd stuck to my plan which is always nice in an ultra!

Dave Byrne (my coach) had advised me to always feel like I was running and not coasting on the descent, so that was playing like a broken record in my head. I moved up from 5th to 3rd by the bottom, and was really in the pits at the last aid station, but grovelled home adaquetly to hold on. I really couldn't have been happier

blake hose

as it was a real shock to finish on the podum.

Has anything changed since your incredible results so far this year?

Yeah it definitely has somewhat.

Obviously doing well in a few races helps with exposure and it has allowed me to gain more opportunities to race internationally, which I'm ecstatic about!

It has also just given me a good kick of confidence in my ability and that the way I am going about things is working. I'm not generally a super confident athlete so for me it has been a great step..... I also have an athlete page now, haha.

What’s next on the agenda?

I'm heading to France to race the Mont Blanc Marathon late June, then I'll head to Kilians Classik for some fun time with the team and after that the 22km Dolomites Skyrace mid-July. I would really like to finish it off with Sierre Zinal in August but we'll see how things are moving along. I don't usually do that many races as I like to have a relaxed build and a lot of time to put my focus on a particular goal, so it will be interesting and good experience.

What tips do you have for people looking to improve their running?

I think sticking to what motivates you as an individual is really important as everybody can't be tarred with the same brush. Particular races may suit and interest you more than others, just like particular training sessions and cycles will help you improve more than they might somebody else. I find being selfish with my training is important, but always making sure that I don't remove the fun from it. after all, that's why we do it, because it's a tonne of fun!

blake hose

Skyrunninganz.com 19

Mt difficulty ascent in pictures

the second edition of the Mt Difficulty Ascent (21km and 42km) took place on June 15th this year. The event had grown since its humble beginnings and being part of the Cceania Skyrunning Series meant for very strong fields in both the men’s and women’s races. What’s more, the appeal of having arguably the steepest terrain of all the ANZ events meant it had a certain “Badass” status.

mt difficulty ascent in pictures The steepest section of the course required ropes so runners could descend safely. Even then, it was incredibly challenging and one of those memorable experiences for participants.

Skyrunninganz.com 21

mt difficulty ascent in pictures One of the big attractions to an event like this is that while it might be tough, it’s achievable for anyone, as long as they prepare for it properly. It’s also very scenic, so if you choose to hike most of the way, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the views!

Skyrunninganz.com 23

mt difficulty ascent in pictures Even the most experienced campaigners were blown away by the technicality and extreme steepness of the course. It really is one of those once in a lifetime events that will give you a whole new perspective on what Skyrunning is all about.

24 Skyrunner

mt difficulty ascent in pictures 42km race winner John Winsbury has been on the mountain running scene for many years and this victory, ahead of a class field, shows a return to form. Whitney Dagg was the leading lady in the 42km event, holding off Jo Johansen and Beth Cardelli.

FOR TOP SPEED CHOOSE TOP GEAR ULTRA™ 10

®

ULTRA™ 4

HOWEVER YOU HYDRATE, WE’VE GOT YOUR BAK. THE CAMELBAK RUN COLLECTION RANGES FROM HANDHELD SYSTEMS TO HYDRATION VESTS TO KEEP YOU HYDRATED NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU NEED TO GO.

MARATHONER™ VEST

RUN COLLECTION

AVAILABLE FROM CAMELBAK STORE: CHIFLEY PLAZA, SYDNEY NSW 2000 T: 0499 171 581 E: camelbak@seatosummit.com.au

CAMELBAK.COM/RUN

Jo johansen One of the leading women in the Oceania Skyrunning Series, Jo Johansen is doing New Zealand proud. She’s tough as nails and a fierce competitor. Here we catch up with her to find out a little more about what makes her tick.

Skyrunninganz.com 27

What got you into trail running?

It was a way of escaping from life difficulties. My mood changes instantly when I’m in nature.

I’m an explorer looking for adventure!

What do you enjoy about your time on the trails?

