The Long Run Issue 05

the long run.

r e k w a h t t Sco

issue 05

g the smsilsiinn assa

behind the lens: Lyndon Marceau best of the web news and product tests training tips and more!

: G N I D U L C IN Australian & New Zealand

Skyrunner

Strength Training

run faster ewrith more pow

- lucy bartholomew talks tromso - Scott hawker interviewed - the buffalo stampede is back - the hounslow pictorial

warning

The following pages contain: - Offensive language - Highly opinionated articles - Possible nudity - Poor spelling - Bad grammar - Stolen photos

contents 6 All the gear, no idea 7 front of the pack; brad milosevic 8 Stuff & things 10 best of the web 13 session: threshold 14 the rollercoaster run 19 strength training 22 behind the lens - lyndon marceau 26 opinion: toughest, hardest, best 28 skyrunner magazine 30 race report: tromso skyrace 35 interview: scott hawker 39 buffalo is back!

42 the hounslow pictorial

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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

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All the Gear. No Idea!

Regardless of needing half the crap we buy, every runner loves new stuff. Below are some non-essential essentials worth looking at, or avoiding.

camelbak delaney

A simple hydration solution for refueling on the go. The Delaney is comfy, has a nice sized pocket for holding a gel or two, a phone and keys, plus the Podium Chill bottle it comes with is a real ripper that keeps ya fluids nice and cool for ages. The bright colour makes you visible at night and harks back to the 80’s when fluro was hip....which is the part of your body the belt sits on!

endura max cramp & muscle ease

Distance runners train hard & long.

Something this often leads to is cramping.

The reasons are varied but one of the main causes is magnesium deficiency. This yummy stuff is a simple solution that seems to really do the job. A serving of this after training is a n effective way to help avoid cramps being an issue. It easy to digest and tastes great!

VFuel Gels

The best way to describe these little beauties is tasty but a tad awkward. I’d refer to the average model in a similar manner. They look good, have some positives, but when it comes to the crucnh I can’t help but feel it’s more about the aesthetic than real substance. Don’t get me wrong, they have plenty of nutritional goodness and most flavours are awesome, but consuming the yumminess within is hard going thanks to the tab at the top tearing off too low and the gel itself being quite thick. I still reccommend giving them a go, as taste and stomachability means a lot and these gels are great in those regards.

Front of the Pack

brad milosevic Hailing from the western suburbs of Sydney, Brad has been one of those guys that over the last five years has toiled away behind the scenes and gradually improved. Nowadays, he’s one of the best on the road and cross country circuit, having won the City 2 Surf and Blackmores Running Festival Half Marathon as well as high placings in other major races in 2014 & 2015.

With a humble and quiet demeanour, you could be forgiven for thinking he was a battler and not nearly the class performer he is. It’s those attributes that make him so damn likeable and one of the nice guys of the running scene.

GET AHEAD NOW. AVOID THE CRASH L ATER.

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Stuff & Things bigger & better event!

$500 Fine for this!

Australia’s biggest and most prestigious ultra marathon The North Face 100 has outgrown its old brand and recently relaunched as Ultra-Trail Australia. This is an exciting development for the event as it continues to become bigger and better! Apart from the addition of a 22km race and an epic stair run up the iconic Furber Steps, Ultra-Trail Australia will be a festivity nearly a week long, with a film festival, mega expo and other exciting initiatives.

What we’re most pumped about is the opportunity for friends, family and support crews of those doing the U-TA 50 or 100 having the opportunity to test themselves over a shorter distance while still being able to finish under the awesome arch at Scenic World. So while you might be headed to Katoomba to get behind a mate or loved one, you too can be part of the action.

For the real hard core runners out there you can even do more than one race across the multi-day event, with the PACE 22 and stair run being in the lead-up to the big dance. In fact, you can even have multiple cracks at the stairs as they’re planning on having time-trial-like sessions each day where you can attempt to better your previous time!

