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Episode 76 with Charlie Hamilton: Hownslow Recap, POTS, and Our Tips For WMTRC!
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Welcome to Episode 76 of Peak Pursuits, your go-to podcast for trail running in Australia and beyond. World Champs week is upon us! So this week Sim and James sit down with Charlie Hamilton to talk about all things World Champs, after a brief Hownslow 17k recap from Charlie and an update from James and Sim.
Hear their thoughts on who the courses suit, who amongst the favourites of each race they think will win, and some crazy stories of athletes backing up! Make sure you follow along and cheer our Aussie team on - watch out on our instagram for streams/results!
***Don’t forget, use code PPP at https://bix-hydration.myshopify.com/en-au for 20% off Bix products, exclusive to PPP listeners!***
Thanks for tuning in to Peak Pursuits! Connect with us on Instagram @peakpursuits.pod to share your thoughts, questions, and your own trail stories. Until next time, keep hitting the trails and chasing those peak pursuits!
Charlie: Instagram
James: Instagram | Strava | Website
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/trendsetter License code: K08PMQ3RATCE215R
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Transcript
Introducing the Episode
00:00:08
Speaker
Hello and welcome to episode 76 of the Peak Pursuits podcast. My name is Simone Brick. Thank you for being here.
Introducing Charlie Hamilton
00:00:16
Speaker
I am lucky enough to be joined by James Sieber. How are we doing, James?
00:00:20
Speaker
Doing very well. I feel quite privileged to be on here two weeks in a row on the main show. Oh, look at you go. I know. Well, I feel like there's been, you've been busy and there hasn't been as many of the interviews that we had so many planned going out, but life has gotten in the way, i think, of it for both of us in many ways.
Excitement for World Championships
00:00:36
Speaker
um So sorry on the, not not as many of those listeners, but we've got a big episode coming first for you this week because I am also joined to chat all things world champs with us by Charlie Hamilton. we doing, Charlie?
00:00:51
Speaker
I'm awesome. I'm stoked to be here. I couldn't be at Worlds, so I figured this is the next best thing I could be doing from home. Pretty much. Pretty much. Just build the hype and get excited for
Reflecting on Hounslow 17K Win
00:01:01
Speaker
it. I can't believe it's only three days away.
00:01:03
Speaker
kind of snuck up. Yeah, I think, um I mean, we all knew how close it was going to be to UTMB, but it really has feels like UTMB's just finished and then we've rolled straight into this. So it's going to be interesting to see how that kind of works with some of the people that have done both.
00:01:18
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Looking at the start list today as I was doing a bunch of research, just there's a lot of people doubling. So will um we'll see how all that goes. But to get us started, because I know it would i would be very, very remiss if we didn't quickly start with,
00:01:33
Speaker
Charlie, you just had a pretty big win or a pretty incredibly fast win at Hounslow 17K.
Race Strategy Discussion
00:01:40
Speaker
How are we feeling about that? Yeah, I'm actually, youre I'm really, really happy. Like, one, I had hoped to get to Hounslow the last two years.
00:01:50
Speaker
ah Neither of the times worked. And two, I mean, like, it's such an awesome course and to be able to win there like you can't take you can't take anything like that for granted so I was super lucky that I like yeah was able to turn up healthy and race such an awesome field and like it's such an awesome event as pretty much all events are at these days are especially in Australia so I'm really happy to get but a nice local win in yeah so I you I would love to hear a little bit about how this panned out because Leo is unbeaten all year so coming in how are you feeling about that get with the whole like we we hyped up the whole Charlie versus Leo conversation going on because I was excited to see how this panned out but how are you feeling about that before going in
00:02:39
Speaker
um I was actually, i was pretty nervous. I mean, Leo is such a hitter. You're right. Like he doesn't lose these short trial races. I don't think he's lost for like the last two years in any of these races. Yeah, pretty um And like I've looked at a lot of these golden trial series races and looked at how competitive they are and then looked at how well he's done.
00:02:59
Speaker
But not only that, like the field was awesome. I'll tell you what, after Buffalo, i was actually terrified of little Paddy Clark. Like, I watched run away from me up Emily's spur, and then I looked at his result. Like, his result over in Europe at World Youth Sky Running was crazy. So I was kind of like, what I'm going to get beaten by this, like, 16-year-old kid. And so, like, the days leading up, was kind of really nervous.
00:03:27
Speaker
um And, yeah, that's why was just really excited for a race. um And, yeah, wasn't – it it wasn't um Quite early on, it was but it was quite fast.
00:03:42
Speaker
And then once it came to the technical section, um I was kind of quite confident that I'd be able to win quite early on, um just with the way that
Breaking Records and Upcoming Races
00:03:50
Speaker
the course goes. But it was still such a great time. And then even still, I had – um Yeah. So, so basically what happened is as soon as we came into the technical section, I just like really pushed and I was trying to get away from Leo. yeah Um, and I did kind of, which, which was awesome and surprising. Like I didn't expect that to happen at all.
