The Ultra Minute ⛰️ August 12, 2024
Kilian wins Sierre-Zinal for a 10th time, one big FKT attempt comes to an end while another begins, Leadville 100 is this week, plus more of what happened in ultrarunning last week
Happy Monday, ultrarunners! Here’s this week’s Ultra Minute.
Last week in ultrarunning
🐐 Kilian Jornet wins the iconic Sierre-Zinal for the 10th time, in an incredibly tight finish, taking the win by just 1.5 seconds over Kenya’s Kiriago Philemon Ombogo and beating his own course record by just 1 second.
In the women’s race, Joyline Chepngeno takes the win by 8 minutes over second place, Scout Adkin. Remarkably, this was her first ever trail race, and her first race of any kind since her school years, having recently decided to get back into running after having two children.
For more, check out iRunFar’s summary, or watch the full race on YouTube (worth it).
👣 Vernon Palm won the Bigfoot 200 in 44:57:16, with an incredibly close fight for the podium happening behind him, where we saw Logan Ziegenmeyer finish second in 50:27:17, Harvey Lewis third in 50:32:58, and Haroldas Subertas fourth in 50:34:15!
Jessica Schiller was the first woman across the line in 56:34:52, with Ashley Paulson second in 58:36:35, and Stephanie Rosebaugh rounding out the podium.
🌱 Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy attempted to reclaim the fastest known time on the John Muir Trail from Jeff Garmire. After a wrong turn, he still had time to spare as he set off to summit Mt. Whitney. But the sleep deprivation caught up to him as he climbed, he became extremely confused, fell just short of the FKT, and was ultimately lucky to make it back down unharmed. Read Joe’s telling of the harrowing moments of his time on Whitney.
🍭 Where one FKT attempt ends, another begins. Tara “Candy Mama” Dower set off this morning to attempt a fastest known time of the Appalachian Trail. Follow her live track, and cheer her on @chumpchangefkt and @tara.dower. She’s also raising money for Girls on the Run, which you can learn more about here.
🎙️ Freetrail Pod released the Brand & Athlete panel from TrailCon, featuring Sallie McRae (pro athlete, Nike), Amelia Boone (pro athlete), David Kilgore (Global Director of Outdoor Strategy, On), Ryan Montgomery (pro athlete), and Robert Muecke (Global Head of Sports Marketing, Adidas Terrex). I’ve really been enjoying these panels from TrailCon, gaining a different perspective of our sport.
🌮
of Two Percent posted about what olympians eat, including the surprising junk food edge:Race to watch this week
It’s Leadville 100 week! The iconic race in the Colorado Rockies starts this Saturday, August 17th. Follow along on Instagram and Twitter, and get excited by watching this film celebrating 40 years of the Race Across the Sky:
Another AT FKT attempt! I don’t think I’ve heard about many women attempt this! Excited to follow along!