Scott Jurek will pay Baxter State Park $500 for drinking champagne at the summit of Mount Katahdin on July 12. It was a celebratory swig after he broke the record for crossing the Appalachian Trail, some 2,100 mile+ journey spanning much of the east coast of the US. Other fines against him were dropped, including the ridiculous charge of littering because of the drops of champagne that sprayed the stones!

What a joke he even had to answer to such charges in a country that allows deadshits to walk around with guns.

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"As I got up I looked back and saw a red snow trail made from the blood of my leg" - lucy bartholomew

Paula radcliffe

the media

V i don''t need to know your dietary beliefs Ok, I get it. You’re a way better person than me and you lead a far more fulfilling life with loads of rainbows and four leaf clovers wherever you go. You’re also saving the world, one happy, free-living cow at a time. All this because you don’t eat meat. Good for you. But I still think you’re an idiot if the basis of your decision to be a nonmeat eater is that it’s supposedly better for you and the environment.

I also don’t get why so many of you have to tell the world that you’re superior and in the right because of your dietary beliefs. You don’t see omnivores eating a basic diet of occassional meat or fish, fruit, vegetables, pasta and rice preaching about it. It always seems to be the vegans or wierdo fad diiet types.

trial by media It’s a pretty shit situation when a poorly written article in a major news outlet leads to someone being tarnished via social media and other news sources as being a drug cheat. Yes, she ran stupidly quick and her times for 5km and half marathon suggest something abnormal.

But unless there’s hard evidence, bugger off and stop speculating...or leave the talk for the pub!

stay safe while training Ghirmay Ghebreslassie of Eritrea won his nations First World Championships gold medal when the 19-year-old Unexpectedly took out the marathon in beijing. Look out for him in the years to come!

A simple way to help keep you out of trouble when training is to setup your “Medical ID” on your iPhone.

It can be accessed even while the phone is locked simply by clicking on the emergency options. The medical ID has things like your name, DOB, emergency contacts, medical conditions and even blood type! It can be managed by clicking on the little “Health” app that comes as a default on the phone.

best of the web SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR STUFF ON THE LONG RUN WEBSITE THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

Ben Moreau – Being an Urban Runner Marathons have long been associated with major cities.

The marathon exists because of the Greek messenger Pheidippides running a message to Athens. The distance of 42.195km was later defined by the 1908 London Olympics (the distance form Windsor Castle to White City). Today, every major marathon is connected to an iconic city – New York, Berlin, London, Boston, Chicago, Tokyo etc. All the major cities host marathons and people love watching the best in the world slog it out over 42.2km of roads that loop around the urban landscape. But marathon race day is not like any other day. The roads are sealed off and the route is marked for you...

Click here to read the article!

The When and Why of Massage The benefits of regular massage are many and varied.

From reducing the likelihood of certain injuries and the rehabilitation of others, to pre-race relaxation and post-training recovery, you can always find an excuse for a rubdown. We caught up with Run Crew coach and infamous Sydney masseuse Gary Howard to get a few tips on the why and when of getting massage. It might sound obvious to some, but there are a few things to consider before locking in a time with your masseuse to push, pull, knead and manipulate you back into shape...

Click here to read the article!

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The Double Long Run Most distance runners will feature a weekly long run in the regime. They can be anywhere from 90 minutes for those training for shorter distances, right up to 6 hours or more for the ultra crew. Typically it’s the Sunday morning ritual where we rise at first light (Sometimes before!) and hit the road or trails for a steady slog with friends. For many this is the most rewarding run in the routine, while others find it a battle. There’s no escaping the reality that if you want to get the most out of yourself, you’ll need to do long runs...

Click here to read the article!

How to Identify a Runner’s Home There are many things that make a runner clearly identifiable to the trained eye. The unusual tan lines, men with shaven legs, the frequent conversations about the latest shoe from Nike and the huge volume of food consumed without putting on weight are all key attributes of what makes someone more than an occasional jogger, and puts them into the realms of being defined as a ‘runner’. The tell-tale signs that you’ve entered into the realm of a runner are most apparent within the home. It’s here, in their place of slumber and where they hoard their calories that you really come to understand them...