00:04:12
Speaker
Um, but then, yeah, I kind of had Benny saints record to chase. Like I, very much knew the splits. And so I wanted, ah that was a big goal as well. um yeah okay So yeah, to get that as well as even, you know, better.
00:04:24
Speaker
Yeah, because the course is kind of flat and then downhill before the up and then flat again. Or is that, is that kind of, or was that, am I getting it mixed up? Oh, you're on, you're like flat on fire roads for the first K and a half.
00:04:36
Speaker
um And then you pretty much roll into like classic blue mountains stairs where it's like stairs down, slats, stairs up, slat Like there's no, i think yeah there was one section that was maybe two minutes of like somewhat flat, regular trail.
00:04:55
Speaker
Um, And that was it like The rest of it is just up or down stairs, really. it's pretty brutal. I was really sore after it, and but not in the classic quads. I was like sore from just jumping up and down stairs for, you know, an hour 20.
Training Insights and Philosophy
00:05:10
Speaker
Yeah.
00:05:11
Speaker
All the stabilizers. Yeah. Charlie, since Transylcaneo, haven't seen you race or anything. What's what's the last four months at nearly look like?
00:05:22
Speaker
and Yeah. Well, so I did Broken Arrow. I went after Translopane. haven't seen him once. Yeah. I went over to America for six weeks or so, um got some awesome training in in Boulder, um and then Broken Arrow went pretty well.
00:05:40
Speaker
um And I came back and, like, I'm pretty ready to, like, yeah, I came back ready to to keep going and and I feel really good and I got a lot of confidence for my last few races.
00:05:52
Speaker
um And then training in Boulder with some of the crew I was able to train with, was yeah really encouraging um and so I've just kind of knuckled down into training I've got Cape Oldstrial Cape Town in about nine weeks um the 50k there yeah awesome so we're in a pretty yeah training looks pretty different at the moment but we're like knuckling down into a pretty gnarly block um and that's another thing look the week of Hounso I did like a full week of training Um, and so I was like terrified to how that was going to go. I did, I did two and a bit hours with like weighted hikes two days before the race. And then I was like pretty scared that I was going to rock up to race day and then not have any legs, but it worked out quite well.
00:06:39
Speaker
Um, so your training's going really, really well at the moment. I'm really excited to get over to Cape Town and, you know, see how that pays off. Yeah, nice. Nice. That's impressive to have such a speedy race off such a, if you were doing weighted hiking and stuff, that um can often sap the speed out of the legs a bit.
00:06:57
Speaker
So that bodes well. And I'm excited you're doing Ultra Trail Cape Town. That is always such a like, what date is that at the end of the year? 22nd. So it's like the week before Cozzy.
00:07:08
Speaker
um But it's such a typical course, which is why I was really happy. Like Hounslow kind of fit perfectly because it's, you know, a technical running race um with really steep climbs and Cape Town's the same, just 30-odd K, 40-odd K longer.
00:07:24
Speaker
Longer. Or which can be mentally zapping. So I'm glad you're putting in the block and the work. That's, um yeah, that's awesome. I'm excited. James, you got any more questions for Charlie?
00:07:36
Speaker
Training up for Cape Town, where does the weighted hike fall into the the training you're doing? Yeah. Like what's the purpose So I started working with a new coach um ah the last probably a couple months ago.
00:07:53
Speaker
And he is like really big on um just like ah muscular, like basically fatigue resistance kind of thing, but in the local muscles.
00:08:05
Speaker
so you think about the end of a ah race when your heart rate starts to drop and it's not, it's not your like aerobic system that's tiring in these races.
00:08:17
Speaker
It's like the muscular fatigue and, and like the specific muscles or like your specific propulsion muscles, basically that start to fatigue. And, and for me, and I think for a lot of ultra runners, that's what seems to slow us down. And even in these shorter races, like that's what was slowing me down at Hounslow. I wasn't,
00:08:35
Speaker
like aerobically tired, it was, that was fine. My heart rate was fine, but it was muscularly like trying to punch up and down these stairs. So um a lot of this like incline stuff and weighted stuff really, really helps with that I've i've been finding.
00:08:49
Speaker
But I think that's probably a whole nother episode. Are you also someone from Evoke? Yes. Yes. it's It's Scott. him It's Scott. um So yeah I'm working with Scott now, which is um really cool. And like, it was kind of, it's pretty indicating after UTMB, you know, like,
00:09:05
Speaker
watching how successful obviously the systems are. So yeah, pretty excited about it. I reckon James, I'm going to let you have free reign on you and Charlie need to put an episode together before Cape Town to sit here about that training. Cause I know you're itching at the bit to ask more.
Training Techniques and Recovery
00:09:22
Speaker
Yeah, there's, I followed, when I first started coaching, there's obviously a bunch of books that you read. The Uphill Athlete is one of them. And then you've been seeing what Scots athletes have been doing. And it is it really is interesting, the whole muscular endurance approach. Like it's what we've,
00:09:37
Speaker
you're kind of doing it and you hear Swap talking about it and fatigue resistance, the durability, there's so many other names for it, but how they're specifically applying it, like you said, locally, not sort of from a more holistic, you start speaking about different energy systems stuff like it's, well, it's clearly working.
