By Mathias Eichler
Sponsor:
The Trail Running Film Festival - Online Watch Party Get your tickets.
The Trail Running Film Festival - Online Watch Party Get your tickets.
LIVE: This weekend (Mar 2, 2024) on our Global Race Series Calendar:
With the ‘Ancantilados Del Norte’ the Skyruner World Series kicks off their 2024 circuit in La Palma Island, Spain. Yes, another island race.
There race itself is sponsored by Dynafit, and the World Series announced a few heavy hitters as brand sponsors in the past few weeks, which should indicate some renewed interest in this very specific and very photogenic version of trail running.
Here’s a link to their live feed for the race, if I find an entry list I will post it here later.
Find more trail races on ECC’s Global Race Series Calendar
The lineup is live:
The Trail Running Film Festival (TRFF) is thrilled to announce the official lineup of films for the highly anticipated 2024 tour. Curated to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide, these eight films embody the adventurous spirit and triumph of trail running.
Here’s the link to the trailer, and a link to our current events calendar with a lot more dates/locations to be posted in the coming weeks. And yes, we will have an online watch party in June!
Posted today on Instagram:
The UTMB Bus Service is one of the largest transportation networks in the world of outdoor sports…
UTMB shares in this post some details on the size, scope, and investment into this operation which will help runners navigate alpine valleys and three countries around the Mont Blanc come this August. They link to their ‘plan your trip’ web page for more info.
I’m looking forward to checking this out and experiencing it myself this summer. But, this announcement does come shortly after their Tarawera event where transportation and other logistical issues where again cause for concerns. Runners, many of them international travelers who rely on a rock solid race organization, experienced supply shortages at the aid stations, and a last minute start location change which screwed people’s travel plans. If UTMB’s intention is to own their events to maintain a level of standard then they are currently clearly not delivering on that. Most of the “by UMTB” events are still operated by the local race director who initially built the event, so these misses can’t be for a lack of understanding the local requirements. If UTMB thinks kneecapping RDs in delivering a great race experience then the shortsightedness is truly staggering.
The Trail Running Film Festival dropped the trailer for their Global Tour 2024 presented by Brooks.
And with that… ladies and gentlemen and y’all, … the weekend!
When I first saw the photos of the Intuitive Machines Nova-C landing on the moon this week and noticed the Columbia branding I was all snarky and wanted to link to the Columbia layoff news from earlier this month. But, after reading up a bit I realized that there’s more to it than just an ad banner on a private spacecraft.
From Columbia’s website specifically created for this mission:
The Intuitive Machines Nova-C has landed on the Moon with our Omni-Heat™ Infinity tech protecting it from extreme temperatures in space. We’re incredibly proud to be part of this historic effort, and to be able to push our innovations even further.
Columbia is proving a heat-shield material for the space craft.
For Columbia, it is an unparalleled opportunity for exploration and discovery, paving the way for advancements in technologies and materials innovations that will enhance our products and ultimately the lives of our customers.
Alright, consider this space critic’s mind changed.
In a new post on Outside’s new ‘RUN’ platform Nick Triolo asks Anton Krupicka some questions to promote the new La Sportiva shoe drop, the Prodigio, which I saw first at TRE and can’t wait to try myself. But beyond the shoe, the questions are wide-ranging and include this gem:
On UTMB
“It’s all manufactured controversy. This is all just made up. So many people just want to have the magical experience of circumnavigating the mountain and doing it with others, because there’s this strong communal feeling when you’re doing it. And all the other shit? No one actually cares.”
If this would’ve been an answer on my podcast I would’ve had a million follow up questions, like:
But maybe all these questions aren’t all that important because Anton also speaks to another integral part of American culture by concluding his answer with:
And all the other shit? No one actually cares.
I just stumbled over ‘Des Bosses and Des Bulles‘ (Bumps and Bubbles) a so very French cartoon and comic strip. The creator Mattieu Forichon is from Lyon France and his style of drawing reminds me of all the great French/Belgium comics I grew up with. His main topic and subject matter: Trail running.
Des Bosses and Des Bulles’s Matthieu Forichon also created a few of the UTMB posters over the years, which in all fairness I was never fond of, but now that I am understanding the history and background gain a different appreciation for.
We often talk about culture in trail running and how important it is to project it. Through the prism of the small world we surround yourself with we often think ‘our culture’ is ‘the culture’. But here’s an excellent example of how trail running in a different country has evolved and grown and embedded itself into the culture of their country and surrounding. That does make it look and feel different, but in no way any better for worse than the culture we’ve come accustomed to. Culture is flawed, but it also is beautiful. and rich, and as long as we can move forward and embrace each other’s differences we will learn and grow and truly make this world a better place. Here’s to embracing more bumps and more bubbles.
WTM announcement on social media:
GranCanaria becomes our new official sponsor, we are so proud to be part of the GranCanariaWorldTrailMajors
Still trying to get the backstory here, but it seems that Gran Canaria, the official tourism entity jumped on board and is now sponsoring the entire global WTM series of events, not just the one race on the island of Gran Canaria. That would mean you can run a Gran Canaria race at Black Canyons in Arizona… which is kind of funny when you think about it.
The official name of the WTM is now ‘Gran Canaria World Trail Majors’.
Also, what is up with all these islands and their trail races – fascinated by this, I really am.