Click here to read the article!

Make sure you visit www.thelongrun.com.au for training tips, news, gear reviews and more running related features!

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session: threshold running Threshold training is one of the best means by which to improve running economy and speed endurance. Most of us however, fall victim to either ego, where we force the pace and go well beyond threshold, or, do the opposite and don’t push enough. Getting the pace right is a very hard thing to manage without the use of a heart rate monitor. But sometimes this too is not the ideal measure.

Firstly, there are two ways of using them in training. The first is to do a threshold as part of an interval session. In this instance you either run an effort prior to a series of shorter repeats, or at the end of the session.

The duration of the threshold should be around 20 minutes. The purpose of it is to stimulate some fatigue while you run in a manner that’s fast, yet relaxed. It should feel comfortable and upon completion you should have a sense of tiredness but be confident that you could have easily gone a lot faster. In terms of pace it should be around 90% of your marathon pace.

The second alternative is to make the threshold the sole effort in a given session. In this instance the threshold should be much longer than the former example. A good duration is in the range 40 to 80 minutes. Those training for marathons or longer will be at the longer end of the spectrum, while 5km runners should target the shorter. The pace should be much the same as for the first option, with the focus being on good technique and rhythm. Once again, you need to finish confident in the fact that you could have done more or gone faster.

threshold

the mighty threshol is the bread and butter session of many of the world’s best runners. It’s simple, doesn;t do too much damage and bloody effective!

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The Dandenong Ranges rise to the west of Melbourne, the remains of a volcano from 200 million years ago.

The site of some of Australia’s tallest forests and perpetual morning fogs, the Wurundjeri and Bunurong peoples often avoided the ranges as the misty summits were regarded as the home of the spirit world. In more recent times the mountain’s forests and innumerable trails became the haven of athletes. Derek Clayton and Ron Clarke spent thousands of hours there getting into world record shape; the De Castella legend was forged in these hills!

With such popularity, it’s somewhat surprising that it took until 2012 for an organised long trail run to take shape in the Dandenongs. With Rohan Day as director and Michael Clarke as course setter, the eventual 21.5km loop’s elevation profile lent itself to the name “Roller Coaster Run”. For extra rolling fun, a two lap, 43km option was also included.

The race has a unique character, taking the Roller Coaster theme to the venue and the checkpoints, which look and sound like an extended circus, complete with carnival costumes on the willing members of staff.

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In four years, the Roller Coaster has grown to be one of the largest trail runs in Victoria, with 550 participants. Based at the iconic SkyHigh function centre at the summit of Mt Dandenong, Roller Coaster runners follow a rough figure of eight through the National Park and surrounding forests, before returning to SkyHigh and a catered brunch from the function centre.

In 2015, Rohan Day handed the event over to Melanie Michael and Sean Greenhill of Mountain Sports, organisers of the Buffalo Stampede and Glow Worm Tunnel Marathon.

Planning is well underway for the 2016 run, for which the participant cap has been raised to 700.

Entries will open October 1, with the race itself on Saturday 27th February 2016. Runners can expect towering forests, sweeping views, a rich history, a bit of fun and some of the best, hilliest trails close to Melbourne. See www.rollercoasterrun.com for the straight details and sign up to the Roller Coaster Run facebook to gain input from the community that has grown round this race.

THE GARAGE

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

THE HILLS

NEW GYM "OUR PLAYGROUND"

www.mathieudore.com mathieudore.run@gmail.com +61 477 143 322 Kalorama, VIC

STRONGER LEANER FASTER

run better through STRENGTh As trail runners we don’t want bigger muscles, we want SMARTER muscles.

The aim is to teach our body to become more effective by using a progressive approach to strength training (ST).