00:09:53
Speaker
And I don't think it's just because Tom and Ruth are like genetic anomalies. I think it's because it works. yeah Yeah, And that sounds like Charlie, that's what you're finding. Yeah. And it's funny. I mean, I think trial running is such an interesting sport where,
00:10:07
Speaker
we're kind of an amalgamation of a bunch of different things. We're like essentially the same as 1500 metre runners, whereas also essentially the same as people that go and climb Everest and like true alpinists.
00:10:20
Speaker
So like we're in the middle, just trial running sit. And, and it's what's being so great about this sport is that there's so many different ways you can train for that. Um, And it's it's it's quite funny, you know, like before Western States, everyone was like my friend Kay described it as drinking the Kool-Aid of doing their 200-meter reps and trying to get their fastest mile time because David Roach was saying that. And then now after UTMP, probably everyone's starting to do their weighted hikes. And next year it'll be something else, you know, maybe we'll be jumping off fences or something to try and increase load. Like who knows what it's going to be, but everyone's doing different things.
00:10:59
Speaker
and It's really exciting to see how ah the training so is evolving and getting more specific for you know the specificity of what our sport is.
00:11:11
Speaker
Yeah. and It is like you see it time and time again when we swing from far left to far right with all these things. You look back at the history and there's like the really high volume stuff of Lidia and all the rep stuff. Yeah.
00:11:22
Speaker
I feel like David Roach and and Scott Johnson, like they're kind of like speaking very similar things, but on you opposite ends of the spectrum. And yeah, we're going to see people going left to right. I just hope that everyone listening to all the UTMB kind of fallout doesn't suddenly go and chuck a massive weight vest on and start doing hours and hours of hiking. Cause you do need to have that foundation. And even Scott talks about having the, the like in the gym strength first, then doing the block of on the trails.
00:11:50
Speaker
Yeah. And it's especially if not something it's like, don't go do your six by four minutes on a Thursday and then go out do weighted hikes on a Friday. Like it really is a thing onto its own and it really beats you up. And so um like definitely before anyone goes out and does it, like educate yourself and, and, beware because it it truly like this stuff truly is a different stimulus and it truly can beat you up. So, you know, kind be wearing it. Very like my 23-year-old self when I first trained for my first Uphill World Champs.
00:12:24
Speaker
um I was coming off my 20 to 21 to 22, I was a gym junkie and I had a weighted vest and I did so much weighted vest work in the lead up to, and this is till 2018.
00:12:35
Speaker
Like this is eight years ago now almost. Yeah. um and then as I've seen it come in I'm like oh maybe I should start doing that again like maybe I was on to something back all the way back then yeah I hadn't read a thing I was just going well I like lifting weights in the gym I'm trying to run uphill fast let's go uphill with more weight it might work anyways that's just I think back to my little 23 year old self I had no clue but I reckon it worked Go find that vest feedback.
Struggles with Health and Resilience
00:13:02
Speaker
It'll be deep in the garage somewhere soon. Go pull that out. I actually have it out. I've been doing it ever since, but just not very often. So I've actually, been I've always done it up Glasgow in Melbourne.
00:13:13
Speaker
We always. That's the perfect one. Exactly. It's perfect. um But it does definitely beats you up. So we will have more of this weighted vest chat and Charlie's training chat at a later date when it's not World Champs Week, um because I am just as intrigued.
00:13:29
Speaker
But I am also wary of this episode going for two hours straight if we don't stay on topic. So James, throwing it to you just for a quick life update. Where are you at? How you going? And I hear you're selling a house this week.
00:13:41
Speaker
Yeah. So training wise from last week, not really and anything changed. Like it's it's interesting when you get to this point of the like a bone recovery, like week eight now, I think. That's right.
00:13:53
Speaker
I'm around there. And so I've just started loading up my right leg. which means doing some very, very easy bike rides and like body weight, single leg glute bridges. and And like I've been using it obviously, cause you're walking around and in the gym I'm carrying ah around a weight plate. So you are somewhat loading it, but it does feel like these big milestones that you that you hit. so When you've got, when you look at the, what you can't do, it's really sad. But then when you look at what you can do this week compared to last week, you're like, oh, cool. I'm progressing, which is quite nice.
00:14:21
Speaker
um Yeah, nice. Yeah, the the life stuff has been very busy. ah Yeah. Selling a house, buying a house. It's, I feel like it's good to go through this kind of stuff again just to remember how much extra stress this puts on you. like Emotionally, I am absolutely fried and we're still in the midway of this.
00:14:44
Speaker
yeah We got to... I spent the whole weekend touching up our place for photos um during this week and I got to last night sat down and I just felt like a zombie and you kind of think wow this is like it really you can see why this is one of the most stressful things that you can do but yeah otherwise just kind of ticking along trying to keep head above water.