LIVE: This weekend (Feb 21 – 25, 2024) on our Global Race Series Calendar:
The North Face Transgrancanaria is the third race on the World Trail Major circuit on the beautiful island of Gran Canaria (part of Spain) in the Atlantic. Lots of top tier athletes, including Marcel Höche, will be at the starting line for the various distances offered.
Live streaming will be available on their website and the entry list can be viewed, and searched here.
Find more trail races on ECC’s Global Race Series Calendar
Earlier this week Marcel posted a message on his Instagram account:
22 days ago my doctor advised to take a cortisol inhaler to fight Influenza and the pretty scary cough that came with it.
Cortisol is the body‘s stress hormone.
In (short) fight or flight situations, it is quite useful as it suppresses inflammation and increases blood sugar levels that can be used to „fight harder or take flight quicker“.
In longer stressful situations, it can increase the risk of diabetes, weight gain, immune suppression and every disadvantage that come with high blood pressure, and much more.
As a steroid hormone, it is also a banned substance by the World Anti Doping Agency.
So instead of going to the pharmacy and getting what my doctor told me to do, I had a hard decision to make.
I learned that (no guarantee!) cortisone is allowed before and even during competition when inhaled. In any case, with a washout time of 3-10 days, I was gonna be clear for the TransGranCanaria in 24 days from then.
I still decided I didn’t want to manipulate my body in this way and relied on my body‘s strength.
I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the doping situation around Stian Angermund. As a non-elite I do not understand the realities around the pressures to perform and the dangers various substances poise. Stian’s interview makes me quickly want to jump out in support of him and his situation, like a surprising number of elite athletes did on his Instagram post. His story seems believable, even if I don’t know Stian personally, and he portrays himself as a victim of unexplainable circumstances, which seems plausible and forgivable. But! Our sport has to rely on us trusting the systems we’re putting into place to protect the integrity of the sport. If we doubt the doping controls then we don’t need them at all. And our sport hast to trust that athletes are taking the responsibility on themselves to keep themselves clean.
LIVE: This weekend (Feb 24, 2024) on our Global Race Series Calendar:
Part of the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship, the XTERRA Wellington Festival in New Zealand offers an entire weekend of multi-sport events:
XTERRA Wellington Festival, an offroad festival packed full of goodness on and off the trails. A completely unique, off-road triathlon, duathlon and trail running experience with spectacular views, ‘the best downhill of any XTERRA on the planet’ and true Kiwi hospitality to make you feel right at home. Wellington is known for its hills, breathtaking views and rugged coastlines. This makes for one incredible XTERRA.
The event included in the ‘Trail Run World Championship’ is a Half Marathon:
A gorgeous half-marathon trail run starting and ending by the beautiful beaches of Queen Elizabeth Park.
Find more trail races on ECC’s Global Race Series Calendar.
Via press release:
Tailwind Nutrition announces its 2024 Tailwind Athlete Team which includes 21 athletes whose specialties range across the spectrum of endurance sports. The team includes Tailwind athlete and ultrarunning icon Courtney Dauwalter, who last year won the Western States 100, Hardrock 100, and Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in the span of three months.
Endurance Sportswire has the full list of athletes.
Singletrack – Episode 297:
Marcel is back! After a tumultuous winter Adidas athlete Marcel Höche joins Singletrack for a very personal conversation about the challenges of the athlete fan relationship. We take a deep dive into building a new and better running shoe, including the much hyped soon-to-be-released Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra. Of course we touch on the UTMB situation, chat about sky running and make plans to meet for a beer in Chamonix.
With the last Golden Tickets claimed at last weekend’s Black Canyons Western States has now posted the full entry list for 2024. (I guess there’s still the possibility of wait list movement as runners bow out between now and race day.) Among the many deserving things that makes Western States such an alluring story to cover is that the relatively small data set of runners each year is incredibly well displayed and documented. This event seems to be the gold standard when it comes to entry field documentation and presentation on their website. And while this might a lot harder to do for races with a much larger entry field, we in the media would love it if other events (hello UTMB!) would adopt some of these practices. Alright, with that, let’s dive into this much-praised data:
THE GENDER SPLIT FOR WESTERN STATES 2024:
Some historical comparison (and I did just pull a single year from the website, so I can’t model a direct graph here): In the 2013 running of Western States there where 80% men and 20% women at the starting line. So, this seems to be trending into the right direction: more diversity and equality.
GEOGRAPHY:
Of the 371 total bibs assigned, 275 (74%) are going to runners from the United States and of those 88 (24%) to runners from California, the home state of Western States. 7 bibs go to German runners, which feels like an exceptional lucky year for Germans. In 2023 there was only a single runner (Janosch Kowalczyk from Stuttgart) at the starting line. A single bib, just like for the past two years, is going to a runner from Austria and again there’s no Swiss runners are at the starting line.
These data sets aren’t huge, the difference here is between a couple dozen runners, but nonetheless this would suggest that the Western States entry field is becoming more international, which is another way of expressing diversity.
(These numbers are just for the lottery registration so far. Elites still have the ability to qualify via various races at the World Series.)
Let’s look at the gender split of US runners vs. rest of the world:
I want to break this down a bit further as ‘elites’ make up a rather big percentage of the entry field at Western States.
Here’s the gender split between elites vs. regular lottery entries:
Of the 371 total entries there are 45 (12%) runners who got into Western States via a Golden Ticket, direct entry as a returning top ten runner or gunning for their tenth finish. For this exercise I call these runners the elites, which isn’t 100% complete but an easy way to separate the spreadsheet.