Your ST is the perfect opportunity to eliminate every weakness or imbalance your body has to become stronger, leaner and faster in a controlled environment.

Strength training might be something new for many runners so the key is to trust and commit to it, because if you do, it will assist you in climbing like a mountain goat.

1. GET ASSESSED FIRST There are a couple of options available to runners when they decide to incorporate strength training into their program. In addition to working one-on-one with a coach you can do group classes or even get a program online. Whatever approach you take I encourage you to look out for the following two things: Firstly, know what your weaknesses are and make sure your program first addresses those weaknesses.

By getting an assessment you can focus on addressing structural imbalances and weaknesses that might be limiting your running

By Mathie

u DorĂŠ

performance.

If you only look at sports specific exercises you can adversely affect your posture, performance and potentially become more susceptible to injury.

True results come from a solid foundation. I personally think that the Joint by Joint Concept, created by Strength Coach Michael Boyle & Sport Therapist Gray Cook is the physical base of strength training and running.

Here is why: The body is simply a stack of joints. Each joint or series of joints has a specific function and is prone to specific, predictable levels of dysfunction. As a result, each

joint has specific training needs. The list below looks at the body on a joint-by-joint basis from the bottom up.

- Ankle needs mobility (particularly sagittal) - Knee needs stability - Hip needs mobility (multiplanar) - Lumbar Spine needs stability - T-Spine needs mobility - Gleno-humeral needs stability

2. DO THE DIRTY WORK During most initial assessments, I discover that many runners have no ankle and hip mobility, inhibited glutes, a poor lumbar spine (core) stability or significant side-to-side strength

imbalance. These issues need to be addressed first.

Embracing your weaknesses and erasing them is what I love to call ‘taking care of the dirty work’. If you have had your assessment you are in a good position to know the best approach to move forward. In terms of your mindset, do yourself a favor in this phase and be patient.

This first phase of strength training for all runners is simple. Mobilize what needs to be mobilized and activate what is inhibited. Roughly speaking you will be looking at a 4 – 8 week time frame for mobilization and activation.

Be cautious during this phase in doing squats, deadlifts, box jumps or hill repeats. They can be considered as sportspecific exercises for runners

that increase leg strength and power but can lead to injuries if you haven’t addressed your weaknesses first.

The body is a beautiful thing, but it works at is best when is able to work as unit. If something along the chain is not moving properly or a muscle is inhibited, the chain will be broken and you won’t be as efficient.

3. EARN THE HEAVY LIFTS So you’ve done your period of mobilization and activation.

Like many of my athletes they are then pretty amped to begin heavy traditional lifts as a means to build core and leg strength.

Heavy lifts (weighted squats, deadlifts, etc.) are highly

technical that require a neutral spine. Please do not perform them if a professional has not shown you. When maintaining a neutral spine throughout those movements, they become highly functional.

They are the “BIG PAPA” of planks. Note - you would do planks in the mobilization and activation phase as a means to activate the core muscles in an isolated simple pattern.

When we are progressing with our strength training we are trying to progressively prepare our bodies for the complexity required for running. While running, the idea is to use maximum leg strength while keeping a neutral spine. The body needs to work as a unit. Heavy lifts

are a great way to teach your body to do so, in a control functional environment.

The idea is to provide new and different stimulus to our muscles. This will increase full body coordination and neural drive. BUT again please be careful, these are highly technical exercises and are NOT for beginners, you need to earn them!

MY TOP EXERCISES: Barbell Front Squats, Barbell Traditional Deadlift, Kettlebell Walking Lunges & Barbell Sumo Deadlift.

be able to use that strength in an explosive manner. In The Garage I call these our ‘power exercises’ or getting that ‘POP’.

As endurance athletes we spend our time racking up the KMs but I find it is a common thread in many programs that we neglect our power training. Once you have a high level of basic strength, you need to teach your body to be explosive. This will target the elastic component of the muscles that makes us ‘springy’.