00:15:04
Speaker
Yeah, nice. Stressful but exciting. It'll be exciting once it's sort of all done. Yeah. Once once everything's exchanged and we're I think our settlement date on the place that we're buying is early December. So it's sort of it's a good time because all the racing is basically done by then. We're coming off the back at that point of, I think, I'm away for four out of the five weekends through October, November for events. And so then you get that that weekend to move in, which will be good.
00:15:29
Speaker
But yes, it's just just a lot. Yeah. Yeah. Very, very fair. Well, yes, we'll keep everyone posted with that. And best of luck. I hope it all does actually just go as smooth as these things can go.
00:15:41
Speaker
They're never perfect, but hey, we'll try. we will try. And um yeah, speaking of zombie, I'll give a very quick update, but I'm not about to. I can't, I won't go to the full spiel. If people do want the full spiel, I have jumped on the YouTube train, fun fact.
00:15:57
Speaker
So, cause I've got so much time on my hands right now. So I will say if you want actual updates from me, then i have a YouTube video coming out tomorrow that will update.
00:16:07
Speaker
But essentially my season's pretty much done. um I'm hoping I can maybe get one more race in and December, but essentially This last virus, so for Charlie, I don't know how much you've kept up to date, but essentially I got sick in, I've had four viruses in two months, so um which doesn't bode well. And one of them was like food poisoning kind of virus. It was just like I had one virus, I so sort of recovered, got another, had four days of recovery, got food poisoning, had two good weeks where actually actually almost three good weeks where I got back to training.
00:16:42
Speaker
But on the tro on the flight home, um i picked up another virus. And that one has completely rooted my system. Like my whole body is just like, nah, we're done.
00:16:54
Speaker
And I've developed something called POTS, which is postural orthostatic tachycardic syndrome. which essentially what it means is when I go from like sitting or lying to standing, um like today at the doctor's office, my heart rate went up by like 45 beats just from lying to standing.
00:17:13
Speaker
And so it's like, imagine in a run and your heart rate goes up by 40 beats suddenly. So as soon as I stand up, I'm like, I can feel my heart racing and I'm dizzy. And that's just standing up out of bed.
00:17:25
Speaker
So no train. I haven't run in like 10, I haven't done any form of exercise whatsoever in about 11 days now. um And essentially, if I do too much in any one day, it's like the same as long COVID, um where if I do too much in any one day, like yesterday, did four hours of work for EMS where I was a medic, but I was a static medic. And all I had to do was stand on my feet for four hours And I was destroyed on the couch sleeping for the rest of the day. And I'm like, well, if I can't even stand for four hours, I can't exactly train or do anything.
00:18:02
Speaker
So yes, that's my update, but I'm hopeful, like it's not chronic fatigue yet because it hasn't been long enough. And doc is hopeful that maybe I give another week or two of like complete rest and I'll be able to slowly rebuild. But from these things, because it's my autonomic nervous system, that's not functioning.
00:18:22
Speaker
Like I don't even want to run because of the heart. The heart palpitations are scary. Like I'm, I go to stand up and I'm like, oh my God, my body's freaking out. So like there's not even an enticement to run at this point yet, which kind of sucks.
00:18:36
Speaker
But um meant I was meant to finish my Sky Running. Like I just today got on all the travel insurance because my next flights were in four three weeks um for the Sky Running World Series.
00:18:48
Speaker
the last three races, but that's not happening. Um, I've just at this point got to give my body however, like there's no timeline with any of this. Like you can go to any doctor and they'll go, ah you go, when am I going to be feel better?
00:19:04
Speaker
And they go when your body kind of decides to, um, that being said, like I'm doing everything I can nutritionally. I've got my freaking Shakti mat out. I had lymphatic drainage massage. I had bloody something called Bowen therapy today, which was kind of relaxing. So ah um um um I'm grasping at straws um in many ways, but I'm also very like...
00:19:31
Speaker
I've had a lot of like my body's been through a lot in its life. So I'm like, look, body, I trust you. We've been in worse places before and we've still come to some pretty high highs afterwards. so it's just, honestly, I've asked that many different doctors and people, like, what did I do wrong? What's happened? And they go, honestly, it's just back to back, really crap timing.
00:19:54
Speaker
And I think it's hard because as athletes, we want to the most aggressive, you know, best path forward. Like we're always like, here are the steps. But if you don't have the steps, like I understand how, how hard that could be, but.
00:20:08
Speaker
yeah yeah yeah and like the the amount of like the toll that international travel takes on your body because obviously not to the same degree obviously but shiv she had four essentially rounds antibiotics in two months and every time we flew it just destroyed her immune system like she just her body could not take it and it doesn't like for her to come back into running we had to do a run walk protocol like she was coming back from a really serious injury because the second her heart started like started getting up it spiked so again not not to the same degree but it's easy to miss these little things that just keep throwing you back into a hole yeah it was just like honestly it was this perfect storm of events where the timing of my first sickness before the first flight I was just getting better and I was like feeling good before the flight but then the flight puts you back
00:20:58
Speaker
And then I tried a race and then I had the gastritis, which put me back. And then I'd get back and it's like the food poisoning or whatever, and that put me back. And then I really did, like the last two weeks overseas,
00:21:10
Speaker
I did that session with Meow. I was going on all of these runs with people. I did a seven-hour run two days before flying home, feeling, like not run, run, walk, hike thing, but still seven hours on feet in the mountains going, crap, maybe I should have run CCC because that's how good I felt.