I like being in the wilderness, solo with the elements & different landscapes. Its calm & quiet and you can come across some unexpected encounters.

jo johansen 28 Skyrunner

What is your sporting background?

I use to play representative rugby and cricket and raced boardercross as a snowboarder.

Describe a typical race build up A typical build up is more focused on time than distance, and it varies depending on how my body is responding.

My mileage has been average because my base is already high, so nothing over 100k. I had days that were terrain-training days,

so 2 hours where I would find steep stuff or a 30km rhythm run on road and 5k park run for a bit of speed work. Every now and then I hop on the bike or swim and have a garage set up with boxing bags that I like to kick and punch.

What do you find interesting about the racing scene in ANZ? I like how the skyrunning format is set so that the races aren’t too close together and the distances vary. It’s not easy travelling to

Australia multiple times a year. I like that the courses are challenging and I’m drawn in by the location.

What advice can you offer to our readers new to Skyrunning?

My advice would be to train smart, know what you are doing in the mountains and what you’re getting into. Be prepared and get some guidance from other experienced mountain runners. It’s not a sport to take lightly!

“I like being in the wilderness, solo with the elements & different landscapes..”

What sort of nutrition do you favour?

My nutrition is sugar all the way.

Mix it up and I have never had any problems. I like the sportsdrink Carbo Pro, plus a few gels, jelly snakes and honey. When I go into an aid station I’m always thinking of what I might feel like instead of picking random items up.

Who are your trail running role models?

There are so many role models it’s hard to choose. My all-time favourite is Anton Krupicka. I love his honesty with the sport and his attitude, and also kiwi Jean Beaumont - she rules!

Also Grant Guise, Vajin, Whitney can’t say there’s many that aren’t role models.

What races are on your bucket list?

I would love to do an American and European race like Hardrock 100, The Rut in Montana, Transvulcania, Zegama, Mt Fuji…these places look unreal and the courses have a lot to offer.

How does the rest of the year look?

My next race after Mt Difficulty is The Hounslow then the new SkyRock n Run, maybe Kepler or Tarawera 50 and Tarawera 100k next year.

Skyrunninganz.com 29

The buffalo stampede the most competitive weekend of racing in the Oceania series exceeded expectations. The events featured incredible fields and spectators were treated to exciting races in stunning surrounds.

Skyrunninganz.com 31

the buffalo stampede

In the northeast corner of Victoria, the Ovens River cuts a dramatic valley through the best of Australia’s alpine country. The most prominent town on the Ovens is Bright, a timber and mining town now establishing itself as a mecca of outdoor sport and hospitality. Sitting halfway between the ski areas of Mount Buffalo and Mount Hotham, it is surrounded on all sides by alpine hills and countless trails.

With this setting, the Buffalo Stampede was designed as

the “old school” format of mountain running, “Race you to the top of that hill and back!” The hill being Mount Buffalo, which looms over visitors as they approach the town. To get from Bright to the base of Mt Buffalo, runners would take the most rugged trails and then weave through snowgum-bound rock monoliths once on the mountain.

In 2014, 412 runners took on the 75km round trip from Bright to the mountain and back, or the 42km journey

from Bright to the Mount Buffalo Chalet.

This year a 26km run was added incorporating the hills north of Bright, to give people a shorter duration feel of this grueling form of mountain running. Just under 700 runners signed up for a weekend of rugged mountain runs, good food and drink, music and family entertainment.

The 26km runners were in for a rude shock as an overly enthusiastic hazard reduction burn forced a change of course

four days before the run, which stretched their race out to 32km.

The defining set piece of the course remained intact however, the 900m vertical climb up Telegraph Spur to the summit of Mt Porepunkah, which, on a sunny blue day, turned on its best views of looming Mt Buffalo.

A leading group of David Byrne, Aaron Knight, Brendan Davies, Jarad Kohlar, Caine Warburton and Matt Cooper led the 26er field out of Bright, with top ladies Emma Rilen, Greta Truscott, Lucy Bartholomew and

Sara Uden not far behind.