4. ITS ALL ABOUT POWER When we have developed significant strength throughout our body we are then able to train our body to

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behind the lens meet the man responsible for some of the most iconic and well recognised images from many of Australia’s and new zealand’s biggest events!

What got you into photography?

It started just as a hobby then with my adventure and outdoors lifestyle I started taking photos more in the outdoors and selling images and getting recognized by my peers. I was then asked to shoot one of the first The North Face 100km races alongside another photographer by a friend just to go along and support him and it went from there. He became my mentor and my go to and I assisted and shot with him for a couple years all the while honing my skills and learning not only the shooting side but also how to run your own successful business.

What do you enjoy most about shooting running events?

The people and their achievements, the locations and the surroundings I get to shoot in and the atmosphere and energy of the race.

What are the best and worst things about shooting ultra races?

Best - Capturing those moments that really tell the story of the race and/or of the journey and the pain the runner is going through on their way to the finish are some of the best moments I can walk away with.

Worst – Unexpected delays, unforeseen circumstances and conditions that change out of my control that make me miss a shot or unable to get to a location quick enough.

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What’s your most memorable event photograph and why?

There are too many to mention but this year’s The North Face 100km had a staggeringly competitive field in the men’s and it was always going to be tight to see who came out on top. At about the 65km mark waiting for the leaders to come out of Leura Forest when all of sudden Francois D’Haene, Dylan Bowman and Yan Longfei appeared pushing hard and breathing heavily mashing up the stairs section with concentrated looks on their faces and getting the job done. I think the image really speaks for itself.

What global race would you most love to shoot and why?

UTMB however that is now a highly commercialized event so I’d probably more love Transvulcania or Transgrandcanaria where the landscapes are bit more vast and baron with pockets of amazing lush scenary. However hiking in to those photo locations would be an adventure in itself, the photos I could capture I know would so different to those in the southern hemisphere.

What gear do you typically use at an event?

For a typical race day I have 2 pro DSLR bodies, one long zoom and a standard zoom lens, a wide lens, a fish eye, 2 flashes with remote triggers and a quiver of memory cards, batteries and spare parts. Not to mention the food, drink and clothing often required all goes on my back too.

When not taking photos, how do you pass the time?

I’m often at home working! But when I’m not doing in my down time that I’ll be out exercising riding my bike, down the beach, at the gym or with spending time with beautiful better half and/or socialising with friends

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Toughest, Hardest, Best…

Give me a Break!

It seems there are an increasing number of running races, and even athletes, that are being labelled as something they sure as hell aren’t! From events that are really long or full of mountains, to the people that conquer these arduous physical and mental tasks, it’s as though there’s a battle to be known as something ‘extreme’. One great example that will no doubt ruffle a few feathers is Badwater. It’s a 135 mile race in a bloody hot place. But it attracts only a handful of competitors, almost all of which aren’t particularly accomplished athletes. Yet finish this race, which is often referred to as being “The toughest ultra on the planet” and you’re instantly a hero. No one stops to ask what really makes this ‘The toughest’. Is it because it’s hot and a long distance? They’re hardly a good measure, because to get around these challenges it seems the competitors just move extremely slowly!

Don’t get me wrong. I think anyone who completes these events has done something special. It’s pretty cool to be able to drag your body through a long, hard race.

Those that do these really epic events are deserving of a

high five and congratulations.

But to start putting them on a pedestal for basically beating weak fields in some obscure event just perpetuates mediocrity.

Those athletes who really deserve such praise are the ones who do well in the highly competitive events such as Ultra Trail Mont Blanc or Western States. These events are actually tough and hard and to do well you do need to be amongst the best. Why? Because apart from traversing challenging terrain over vast distances, they attract high quality fields and the intensity of the competition means every place is earned. There are no soft podiums!

I’ll be the first to admit that this is an elitist way of looking at performance.