00:21:25
Speaker
And then, yeah, the flight home and picking up another virus on the flight home, it was just like... Okay, the universe is apparently telling me that we are not doing this this year. So, um yeah, it's it's both hard because you're going, as an athlete, often when you get an injury or something goes wrong, you go, great, where are the things I can change to fix it?
00:21:47
Speaker
And it looking back, it's like, well, the only thing I can change is not go on the trip that I had no idea that any of this was going to happen on. So are you ever actually going to not get on that plane that you've booked flights for? Yeah. Yeah, of course not. Everyone's going to get on that plane. So it's, and then once I'm over there, it was like, you're stuck in this spot. Well, well I'm here now.
00:22:05
Speaker
I may as well stay. And then I just didn't, like, I didn't expect the flight home and then there's another virus to come again. And then it's just like, okay, now it's looked like my doctor has said, look, look at it as a three month rebuild, um, essentially from here. So give it all the time it needs. That's why I'm like, look, there's some hope that I might race in December, but at the same time, my body decides that, not me.
00:22:30
Speaker
Like my head doesn't get to decide anything anymore. My body does. So, which, yeah, the human body is pretty f freaking incredible. And i do like the sort of um thinking that the body never acts against you. It's always trying to protect you.
00:22:45
Speaker
Just sometimes it gets out of whack in the way it's trying to protect you from things. So, It's, um yeah, it's it's an interesting feeling going from someone that can gallivant about at high altitude in the Italian mountains one week to a week later, like, I can't get out of bed.
00:23:02
Speaker
But then going, but there's not, like, especially when all the medical tests, like, nothing was wrong until we did the heart rate stuff. And then they went, oh, crap. um And I was like, well, thankfully, something explains this.
00:23:16
Speaker
um Because for a while there it was just like we have no, like I got discharged from hospital and the letter literally says we have no um we have no explanation for your symptoms. um like that doesn't help guys.
00:23:28
Speaker
It really doesn't help. So so how how are you feeling now the fact that you do have an explanation? that helping you?
00:23:40
Speaker
In some ways, in but in some ways, like my i already knew, like I knew that what I was feeling was heart palpitations, my heart racing. dizziness like and I am like I've done nursing I have a degree in biomedicine I kind of know but then it is it is always nice to have that validation of you're in it because previously like every test they're like no your bloods are perfect you're really healthy and I'm like but I can't freaking stand up guys like I'm not healthy um so yeah it was just nice yeah in that way to go okay here's a validation of that's not right something needs fixing
00:24:16
Speaker
But when you do get a diagnosis where they go, but there's no treatment and we don't know how long it's going to take to get better, you kind of have to go, okay, which in some ways there's no treatment in conventional medicine. I am a big believer in functional and energetic medicine as well. Like I think they all play a good part together. So like I'll be going to my acupuncturist, I'll be like Cairo and like all the things that can help with the nervous system.
00:24:41
Speaker
um when it's nervous system dysfunction. My naturopath, she's on all the good things. So um yeah, there's lots of areas to go to for support. I'm not one that conventional medicine is very good at telling you when you're dying versus not dying.
00:24:56
Speaker
um But when it comes to chronic conditions or anything that's sort of a bit out of the way, I find it's like supportive medicine from like functional sides or energetic side is a lot better at going because they don't look at are you dying or not dying they look at are you actually thriving kind of deal yeah um so yeah it's interesting i was like would have been getting on here kind of positive going i think i'm getting better if it was saturday it's saturday i had the mud day finally after eight days pretty much in bed
00:25:29
Speaker
um I had finally had a day where I'm like, okay, I'm semi-normal, but that's why I did the, still did the work for four hours yesterday. And honestly, today i feel the same as I did last Monday. So it's like, it's almost like one little thing can put you back, feel like it puts you back.
00:25:45
Speaker
ages but and yeah it was also just that whole like when you're injured you can still do some form of training like if I've injured my foot yeah I can swim or I can do this but essentially Doc's like you can go for a walk in the sunshine for 20 minutes and otherwise rest which I can just feel all my strength like whittling away but it's all good we'll get it back so yeah that's my fun times Yeah, that's, that's hard to, I'm really sorry to hear that. Like it's, yeah, it's one thing to be given ah an answer, but when the answer is something like that, it's, it's, it's tough.
00:26:22
Speaker
It's really tough to deal with. I've been through this. Yeah. Yeah. yeah We'll survive. theres ah in In some ways, it's like when feeling this tired, I'm like, oh, look, I'm just in Oz for the rest of the year. I get to sort of, I'll use the time to sort of create some good foundations and do all the things that's going to make next year even better.