Of these 45 ‘elites’ there are:
So, this of course checks out as in the way I pulled these numbers Western States offers an equal number of tickets for each gender.
Of the 326 runners who I would consider ‘non-elite’ there are:
Of these ‘non-elite’ runners there are:
So, the percentage of women runners slightly dips compared to the overall numbers due to the fact that the elite numbers are close to equal and the lottery pool still has a larger percentage of men then women.
I’m reminded of a comment Sarah Lavender Smith made a few weeks ago on the Midpacker Pod:
To summarize: the suggestion she made was that elites should to boycott UTMB events and Hardrock and Western States should drop the UTMB affiliate qualifiers due to her assertion that “European men are flooding the lotteries of popular US races”. Aside from the weird taste her statement left in my mouth I also don’t see these numbers I posted supporting her statement. Sure, we could go back to just regional running, but we already have this in the countless local community driven trail races put on each weekend at some trail head at the end of a dirt road. If some of our events celebrate the global trail running community, is that so bad?
I am reminded of a comment the race director of the Kullamannen by UTMB Per Sjögren made a couple of weeks ago, who suggested that one of the great things about running a big international race is getting to experience the global trail running community coming together. That’s what attracted me to trail racing. That’s my kind of adventure.
Excited to share our partners for the 2024 Global Tour of the Trail Running Film Festival:
As we’re gearing up to announce our incredible filmmakers and their projects featured in this year’s Global Tour we wanted to spend a moment thanking our sponsors helping to bring these stories to a big screen in your city.
We couldn’t do this without our partners from around the world. A huge thank you to everyone who believes in our mission to share these wonderful stories.
Title Sponsor: Brooks Running
Global Partners: Ragnar, Team RunRun, Tailwind Nutrition, Run the Alps, Territory Run Co., Aspire Adventure Running, Kahtoola
Nonprofit Partner: Running for Public Lands
Media Support: Electric Cable Car
From me, wearing all the hats: The film selection will be announced this week. Close to 60 locations are already on board. This is going to be an incredible show. I cannot wait!
Mallorca by UTMB, a late season race is coming to one of Europe’s most popular vacation islands making it the perfect European season ender. (For folks who don’t like the adverse conditions of Kullamannen, that is.)
Registration hasn’t quite opened yet, but the event offers all the distances for changes to get your stones, for reasonably short mileages but with very serious vert.
Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands, is located in the middle of the Mediterranean, offering a unique environment for runners. Supported by both the Mallorca Council and the Balearic Government, Mallorca by UTMB promises an unforgettable experience, with a very diverse route, where participants will run along vertiginous cliffs, through lush oak and pine forests, and traverse the steep peaks of the Serra de Tramuntana UNESCO World Heritage Site, from where they can admire the splendour of the Mediterranean.
I’ve pointed this out before, but I am fascinated by the UTMB marketing team highlighting the UNESCO World Heritage site locations for their races. Does the race location scouting team have a special in with UNESCO to obtain permits? Is this just happenstance, that outside the US most trails through beautiful places are located in these places? Fascinating.
Another thing that jumps out to me is that these islands must REALLY love the idea that some event organizations is bringing folks to their place. There seems to be a literal land grab going on to see who can announce a big event on an island next. I bet Ironman is feverishly working on a UTMB event in Hawaii.
All the Electric Cable Car race series calendars are updated!
Here are the results for the the Tarawera Ultra-Trail in New Zealand on Feb 17-18, 2024, the first UTMB event on the 2024 UTMB World Series Calendar (For full results visit the UTMB website):
Women:
Men:
Women:
Men:
Women:
Men:
Women:
Men:
Combined, the events had 4,034 racers and 3,709 finishers broken down by distance and gender:
In total the event saw 3,709 finishers, with an almost equal number (incredible!) of women (1,812 – 49%) and men (1897 – 51%) reaching the finish line, earning stones and an UTMB index or punching their ticket directly to the Finals in Chamonix.
Why do I just count finish line numbers, you ask?
The UTMB Live webpage shows these numbers easily, and I don’t want to wait until full results are posted to share these numbers.
The Kilian Jornet Foundation launches new initiative aimed at trail restoration:
From the Kilian Jornet Foundation we embark on a project of great environmental impact, directing our efforts towards the restoration of mountain trails and degraded areas. This initiative, based on four fundamental lines of work, is seen as a beacon of change in the preservation of natural mountain environments.
I like this effort, and while the announcement doesn’t highlight any particular projects it’s good for trail runners to focus their efforts on the very trails they use. The environment will benefit, and others might think of us a little bit less as lazy parasites.
WTM posts ranking, system and explaination behind it:
For the elite, the World Trail Majors is about competing for glory. Prize money will be the reward for training hard and competing at the highest level. At the same time, we are sure some elites will “cherry pick” a race to suit their calendar and not be in for the series.
How is the Ranking calculated?
Following conversations with the PTRA (Professional Trail Runners Association) we wanted a more predictable points system to make it fairer for comparison and ranking amongst elite runners and races. Allowing runners to easily calculate what position they must finish in a race for their final overall ranking. Therefore, the Top 20 in each race will be scored as per the table below and 21st onwards will be ITRA scoring.
And this is what this looks like after the first two races.