It’s not the easy path where you make everyone like you by telling people they’re amazing for just getting through it. Like I said earlier, I do think that anyone who completes a tough race is worth commending, but I strongly believe that if you don’t put performances into context before starting to say someone is the ‘Best’ and an event the ‘Toughest’ you’re insulting those that really do achieve great things.

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Skyrunner Australian & New Zealand

06

30 35 39

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editorial and news a note from skyrunning ANZ

tromso skyrace lucy bartholomew's race report

scott hawker the smiling assassin

buffalo is back oceania's biggest skyrace grows

the hounslow in pictures A photo review

www.Skyrunninganz.com

a note from skyrunning ANZ:

joining forces This issue of Skyrunner is the first in a new partnership that sees the sport of Skyrunning in Australia now taking pride of place with not only a regular section in The Long Run ezine, but also frequent content showcasing the sport and events on The Long Run website. The move to do this was sparked from a desire to grow the sport by engaging a wider audience and demographic than previously accessible.

This sharing of content is a natural progression as many of the elements that make someone a great distance runner are what’s required to be succesful in Skyrunning, and vice verca. In the pages you’ve already read you’ll have no doubt come across some interesting and valuable information. The following pages will also be a great resource for more ‘specific’ Skyrunning training advice, news and event information.

It’s exciting times as the first Skyrunning Oceania series unfolds, with only a few races left on the calendar for athletes to score points in. Who will will the title? It’s still wide open. Looking beyond this year we hope to develop a new series and continue to build on the hard work done in 2015. Onward and upward!

news: The hounslow set to shine!

The next event in the ANZ Skyrunning series is The Hounslow and it takes place in the picturesque Blue Mountains west of Sydney. In a sign of the rising popularity of the sport, as well as how incrdible this event looks to be, it has sold out. This is relatively unheard of for a first year event and is a testament to the growth of the sport and work done by the Mountain Sports team in organising it.

a vertical K in australia!

The first ever sanctioned Vertical Kilometer to be held in Oceania is set to take place on November 29th at Mt Donna Buang in Victoria. Climbing 1,100m in 8km, it will test the legs and lungs of those up to the challenge.

Coupled with the run is the novelty of racing against cyclist, who face an arduous climb of their own to finish at the same location.

For more information: visit here!

tromso skyrace

Lucy bartholomew tells us about one of the most unique and challenging events on the skyrunning calendar

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Tromso sky race was more than any race I had ever been too. The competitiveness was there but far more subtle and the individuals taking part were ready for an adventure more than a fast marathon time or a short race.

The faces behind this race, Emelie Forsberg and Kilian Jornet, are two of the worlds’ best mountain runners with a passion for pushing the limits and a love of being in the outdoors combining climbing, mountaineering and trial running… and Tromso sky race had the best of all three!

I arrived into Norway with only the few images I had seen on social media as a guide to what to expect coming into race day.

However what you see in a picture and what you see in real-time are completely different perspectives. When I looked up to the starting point of the race (a mere 2km “warmup” with 400m

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climbing just to get to the start line) I knew that this race was something special - true and raw skyrunning.

And I was terrified.

Unfortunately for me 2 days before the race both the highlight and lowlight

of my trip occurred. While descending a snow slope I fell and lost control, speeding up and flying down unable to kick my heels in as I swerved and headed towards the rocks. Lucky for me I was running with Kilian and he managed to sprint fast enough and dive in front to stop me going into the rocks.

I was shaking and completely terrified but so happy to have had Killian come to my rescue. However as I got up I looked back and saw a red snow trail made from the blood of my leg. Despite bing numb I managed to run the 8km back to the car but was left with second degree burns, some nasty cuts and bruises and a day in the Tromso Hospital.

I spent the next few days limping, trying to smile, helping to organise, feeling

“The thing that I love about this sport is the way that unknown locals can showcase their talent amongst the best.”

pretty stupid and trying to see if I could still make the startline. Friday was the Vertical Kilometre and after seeing the course days before I was super keen to watch how the elite handle this technical and steep climbing.