00:26:40
Speaker
So i but told myself last year when I came out of the injury that this year was going to be my year. This year I have been uninjured all year, not even a niggle, but apparently my body's decided to chuck, well, a snake bite and then illnesses at me.
00:26:56
Speaker
so Next year, I'll just put everything together, hopefully. But that's the life the life of an athlete. So we will survive and we will truck on.
Podcast Sponsorship
00:27:07
Speaker
This episode is proudly brought to you by Bix.
00:27:10
Speaker
Bix has supported the show from the start. And personally, I'm really loving the big 40 gel. Whether you're just going out for a 60 minute run and want the one gel, you're a moderate carb fueler and have 80 grams an hour, or like myself, you're trying to hit that 120 grams an hour range.
00:27:24
Speaker
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00:27:37
Speaker
And again, the natural flavor, I've always been a fan of that. There's no palate fatigue. The consistency is really nice and thin. It goes down super easy. So I've become a really big fan. If you want to give that a go or try out any of the rest of the range, head over to website, use code PPP at checkout to save yourself 20% off the entire range.
00:27:56
Speaker
And with that, let's get back to the show.
World Championships Preview
00:27:58
Speaker
to athletes that are in much better spots than me right now and athletes that I'm going to in hopefully some part of my soul will be hurting and some part of my soul will be cheering very hard for all of these athletes at World Champs this week, which starts in three days.
00:28:14
Speaker
um So what does it actually start with? I should have looked that up. and ah The first one's the uphill. Oh, okay. Well, we may as well go in order then since this is the order that they're going to be run in. And I will say, when I'm looking at these start lists, there's some notable doubles that I'm like, surely this doesn't make sense, but sort of maybe it does.
00:28:35
Speaker
um So who to start with, the uphill race, that is six Ks with, is it eight? Have you got the stats?
00:28:49
Speaker
990 metres. Yeah, 6K is – 990 metres over six k It says it's got negative 5 metres. So somewhere in there they go down 5 metres.
00:29:03
Speaker
and By the looks of it, it's it's actually got a fairly flat, if not downhill – No, not downhill, just a flat finish. um So almost, so almost VK kind of level.
00:29:14
Speaker
um And I don't know how technical this is. Did you chat to anyone about this course, um James? No, I haven't. um You guys, I'll bring up the the map in front of me and I'll have a look to see if I've spoken to anyone about this course. There's a lot of switchbacks. switchbacks. yeah there is a lot of switchbacks yeah But it also looks like, sorry, Simm.
00:29:36
Speaker
No, no, go, go, go. It looks like as it gets higher into this ridge... It looks like that possibly could be technical towards the in like this last third.
00:29:47
Speaker
It possibly could be technical up there, but I guess we won't know until we see it. geez, if you zoom in on the um and the satellite, you can see the last bit. They actually just cut straight through some switchbacks.
00:29:57
Speaker
So instead of actually switching people back, they make it steeper. But I can't decide, do you guys prefer when a long steep climb has more switchbacks or is more of the straight and you can see a long way ahead kind of climb?
00:30:10
Speaker
Well, I think, to be fair, these switchbacks look almost infuriating. So that'll be interesting to watch. um There's some here that look really tight and there's some here that are bigger switchbacks.
00:30:24
Speaker
So I guess we'll see. I think that'll be and be interesting. There's not that much flat at the start before they get onto the climb as well. Looks like there's about 600 or 700 metres, which I think will be really interesting because it'll mean positioning is really important.
00:30:41
Speaker
in that first little bit. Yeah, definitely. And when it comes to the fields, I'll start with the females. And I've got the sort of rankings and then which for anyone that's listening, the free trial fantasy has a really cool setup where you can see all the older athletes as they're ranked. You can even go in and have some fun picking your winners and those sorts of things.
00:31:00
Speaker
um Otherwise, I run far, have some really good write-ups as well. Maud Mathis comes in as the top ranked. Now, she is one of the people doubling because she's doing the short trail the next day. I guess it's not super uncommon.
00:31:13
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Like it's not what we would do, but it, I don't know. The Euros seem to love that. VK on a Friday, marathon on a Saturday or Sunday. Yeah, this is, with how long Maud's been in the sport, like it's kind of.
00:31:32
Speaker
And also when you think about the fact that she's just done Sierra's an owl come third, done OCC come third. Yeah. what's a VK into a marathon three weeks later. Yeah.
00:31:44
Speaker
The interesting question is, though, is Maud might be ranked number one, but is she the favourite? I don't think so. i think Fillory's and Scout I would put above Maud, I think, in this one. So that's Fillory's in Kenya and Scout Adkin from, ah she England or she...
00:32:09
Speaker
Yeah, she's in Scotland. Sorry, I shouldn't say England because she's actually Scotland but from GB. Yeah, i don't do that, please. Sorry.
00:32:21
Speaker
But yeah, Filleries is who I run far have down as the favourite. and She was silver. She got the second to Andrea Mayer in 2023 Austria. And with Andrea Mayer not coming back, um so they've got her ranked top and their second is Skat Adkin, which I think ah I'd agree with um on that front.