So, while the initial marketing language suggested that the events are meant as “once in a lifetime bucket list races”, this ranking now suggests that for elites this series could become a more serious endeavor, with prize money and prestige on the line. It’ll be interesting to see how this evolves as there’s no “Final”. So runners are listed on the same ranking but aren’t necessarily racing the same events, and aren’t toeing the line together. It’s kind of like a remote competition.
William Walcker, Co-founder of Näak on LinkedIn:
After a successful year as the Official Nutrition and Hydration Supplier of the UTMB® World Series in 2023, I am glad to announce that Näak has now become the Official Technical Partner of the UTMB World Series in 2024!
Not sure what the difference is between Hydration Supplier and Technical Partner, but I bet the former is “free product” while the later is “free product + €s”. Technical partner puts Naäk on the same sponsorship level as Suunto’s partnership with UTBM, at least in name it does.
Despite the race’s purposeful obscure rules to enter John Kelly lays out a pretty good overview of how one gets into Barkley without stepping over the line and taking away from the mystery which is part of what creates the magic of this event.
This post contains all of the facts and opinions I have on how people are selected for the Barkley Marathons. I have zero influence or involvement in this process. No matter how clever or unique someone thinks their question is, if the answer isn’t here then I do not know. There is nothing more I can add.
Over the next couple of months, on some unknown date this crazy and amazing idea of a race will happen again at Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee, and somehow even though I have absolutely no interest in participating in this event, for a few days I will be glued to the obscure coverage about it on various social media channels.
Six race directors will receive support to attend the conference this fall:
The American Trail Running Association (ATRA) has announced the creation of the Better Together Scholarship to help under-funded and aspiring race directors to attend the 2024 US Trail Running Conference. The 2024 Conference takes place in Knoxville, TN, October 23-25, and is presented by Marathon Printing, Inc.
Great initiative.
Suunto joins UTMB to become their official technical partner. From Suunto’s announcement:
We have been involved in trail running since its inception. Now we are joining the UTMB World Series, supporting runners in achieving their dreams with GPS sports watches featuring industry-leading battery life and purpose-built features for training and racing.
From the UTMB press email:
As official GPS watch and technical partner of the UTMB World Series, Suunto will support runners in navigating the trails and achieving their dreams across the 41 UTMB World Series Events, by bringing its heritage and experience with GPS sports watches. Athletes with a Suunto Vertical or Suunto Race watch can download intuitive GPS maps in three different map styles with important landmarks, contour lines, water, paths and different sorts of terrain highlighted. Maps are available for each UTMB World Series Event, whether you are running the 100K CCC® (Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix) in the European Alps, the 50K Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB® in California, the 100M Black River Peak race in the sugarcane fields for Mauritius by UTMB®… or any other race of the circuit.
The special mapping feature is a smart addition.
Finland/Asia-based Suunto replaces America-based Wahoo as sponsor of the World Series, which could indicate a shift of priorities for UTMB, and an awakening of European-based brands to the marketing opportunities that UTMB offers.
This weekend (February 17-18, 2024) the UTMB World Series kicks off their 2024 race calendar with their Tarawera Ultra-Trail events in Rotorua on the North Island of New Zealand. For super spontaneous folks, as of today you can still sign up for any of their race distances. According to the starting list there are 116 runners from the United States and 25 from Germany competing.
Also on deck for the same weekend, the XTERRA South Africa Half Marathon in Elgin Valley, Grabouw, Western Cape, South Africa.
Find more trail races on ECC’s Global Race Series Calendar.
The UTMB Group currently lists 9 active job openings on LinkedIn, everything from a hospitality manager to a full-stack developer. Just gotta be able to speak French…
Yes, there is more than UTMB and the Golden Trail Series. XTERRA quietly formed a World Series of events leading up to a Championship race. All races are Half or Full marathons, so their focus is the sub-ultra distance. What is XTERRA you ask?
XTERRA is a global lifestyle brand that champions the outdoor enthusiast in their pursuit of relentless adventure.
Not much else on the website about it, but XTERRA also hosts several off-road triathlon events around the world.
I added the XTERRA calendar of events to the ECC Global Race Series Calendar, which now lists 7 global series and over 120 events.
Via Facebook Post:
The UTMB Group strongly condemns doping. This is why, for several years, we have strongly promoted the use of doping controls at our events and have financed them since 2023.
To be totally fair, impartial, and following the recommendations of the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), the tests are carried out by the AFLD (French Anti-Doping Agency).
The AFLD is not obliged to communicate test results to the organizers, so we only learned of the positive test of Stian Angermund – winner of the OCC 2023 – when he spoke on Saturday, February 10th.
As the process is not yet complete, as Stian has indicated that he is currently working on his defense, the results of the OCC 2023 will remain unchanged until the final decision is made by the AFLD.
The Polettis were in Arizona this weekend when the news broke (Michel was running the Black Canyon 60K), I bet they were hoping for one weekend without drama.
The Freetrail + Mountain Outpost partnership continues to grow:
The amazing Black Canyon weekend might be behind us, but fear not, Mountain Outpost is taking the show on the road. Freetrail and Daybreak Racing are thrilled to be collaborating with their team to bring a high quality race broadcast to our events.
The events in question are The Big Alta and The Gorge.
This feels like a direct copy from the UTMB playbook, (and I mean this in a positive way!): increase visibility of your race by investing into compelling live broadcasts and surrounding media coverage BEFORE you address the other priorities that many folks from the PTRA have been asking about.
So there might be a kernel of truth to how the Polettis are investing their cash.