The thing that I love about this sport is the way that unknown locals can showcase their talent amongst the best. In the end Emelie held off Norwegian younggun Yngvild by 1 second in the females and Norway’s Stian Hovind-Angermund took out the men’s followed

by Salomon athlete Remi Bonnet.

Saturday was full of greeting trail runners (Including Australians very own Mick Donges!), re telling why my leg was thick with bandages and giving as much help as I could to anyone who needed

me. When Sunday arrived the conditions were foggy with patches of rain and as the sun tried to rise above the clouds a zig zag of runners made their way up the “warm up” to the top. Greeting them at the start was a hot cup of Yogi Tea to keep them warm as Kilian told everyone to ‘have fun and embrace the mountain’. The race was incredible, not only for the runners but the spectators too. I went to the valley between the two summits and watched the race, learning from runners, smiling as people came in looking tired but eager to get up and over whatever mountain was between them and the finish.

The winners crossed the finish line with cuts and blood (making me feel slightly better), signs of relief, smiles of satisfaction and tears of

joy. I stayed until the last one arrived, the bells went wild everyone was screaming and excited for the success of the day. It was a moment in time that I will never forget. The weather was miserable but still competitors - exhausted, wet and cold - stayed to celebrate one another tell stories of the epic terrain and their own day out on the trails of the Tromso sky race.

This wasn’t a race about the first across the line.

They may have stood on the podium but at the end of the day everyone who entered that course and took the risks to get to the finish line were champions to me. It was the most special and wonderful race I had ever attended. It was tough to be a spectator but it only adds to the excitement of next year returning as a runner!

“As I got up I looked back and saw a red snow trail made from the blood of my leg”

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21 November 2015, Oxford, Canterbury, New Zealand

www.skyrocknrun.co.nz

42km SkyMarathon 3607 D+ Oceania SkyRunning Series Final

scott hawker making molehills out of mountains

“I thrive off a challenge and enjoy pushing my body in amazing locations”

Scott Hawker has been running around the trails for a few years now and if you’re a regular on the scene then no doubt you’ll have seen his name at the top of the finishers lists at many an ultra.

Hailing from New Zealand, Scott is your typical Kiwi runner. He’s relaxed, humble, tough as nails and bloody friendly. But beneath that chilled exterior lies a fiercely competitive beast. No matter where he’s racing or who’s standing on the start line next to him, Scotty is there to give it a real crack. He ain’t just making up the numbers and hoping to enjoy ‘Playing in the mountains’. It’s quite the contrary.

If you ever do a race and he’s there too, you can be confident he won’t let you have it all your own way.

You seem to enjoy the tough and technical courses that most Skyraces present. What attracts you to it?

Exactly that, I thrive off a challenge and enjoy pushing my body in amazing locations. I don’t see myself as a “fast” runner compared to some of the other speedsters I race against, so I try to line up in technical and vert dominated races which are more my strengths.

Hillary was far more technical than both the Ultra Easy and the Buffalo Stampede. The Hillary really blew me away, such a beautiful course and in an amazing part of NZ only 45mins from the biggest city! The Buffalo Stampede was a real eye opener in the first 30km. I wasn’t aware that Australia had terrain quite like that. The first 2 climbs and descents were exactly what I like, super steep and rough!

You’ve run the Ultra Easy, The Hillary and Buffalo Stampede.

How do these races differ and are there any similarities?

The Ultra Easy feels like a big mountain race, one of the climbs up to Mt Pisa is nearly 2000M+ in about 18km so a bit of a grind. The

As a New Zealander living in Australia, how do the mountains differ?

I think the biggest difference with running in NZ is that you know there is nothing trying to kill you (seriously). I wasn’t running in the mountains much before I moved

to Australia 4 years ago but I’ve been back numerous times since and the mountains there are just bigger (depending on where you go of course). For me there’s nothing quite like running on NZ trails Alpine terrain, rocky and technical with massive climbs!