00:32:41
Speaker
And then... ah Another name I'd probably throw in is Arna Gibson. Yeah, I would think of that. She, by the looks of it, a lot of these uphill races that she's been doing aren't on UTMB Index, like,
00:32:56
Speaker
I'm pretty sure she won the American Championships, um which is out on the East Coast. And did she also win Broken Arrow VK as well? Yeah. um So I'd say she's probably...
00:33:11
Speaker
Probably in right form for this kind of race. Yeah, yeah, definitely. I think she's such a strong climber and that was the shortened one for the Broken Arrow VK that she got, but that was also the VK, the like the to get on this team um for for USA. Interestingly, I am just, i've i read when I was reading through the um I Run Far, did you know that there's someone, Janeth Cepangetic, who...
00:33:38
Speaker
ran at the World Athletics Championships in the 10K and she's doubling up at the World at of the world Mountain Trail. As in a week ago in Tokyo. As in in Tokyo, she ran the 10K.
00:33:50
Speaker
that's wow well yeah that's but that's that'll be fascinating actually to see how that translates because also obviously we know like it's potential that it could be hot in the valley very cold at the top and tokyo was very hot and humid for that 10k so a the recovery off that but b the training going into that will be pretty like you're going to be pretty much set for anything that's going to be hot yeah yeah she's run 29.55 before Not in 2024, but I'm like row like, flat speed does translate to uphill, but it just depends like what's underfoot sometimes.
00:34:24
Speaker
Yeah, so I have just compared the two courses from the short trail to this uphill and it is the same. The second climb in the short trail is essentially this uphill course. um Vlad and Blake seem to think that it wasn't like horrible underfoot.
00:34:44
Speaker
Both of them were surprised at how not not technical, but not crazy, not sky running technical that this course is. so But somebody that's got maybe more of a track background and especially if she's been doing more specific work for the world champs versus trail running is probably going to find this very uncomfortably technical and no rhythm. And yeah, I think she'll struggle. So it's still going to favor The Sky, sorry, still going to favour the trail runners, specifically the trail runners that are in environments that are probably more technical and are doing it year-round. Yeah, yeah, fair. Also of note, um Laura Hottenrott from Germany. So she's coming in ranked ninth.
00:35:22
Speaker
She has run a 226 marathon this year, but she's also like ranked ninth on ITRA points. So she's both got the speed in form and um got the trail experience. Ali McLaughlin is in there. now I don't know. Where did she come at Broken Arrow? Do you remember, Charlie?
00:35:43
Speaker
um I don't remember. um Just looking at this Laura Hottonrott, she IGA this year. Oh, nice. She's won a lot of stuff this year. She's on fire.
00:35:55
Speaker
Yeah. And Young for our marathon. She came third at last year, which is but very much an uphill running course. um So it could be in good form there. But, no, I can't remember...
00:36:06
Speaker
Ally McLaughlin. She's always good in this kind of thing, though. um i think Yeah, I know. um Previously won. Sim, I don't know if I'm missing something here. I'm going through Free Trails' list of names. I can't find Ally Mac's name there. Well, she's on the I Run Far and she's on the start list I saw, I thought.
00:36:27
Speaker
um But that, unless her ITRA ranking for whatever reason... No, so she's on the she's on the classic start list here on Iron Farr, but she's not on the up. okay. Fair. I might have been looking at the wrong page for a second there. Then that makes sense.
00:36:46
Speaker
um Then, oh, Oh, well. I swear I'm in the vertical and she's listed, but that's okay. it It actually looks like some of the American women, Lauren Gregory is not on the uphill, ah but she's on the classic course. Okay.
00:37:06
Speaker
So it looks either to be ah quite a different field, actually, or um or maybe they're just not on the ground. Start list for um Fantasy Future. Yeah, it's interesting because, yeah, the PDF start list I've got too also has some discrepancies. It's Sydney Peterson, Anna Gibson, Jessica Briseau and Hilary Allen for USA in the uphill.
00:37:28
Speaker
So it's different again. But either way, I think a lot of those. The the only other one the other one I'll mention, Aurea Liarchi from Switzerland, she's been running bloody fast over 10K this year. I think 32 low maybe was her most recent road 10K, but she was fourth at Ciesan Isle as well.
00:37:46
Speaker
And she's been doing really well. Like um I know her from Golden Trail where she's always done quite well. So um i think Aria from Switzerland would all also be up there. who's We'll quickly stay with the women and you guys give your pick for the win.
00:38:01
Speaker
Anna Gibson. Nice. That is interesting. I'm going to go with Scout. Damn it. I was going to Scout too. Yeah. a I'll go something different and I'll say filleries so that then we have something to hold against each other, James. um just Just to have something else there. And then this is still in the uphill, the men.
00:38:25
Speaker
This one's exciting. But Patrick Kipkano has to go in as the favourite being this, I think he's won the last two. So he's going for the three-peat. um But he is up against Remy Bonet.