David Byrne, a former World Cross Country Championships runner, led the field up the formidable Telegraph Spur before being caught and passed by former top mountain biker Aaron Knight, who was first to the summit and thus King of the Mountain honours.

David reclaimed the lead on the descent and went on to claim the win, as veteran Brendan Davies moved through the field to claim second place, not far behind. Emma Rilen, another international representative, laid

on a master class by leading the ladies from start to finish and winning by seven minutes over Greta Truscott.

As the sun set and the last finishers of the 26er came in, runners in the 75km ultra were finishing last minute preparations. The “Race you to the top of that hill and back” is quite possibly the most grueling run, mile for mile, in the country. On Saturday morning, the Scottish star Tom Owens led the field out of Bright, along Morses’ Creek and then up the first climb of the day,

Skyrunninganz.com 33

34 Skyrunner

point, by which time runners have already climbed and descended over 1000m. Tom Owens led the race overall with Tuckey, Guise and Winsbury a few minutes behind.

Early morning fog had burned off and temperatures started to lift as the leaders entered Eurobin checkpoint and started the climb up Mt Buffalo itself.

“The Big Walk” is 10km long, at first a dirt footpad through forests, then, above 900m elevation, it dramatically emerges onto platforms of bare granite, then, above that, snow gums frame a rocky track which winds up to the Mount Buffalo Chalet after climbing 1126m vertically from Eurobin.

By this stage Tom Owens and Landie Greyling had achieved a clear lead over their fields, and held it all the way back to Bright, although Andrew

Tuckey cut his lead back a little bit to run himself into a clear second place. New Zealand star Martin Lukes ran through the field in the last 24km to break 9 hours and come into third place. Tom’s winning time was 8.17, nearly half an hour adrift of Dakota Jones’ record from last year, but still the second quickest time ever.

Andrew’s 8.28 made him the fastest Australian at the Buffalo Stampede by 20 minutes.

Landie came 11th outright in 9.40, with Beth second in 9.59.

Julie Quinn stormed through the field on the return to move up to third in 10.05.

146 finishers continued to come in up until 12.04am, this year avoiding the late-afternoon cloudburst that drenched much of the field last year. Finishers were greeted with hugs, cheers from a stoic crowd, and the

the buffalo stampede

Mystic Hill. Other favourites such as Andrew Tuckey, John Winsbury, Mick Donges and Martin Lukes followed close behind, with New Zealand’s Grant Guise (4th last year) taking the initiative by following Owens off Mystic via the sheer Mick’s Track with its 44% gradient.

The women’s race, at this early stage, seemed to be a two woman contest, with South Africa’s Landie Greyling being closely shadowed by Sydney’s Beth Cardelli, with Gill Fowler, Jo Johansen, Whitney Dagg and Julie Quinn in arrears. All these ladies were new to the course, not having seen it last year.

After descending Mick’s Track to the Baker’s Gully aid station, an equally steep climb follows to the summit of Clear Spot, and then a hard descent to Buckland Valley and the 15km

the buffalo stampede

music of the Unemployed Gigolos band, before many shuffled off for a late meal or drink from the Brewery.

On Sunday morning, perhaps the most competitive field of the weekend assembled to contest the 42km Marathon, from Bright to the Chalet, loop through Chalwells Galleries and past Lake Catani and then back to the Chalet.

Overseas champions Stevie Kremer, Michel Lanne, Samir Tamang and Mira Rai came to do battle against Australian 36 Skyrunner

Olympic marathoner Martin Dent, but there was plenty of depth in a race that contained Blake Hose, David Byrne, Andrius Romonas, Hanny Allston, Scott Hawker, Chris Truscott, Mathieu Dore, Majell Backhausen, Luke Preston, Jonathan O’Loughlin, Ben Derrick (another Olympian, in cross country skiing), Tegyn Angel and Colleen Middleton.