You had a great run at Laverado, tell us how the race panned out.

On paper my result at Lavaredo looks ok but it really wasn’t the result I wanted. I raced too conservatively during the descent from Tre Cime down to Cimabanche. I lost nearly 12mins on a 10km descent. A lesson that I have taken on board for next time. I’ve also been dealing with Chostochondritis the last 12 months which hasn’t been much fun. Altitude and long descents are what flares it up and Lavaredo 2015 was the same. I got my butt kicked by the altitude this year as well. I’ve never suffered from the altitude before at races like I did at Lavaredo this year and it only goes up to 2400m. Another lesson learned is that I need to plan my pre-race acclimatisation better.

the TNF100 course being flat and fast there were some longer tempo efforts along Narrowneck; and for Lavaredo we were really trying to get my body ready for the longer European climbs and descents.

Long runs for me peak at about 5hrs although there will normally be around 2500m-3000m+ gain.

What tip do you have for newcomers to the sport of Skyrunning?

Try not to think of trail and ultra running as all about the “goal race” you’re training for. Personally it’s about the journey and the exciting times sharing trails with friends and my wife that make the whole experience so much more fulfilling. The race is important but realistically you might run around 250 times in a year and maybe 3-5 races so the other 245 runs need to be fun! Never forget the reason why you’re running in the first place.

“Never forget the reason why you’re running in the first place.”

Will you go back next year or do you have other race plans outside of Oceania?

I’m not 100% sure on 2016 yet, there are definitely a few new challenges I’m going to be taking on including some shorter races (very short) and I’ll now definitely be heading back to UTMB in August as I am missing out this year because of a knee injury.

What does an average week of training look like?

My program from Andy DuBois changes regularly depending on what race I’m training for. With

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Entries Open Wednesday 23rd September 2015

buffalo is back! save the date for the biggest skyrace in oceania

Question. What is, mile for mile, the hardest race in Victoria, without a doubt? Or, indeed, perhaps in Australia?

The Buffalo Stampede is back in April 2016 to send hundreds more athletes into the steep mountains rising around the alpine town of Bright., and at the same time be one of the most attractive towns for athlete’s families to spend a weekend in.

The three days of racing starts with the Sky26er and its new cousin, the Vertical Sky12, racing from the middle of town to the summit of Mt Porepunkah up the infamous Zapper trail, and then, in the case of the 26er, looping back to town… after a few more climbs.

The next day, Saturday, will dawn with the biggest event

of the weekend, the 75km Ultra SkyMarathon from Bright to Mt Buffalo… and back, via the summits of Mystic Hill, Clear Spot and Keatings Ridge, with their slopes of up to 50% along the way. The winning time for this race is around 8 hours, with the last finishers coming in after 17 hours.

The third day features the SkyMarathon from Bright to Mt Buffalo Chalet and often tends to have the deepest, most competitive fields of the weekend.

All three days of the weekend start in Howitt Park, in the heart of Bright, adjacent to the popular Bright Brewery.

For the families (or the days off from racing!) the Bright district has a water play park, giant maze,

wineries, restaurants, cafes, lookouts, road and mountain biking, cheese factories and museums.

“In 2014, the Buffalo Stampede attracted 400 participants, in 2015 we had 650 runners. For 2016, the goal is 800-1000- not including the 150-200 kids who did the 2K and 4K dashes this year,” said race director Sean Greenhill.

“We think Bright is the best venue in the country for a weekend of racing, and the race courses are definitely full value for money in their toughness and scenery.”

Full race information is at www.buffalostampede.com. au. General entries open September 23, with race weekend stretching across April 8-10 next year.

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“We think Bright is the best venue in the country for a weekend of racing, and the race courses are definitely full value for money in their toughness and scenery�

running the hounslow? here’s a pictorial of what you’ve got to look forward to!

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OPEN S E I R T EN y a

Thursd

1 r e b o Oct 2015