Applications are hosted by Ridgeline Athletics for both the Youth Team:
The annual Youth Skyrunning World Championships were introduced in 2016. The eighth edition will take place in Montenegro at Bar on June 28-30, 2024.
Four categories, Youth A (15-16), Youth B (17-18), Youth C (19-20) and U23 (21-23) will compete for the 75 medals at stake and individual and combined titles.
And the Adult Team:
The 2024 Skyrunning World Championships featuring the VERTICAL, SKY and SKYULTRA disciplines will be held from 6-8 September 2024 in Soria, Spain at the Desafío Urbión. World titles and 27 medals are at stake for Individuals and Official Teams, together with a Combined title based on the best results of the Verticaland Sky races.
Of course, if you want a taste of what ‘Skyrunning’ is all about, come and race Beast of Big Creek, the US’s only certified skyrunning course.
That’s what you get for not actually watching the big game, but I only now saw that Salomon, just like HOKA, paid $7million for a spot during the game.
Via High Snobiety
Two great partners for the Trail Running Film Festival are hiring:
Kilian on LinkedIn:
We’re searching for a Social Media Manager who’s all about the outdoors, and making a difference.
The primary mission will be to craft and implement growth strategies for two channels: NNormal and Kilian Jornet. So, this job is more than just posts and likes.
Sounds like a cool gig for folks who love the ground level hustle, as one of the sections in the questionnaire highlights:
Have you worked on a bootstrap (no budget) project, and if so, what strategies did you use to drive organic growth?
Projects with no budgets are confusing to me, but I assume this means “no ad budget” and not ” no budget for wages”.
Joe Hernandez for NPR:
The man who set the record for the fastest marathon ever, Kelvin Kiptum, died in a car crash in his native Kenya on Sunday, the sports governing body World Athletics said. He was 24.
…
Kiptum shocked the running world last year when he blazed through the Chicago Marathon in 2 hours and 35 seconds. World Athletics had just ratified his historic time this past week.
…
Kiptum died in the crash alongside his coach, Gervais Hakizimana.
Such a tragic loss. RIP.
Yes, the shoe brand paid ~$7 million for a spot in the 2024 Super Bowl.
I didn’t watch it life, but according to some websites this is the spot they aired.
PS: Salomon had one too.
NRK is sort of like the PBS of Norway. This is Stian’s interview with Anders Skjerdingstad translated into English through the translation tool of my browser:
Norwegian world champion confirms positive doping test: – My life completely fell apart
When Stian Angermund (37) came home from the hospital with his wife and newborn son, he discovered the e-mail that turned his life upside down.
We came home on 20 October. We enjoyed being together as a whole family. We were going to bed. I looked at my phone to see that I had received an email that I didn’t understand. When the whole family had gone to bed, I went down to the kitchen. Found the computer. I checked my email and saw that I had received…
Stian Angermund doesn’t come any further before he breaks down in tears.
The world champion in mountain running has, after some consideration, agreed to receive NRK at home in Bergen to tell about a secret he has carried since that night in October.
Bare de nærmeste har visst. Nå skal plasteret rives av såret.
Everyone should know.
The email is in French. The sender is the French Anti-Doping Agency.
- They had found a prohibited substance in my urine sample, he states.
- It was further stated that I am suspended from everything. I am not allowed to run competitions. I am not allowed to be near a sporting event. I can’t run exercise guidance, which I do alongside running. I can get a fine of up to 45,000 euros, he says while breathing uncontrollably.
- My life completely fell apart, he says as tears roll down his cheeks.
Angermund has not been convicted in the case and tells NRK that he does not understand how the banned substance could be in his urine sample.
The French anti-doping agency informs NRK that they do not have the opportunity to comment on doping cases that are being processed, but Angermund has given NRK access to the communication with the agency, including the document that confirms the positive test.
Stian Angermund has for a number of years belonged to the world’s elite in mountain running. On 8 June last year, he became world champion for the fourth time.
On 31 August he won Orsières-Champex-Chamonix. The prestigious run is 55 kilometers long and has a total ascent of around 3,500 metres.
As usual after victories, he took a doping test. It was this sample that was to be found to contain the banned substance chlorthalidone.
- I stood there as a big question mark, because I know that I am a pure performer. I don’t take any medication. I don’t take any supplements. I just don’t understand where this can come from, says Angermund.
And continues:
- I’m afraid. I am being accused of something I know I have not done. I notice that I am losing faith in myself. And I become very insecure.
- What did you do next that night?
That evening a good friend of mine called. I got a lot of supportive words from him. I guess I actually lay on the floor and cried all night.
Angermund says he had never heard of the substance that the French Anti-Doping Agency said he had tested positive for.
- I have read that it is a diuretic used for high blood pressure. It is a performance-enhancing drug. In doping contexts, it is used to hide other substances, he says.
Medical adviser Astrid Gjelstad in Antidoping Norway confirms the description.
- It is on the doping list because it can be used to hide other doping abuse, because when you increase urine production, it can also dilute the concentration of illegal substances, she says.
Gjelstad states that the penalty range is from two to four years’ ban if you are convicted of using the drug.
When directly asked by NRK whether he has used chlorthalidone to hide other substances, Angermund replies:
Absolutely not. I don’t take anything. I know that you are responsible for what you put in your mouth. I absolutely understand that. That’s why I don’t take the supplement. I don’t take any medication. I drink cod liver oil in the winter. That’s it.