On another blue morning, Michel Lanne, a podium getter at last year’s World Skyrunning Championships, led the field

over Mystic and Clear Spot and into Eurobin. Martin Dent had shadowed Michel closely for a while, until Blake Hose’s superior descending technique moved him into second at Eurobin and moving well.

On the climb up the Big Walk, Blake started to produce the distinctive performance of the weekend. A former pro cyclist turned runner who came 6th in last year’s World Skyrunning Championship, Blake had stepped up a level in fitness in 2015 under the coaching of

David Byrne, who was himself not far behind in 5th. A minute behind Michel at Eurobin, Blake emerged at the Chalet with a 15 minute lead on the competition, having run the 10 kilometres of the Big Walk five minutes quicker than anyone else would that day.

Perhaps the biggest crowd of the weekend cheered Blake past the Chalet, then cheered him in again as he completed the Chalwells loop and ran back to the Chalet to finish in an amazing 3.59, well under the Armstrong/Byrne record of 4.25 from last year.

After Blake’s finish, the crowd kept buzzing, anticipating the appearance of the French champion Michel Lanne in second. However, David Byrne emerged from the bush jubilant to take second in 4.20, a five minute improvement on last year, and especially amazing with the Sky26 in his legs from two days before.

Michel rounded off the podium two minutes later.

Stevie Kremer, with all her undoubted World Champion class, was pushed much of the way by former World Orienteering Champion Hanny Allston of Hobart. Stevie ran the second fastest time of the day up the Big Walk to win the women’s race in 4.26, over half an hour faster than Anna Frost’s time from 2014.

Hanny came in a few minutes later, with Mira Rai from Nepal, the incumbent Asian Skyrunning Champion, finishing 20 minutes later.

Nearly 200 runners continued to run in through the afternoon. One of the more intriguing scenarios from the weekend was the much

the buffalo stampede

talked about “Buffalo Grand Slam” of all three races in the one weekend- Sky26, 75km ultra and 42km marathon. David and Jim Eastham had come up with the idea some months before, and eventually 14 people signed up. Three started on the third day- David, Mat Grills from Bundaberg and Marina Brun from Mullumbimby. David’s Grand Slam attempt came to a stop on the slopes of Clear Spot, descending into the Buckland Valley, but Mat and Marina defied fatigue and soreness to both get through to the end of the marathon and complete the Grand Slam- Marina also being the last marathoner to finish, in 9.38.

Such a big weekend of running requires a solid group of wellbriefed staff and volunteers, a good medical team and redoubtable sponsors. In this case the Buffalo Stampede was supported by Woolworths, Suunto, Hammer Nutrition, Petzl, Bright Brewery, Alpine Shire Council, La Sportiva, Outdoor Research, Mund Socks, and Camelbak. The Bright United Men’s Shed supplied valuable race staff. Lucas Trihey and his team from Event Safety Services looked after and patched up a lot of weary bodies over the weekend.

The Buffalo Stampede will be back on April 1-3, 2016.

Registrations will open September 1, 2015. Put those dates in your calendars!

21 November 2015, Oxford, Canterbury, New Zealand

www.skyrocknrun.co.nz

42km SkyMarathon 3607 D+ Oceania SkyRunning Series Final

RAZORBACK RUN I 22/42/64km I VIC I 14 Mar MOUNT BULLER SKYRUN I 22/36/45km I VIC I 29 Mar WILSONS PROM 100 I 44/60/80/100km I VIC I 02 May GLOW WORM TUNNEL TRAIL MARATHON I 42 /21km/Bolt/Dash I NSW I 13-14th June HOUNSLOW CLASSIC ULTRA I 75/ 21km I NSW I 10-11th Oct SKYMARATHON & SKYRUN LAKE MOUNTAIN ALPINE MARATHON I 10/24/42km I VIC I 25 Oct ALPINE CHALLENGE I 60/100/160km I VIC I 28 -30 Nov

OFFICIAL SKYRUNNING EVENT

OFFICIAL SKYRUNNING EVENT

www.mountainrunning.com.au

Skyrunninganz.com 47