Already on 21 October, Angermund engaged the experienced American lawyer Paul J. Greene with the aim of being cleared.
The first thing they did was buy analysis of the B sample. The result was not what he had hoped for.
- The B sample showed the same. I had 41 nanograms in the A sample and 31 nanograms in the B sample, he says.
According to Antidoping Norway, which is not a party to the case, there is no limit value for this substance.
Now samples of the sports nutrition he uses, as well as samples of medicines and dietary supplements used by his partner, have been sent for analysis to find out if any of it could be the source. Based on the tables of contents, there is nothing to indicate that, he acknowledges.
Angermund is also considering asking for a DNA analysis of the doping sample, to answer that it is actually his urine that contains the substance. DNA analysis is not a standard procedure and not something he is immediately entitled to.
The 37-year-old estimates that his personal expenses in the case are close to NOK 400,000, but without him getting any closer to an answer. Instead, he sits unemployed and brooding.
- I would have liked to have found an answer to this. It’s something I really want, and it’s frustrating not knowing. Unfortunately, I think I will never find out where this comes from, he says.
His worst fear is that someone will have deliberately cheated him of the drug.
- I hope it is not, but there is certainly a possibility that something like that could have happened. Basically, I have no enemies in this here. I trust the people I run with, says Angermund.
The fact that he cannot find an explanation is not a mitigating circumstance in doping cases. On the contrary.
- Problems for Angermund or others in the same situation is that the athlete has a clear and so-called objective responsibility for everything that enters the body. Regardless of whether you meant to take it or whether you got it in other ways, you have broken the doping regulations, points out NRK’s sports commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt.
This is precisely why Angermund has now decided to be open about the positive test. He says he considered going public with it only a few weeks after learning of the case himself, but close supporters advised him against it.
He has acknowledged that there will most likely be a sentence and ban, and chooses to get rid of the burden that the secret has been.
- I am terribly afraid of this coming out, but in a way it will also be good to not have to keep this secret, he says.
He fears the reactions, not least because he himself admits to having been quick to condemn others in the past.
- When I was younger, we especially looked at cycling. You have heard that there are quite a few ugly things. I judged people like most others judge, thought they were cheaters. Now that I am sitting in this myself, I understand very well that people can be innocent in such settings, he says.
- I have read other doping verdicts, I have seen how others are treated. So I want to think that I will be able to get a lot of negatives, continues Angermund, who takes action to try to spare himself.
- When this comes out, I have also agreed with some of my friends that they will take over my social media. For a period, at least. I’m just going to put my phone away. Will go underground for a period of time. I am not ready to receive the social judgment in this, he admits.
- What is the most difficult?
- I think the most difficult thing is being seen as a cheater. Because cheating is not something I do. Cheating is not acceptable. You just don’t do that. And I don’t cheat. To be seen as that, I think is absolutely terrible, says Stian Angermund.
I tried to keep most of the formatting and didn’t adjust the structure of the article much, so this, this is really just the output of the auto translation tool of the browser, bear this in mind. I also am just offering this as a service to English language speakers and won’t offer any commentary.
Stian Angermund, dominant Norwegian trail runner over the past few years and winner of the 2023 OCC reveals on Instagram the news:
On the 20th October 2023, I received a life changing email
from the French anti-doping agency, informing me that the urine sample taken after my victory at OCC contained the banned substance chlorthalidone.I’m utterly bewildered. I haven’t used any medications or supplements, nor have I ever taken or misused drugs. Where could this possibly have come from?
I am a clean athlete.
I’m currently in the process of vigorously defending my innocence and proving that I am clean.
I’m not in a place to understand the nuances and realities of doping protocols so I share some comments from folks.
Dakota Jones commenting on Stian’s post:
You’re an inspiration Stian. I believe you are clean. So sorry you have to go through all of this.
Francesco Puppi, who came in second in the same race:
My personal loss is not as important as the loss that the whole sport is experiencing, whoever responsibility it was. I just think that as long as the investigation is not finished, it is not up to us to judge or take any stance. So please be mindful with the words you’re using, if you’re commenting on this issue. Don’t contribute to the unnecessary drama and weight whatever you write and say, with respect towards Stian, the antidoping system, UTMB and all the athletes who were there competing.
I will always stand for clean sport no matter what, this is the only thing I’m sure of. If this is a mistake, it’s very scary to think that this situation could happen to anyone. On the other hand, doubting about the antidoping system and the sports justice (although not infallible) is also extremely dangerous and puts the whole sport’s credibility and fairness into question.
Ian Corless:
I am against doping and those who dope, 100%.
I have known Stian for years. Pure talent. Modest. Honourable and quiet. He is not an ego inflating his chest for glory. He’s a talent who has let his results do the talking.
Is he guilty of this? The A and B samples say so: “I had 41 nanograms in the A sample and 31 nanograms in the B sample.”
Stian is considering asking for a DNA analysis of the doping sample, to answer that it is actually his urine that contains the substance.
Tough moment for our sport but also an important wake up call on our road to more professionalism. Stian’s friends and folks who know him clearly want to stand by him, but also understand that undermining the doping authority discredits our sport and it’s intention to be seen as legitimate and professional.
Late Friday update from Gary and the crew at Coast Mountain Trail Running:
…we have come to a point in the permitting process that has suggested in no uncertain terms, that a 2024 timeline is currently unachievable.
The trail running event that everyone has been holding out for is not happening, and this announcement will shuffle around a lot of racing plans for the year.
Some permits did move forward more quickly than anticipated, and will be finalized in the coming weeks, and we anticipate others will move ahead through the coming months here as well.
Permitting was always the big worry when trying to find enough trails for a full 100 mile event.
We know we’ve got something unique and special to offer the world here in Chilliwack, and with any luck we’ll put that on full display in September of 2025.
If I read this correctly then CMTR is not even sure that 2025 will happen the way they are hoping.
It’s a genuine bummer for the North American trail running community that they weren’t able to pull this off, but I do have to wonder, and I know I’m gonna get shit for it, but if trying build something this massive out of revenge might not be the best place to operate from.
REI just had their third round of layoffs. Prana recorded a 21% revenue decline, VF reports ‘disappointing’ quarter which includes a 11% revenue drop for the North Face, which grew sales in Asia but the US dragged them into negative numbers., Columbia announce layoffs and Mountain Hardware is struggling.
Ooooof, and a couple of thoughts:
Overall the economy is supposed to be looking up. So this feels like the outdoor industry is going into the opposite direction of consumer sentiment. If everything everywhere would be on a downturn the issues would be more on a macro level and could be blamed on outside factors, but it feels like the ball’s in the outdoor industry’s court to fix for themselves.
Thus concludes my absolute inadequate understanding of economics and financial trends. Carry on everyone.
Per Sjögren is the race director of the widely popular, and very wild Kullamannen UTMB race, which according to my insider information is already almost completely sold out, 9 month before race day. Per, on Facebook, responding to UTMB’s official statement regarding Kilian and Zach’s email. (This was a Facebook comment in Swedish, which I threw through the translation tool of my browser):
We think the UTMB series is exciting and the UTMB week is special. But adventure running is so much more than these big races. Visit Transylvania and run a really odd mountain race with wolves and bears in your ass and fantastic nature with friendly people. Costs as much as a T-shirt in some races but unforgettable. Likewise to run a hardcore UK race as OMM 55 year anniversary. Sign up for elite and you’ll get to see hard times among hard runners. Also an adventure called duga. Or why not buy some own maps and do your own group race along your own route with only mountain rescue as support or a local pub owner who might be kind enough to pick you up along a deserted mountain road. Can you guess that some elite runners want to sharpen offers with larger sums of prize money? Many already today receive both travel, subsistence and a free start. We see that some UTMB races now offer pretty good prize money, but it’s nothing for the crowds who come in 12 hours after the elite and get a medal, a drink and something small to eat. In my world, the great thing is the adventure of traveling, meeting like-minded people and sharing an experience along the trails. It could be in Chamonix or a weekend in a deserted Langholm in the south of Scotland with only a village pub, a butcher and a bakery, if you don’t like the UTMB circus there are 1000 adventures to choose from if you just look so I find it hard to see how UTMB would eliminate smaller local races. But the UTMB races tend to be international with runners from all over the world. At Kullamannen we had almost 1000 international runners last time. It might be fun for some to meet these, in conclusion, isn’t it more prize money that the elite runners want? I doubt it will develop the sport. It is like in most other sports, more practitioners widen the base.
Some of this is getting a bit lost in auto-translation world, but the gist of it is this:
Thanks Federico for the link and the translation.
The Pro Trail Runner Association issues statement on their meeting with UTMB:
Our latest meeting, however, marked a significant milestone and saw the attendance of the PTRA Board and more than 40 PTRA members, with the direct involvement of UTMB founders Catherine and Michel Poletti. Athletes had the possibility to ask questions on topics like the structure of the UTMB Group and the role of their shareholders, race acquisitions and UTMB expansion, what went down with the Whilstler-WAM situation, the social and environmental concerns raised after some of the most recent UTMB actions.
This conversation served as an essential platform for deepening our mutual understanding and exploring UTMB’s initiatives more thoroughly, with athletes who could express their concerns, ideas and wishes to make sure that our visions are aligned for the future, which is something we believe will benefit the whole trail community
As we move forward, the PTRA looks forward to building on this foundation with UTMB, working together to address the challenges and opportunities facing trail running and remain committed to advocating for the interests of elite trail runners, promoting transparency, and fostering constructive dialogue.
There are still a few missing pieces here on how we got from there to here, and I hope we will get to the bottom of it all, but for now the words that PTRA chose to use, and sign theirs names under are:
Through continued engagement and open communication, we are optimistic about achieving shared goals for the benefit of the entire trail running community.
There’s optimism in these words. Let’s take the PTRA by their word. They weren’t coerced into saying this at gun point.
Aspire Adventure Running launches Referral program:
The Trail Friends Best Friends program is an opportunity to bring your community on a bucket list running adventure and get the most bang for your buck in the process. When you invite your runner friends on a trip, you help Aspire further our mission to build a community of runners connected to wild places.
Get $100 off your and your friend’s trip if you refer them to run one of Aspire’s trips. Good deal!
New initiative from our favorite event registration platform:
We want to support our local running businesses, welcome new runners in, and share stories about real people who love running. But we’re not everywhere. Join the UltraSignup Ambassador Club and become an extension of our team to help us connect with more of our community.
Applications Open Feb 12-18 for folks interested in repping USU for the coming year.
This is another big announcement coming from one of those little islands in the Atlantic:
Pepsi, a brand under the Ahembo company, and The North Face Transgrancanaria have joined forces to make soda drinks the official brand of the race taking place from February 21 to 25. This event marks the third leg of the international World Trail Majors circuit.
This looks like it’s not a full sponsorship from the global head office in New York, but through a local subsidiary. But nonetheless, it looks great seeing a truly global recognized mainstream brand (albeit the inferior cola) sponsoring a trail running event.
Via the Mile & Stone newsletter.
I’m not usually someone who cares about the prize money argument for elite runners, but since this has come up with UTMB again as part of this week’s meeting with the PTRA I thought I would look at one of the US largest (in total racers signed up) and most prominent races (hotly contested Golden Ticket race): The Black Canyon Ultras presented by HOKA and directed by Aravaipa Running.
We already know that Western States and Hardrock100, two of the world’s most prominent races don’t offer price money due to them being nonprofits. (Is that the official answer?) They also have tiny fields due to permitting issues, but in my perspective price money shouldn’t be taken out of race entry fees anyways so, the number of runners running shouldn’t be the issue here.
The argument for prize money is, from what I am gathering, that elites help put these events on the map, and help grow the sport. Thus it’s fair and right that if the sport should move forward and grow, races should offer price money to allow the top athletes to properly be compensated for performing their craft.
Alright, back to Black Canyons and some numbers (pulled from UltraSignup):
I’m not adding this up, because I definitely don’t think that prize money should EVER come out of entry fees. I am listing these numbers to show that there are really big races in the US. The notion that every race is grassroots with a few dozen folks at a dusty trailhead might be the general picture we’re painting but isn’t true for every event.
So, back to the question about price money at Black Canyons:
Black Canyons pays the entry fee to top runners who win a Golden Ticket to Western States. That’s $425. (I don’t know what happens if you are already qualified or if you decline your Golden Ticket.)
Now to be fair, Black Canyon is part of the WTM and winning the series would make you eligible for a chunk of that price money if you run at least two races in the series.
In comparison here’s UMTB’s prize money for 2024, which is only for the top 10 places in the Finals in Chamonix. Winning other races in the Series qualifies you to run in the Finals, but doesn’t give you any cash.
As I said above, I’m not one to raise a flag and go campaigning for prize money for elites, but I do wonder why Black Canyons has never been mentioned as a race that should be offering prize money. Has the PTRA been in contact with Aravaipa about it? Have elite runners spoken up?
Why not?
Bonus (this post is about prize money, but since I was looking at UltraSignup entry list anyways, I thought I throw the gender splits numbers into the same post):
Some of the best numbers I’ve seen for a long ultra with a large field. Impressive.
Zoë Rom doesn’t just hit the nail on the head, but also gets the timing perfect with her article “How Fan Service Is Changing Running Media“:
It’s not enough in this day and age to just have followers. To really scale up any media pursuit, you need to have fans. When the most die-hard and vocal fans have the biggest say and greatest sway via subscriptions, it can warp the content you’re willing to make.
This really goes way beyond trail running, but in these super polarized times, it’s a great reminder.
Audiences don’t have to file obediently in line. While we can’t change some macro factors that contributed to this lopsided attention economy, we can partially help restabilize it. We can all start by investigating our own preferences and desires and supporting voices that challenge our preconceived beliefs and ideas. We can pay attention to our attention and spend that precious attention more wisely.
Checking one’s own biases is probably one of the hardest things we have to do on a regular basis. And if you never experienced life outside your own echo chamber it’s even harder.
(Update: Some of the screenshots have been deleted.)
Camille Herron is now making great hay of yesterday’s PTRA meeting on Twitter, posting Catherine’s and Michel’s comments, without context, inviting the trolls to pile on. Not even going to repeat here what was apparently said, but I’m giving context.
On page 151 of Doug Mayer’s book: ‘The Race that Changed Running‘:
“In the first years, we didn’t want prize money,” said Catherine Poletti. “It was a question for us of sharing the same values. We decided we’d offer the same gift to each finisher. The point of the race was for it to be fun, not for profit.”
This idea didn’t come out of thin air. The Polettis’ previous experience of awarding cash to winners had been upsetting.
Two decades ago, Catherine Poletti served as the treasurer of the CMBM trail-running club that was part of the town’s Club des Sports.CMBM managed the 23-kilometer Cross du Mont-Blanc, which was already becoming known around the world. Poletti saw Kenyan, Russian, and Ethiopian runners climb the podium and then watched helplessly as they descended directly into the arms of their coaches, who promptly presented her with invoices made out to their management companies. “I knew the money wasn’t going to the athletes,” she said. “It was exploitation.
Honestly, it was one of the worst experiences of my life. I was shocked.” From that day on, the Polettis worried that corrupt coaches would insinuate their way into UTMB. “Maybe not with Kilian,” said Catherine Poletti, “But what about the next one?”
Yes, Catherine and Michel are now being seen as the big bad wolves and Camille’s bad faith posting is adding to the general toxic environment. Congratulations, I bet that’ll get you your prize money you feel entitled too.
How it started: My friend Federico on Mastodon:
Suggestion for another spreadsheet: keeping track of when races fill up. Lavaredo and Alsace as well as Eiger filled up in record time, Kullamannen is almost full, now Mozart is sold out.
How it’s going:
Added a third sheet to the doc tracking sell out times for the various UTMB events.
Apparently I have nothing better to do with my life than constantly refreshing the bloated UTMB website and stalking the various IG accounts of the individual races.
A couple things to note:
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