00:38:37
Speaker
And then, So I'm just going to jump in. Does anyone know what shape Remy is in? Because obviously he's been injured this entire year. Has he done anything recently? i think I think he's coming in hot. I think i think he hasn't raced very much, but it seems like he's been training a hell of a lot.
00:38:56
Speaker
um And it's Remy Bonnet. on On his day, he's the best uphill runner luck ever. So i guess you don't know, but you're right in that, Patrick. Yeah. you caught You have to back four-man legs. like He's won the last two. You can't really deny that.
00:39:12
Speaker
And then um Andrea Elia, who's from Italy, he's one of the only the he's just listed as one of the only other people that's actually beaten Patrick at an uphill um because he beat him at the Mountain Running World Cup Finals VK.
00:39:26
Speaker
um But that was last year's. So um then Joseph Gray, he's listed as one of the favourites on I Run Far. He's obviously done it before. He's gotten the win.
00:39:39
Speaker
um twice, has he? Or in the uphill maybe just once. um But he's there as well as Christian Allen from the US. s They're the two top two US. Yeah.
00:39:52
Speaker
Yeah, I think Joe Gray is ah one of the most impressive athletes of all time. and When you actually look through what he's done, and I think he's he's in his 40s now.
00:40:03
Speaker
de Yeah, it's just it's it's an incredible repertoire of results. Like world champion. like i think I can't, I heard this on a podcast, but I think it's over 30 times like national champion across different distances and events. Like it is just incredible what he's managed to accomplish. Yeah, he's been doing it for so long. So it's like the old man's strength, dare I say.
00:40:25
Speaker
um but' Like he's got the experience, he's got the strength. So you just, you can never count him out, that's for sure. um Who else have we got that we know of? Zach Hanna, he was fifth in 2022 at Thailand.
00:40:37
Speaker
remember that run. um thailand i remember that run And Alex. I think Lucas. Go. Sorry. Sorry, Sam. I think Lucas Earl, he's like 18. Um,
00:40:49
Speaker
um He won under 20 or an under 23 European ten k championships and he's been doing heaps of gone trial this year. he's He's really fast.
00:41:00
Speaker
I think he could definitely be a shout. Yeah, he's ranked right up there on ITRA. ah There is the Richard Atuya from Kenya as well. I actually don't know what results he's got, but considering his UTMB ranking, I'm going to say he's got a few good ones.
00:41:16
Speaker
um And then the other top ranks, Manuel Innohofer, Dominic Rowley, Elaine Santa Maria. He's been running well this year. I think he's maybe ranked second overall at the Skyrunner World Series currently um or he's definitely in the top three there. So he's from Spain, another one, all of the Spanish I reckon you've always got to look out for.
00:41:36
Speaker
um And then who, ah it was Alex Garcia. He was third in 2022 the uphill. at the world champs and he's running again. So he's podiumed before.
00:41:49
Speaker
Yeah, I think that the names that I'm looking out for are also the people that have just raced ETC and done very well, even though it is, obviously ETC is a loop course.
00:42:01
Speaker
Alain Santamaria, he won it. um Remy LaRue when was racing, he came fifth. Is Cesario Maestri running for Italy? I don't think so. He might be in the class. He's doing the short.
00:42:13
Speaker
Short. Okay, fine. So, everybody yeah, he was second. So, I think Alain Santon Maria was going to be a very interesting name. But if Remy is fit, it's it's for me, it's no question.
00:42:25
Speaker
like he is He is on a different level. Yeah. yeah Although i will say they have one, two, three, four, five five Ugandans. And when they make it to the start line and don't go to the finish line before the race instead, as they did in Thailand, they're usually up there.
00:42:42
Speaker
So I think ah top ranked there is Isaac Kabet because he won their championship. um So as always, this one, i i do love, ah hate uphill races when I'm in them.
00:42:53
Speaker
but I kind of love them at the same time because it's just every second someone's coming across that line. I love how close it is. And it's almost like you just, you never know.
00:43:04
Speaker
Well, you usually don't quite know. i'm going to say usually like the fifth position's back. Often it's the case that someone's having their day out front um or two or three people are having their day out front.
00:43:15
Speaker
But um in terms of there is always the team results and the strongest teams is usually, um Uganda and Kenya
Short Trail Race Analysis
00:43:24
Speaker
quite often win this one in particular, the uphill, um between them.
00:43:30
Speaker
So in terms of teams, okay, give us a pick, Charlie. um I'm going to go full freedom spec and say Christian Allen. Just going to that freedom eagle over the line.
00:43:43
Speaker
Nice. That's a good one. What about you, James?
00:43:49
Speaker
I'm going to bank on him being fit and go Remy. You're thinking stealing money. I surely need to go before you next time, but that's fine. You pick Remy. That's all good. I'm just going to pick Patrick then again because, you know, he's won it twice.
00:44:02
Speaker
I reckon I'm going to beat you both and he's going to win it again. So let's go with that. Awesome. I think a lot of those people are going to be, well, a good portion are doubling up for the Classic. um So when we get to the Classic at the end, we'll – have similar people to talk about.
00:44:16
Speaker
But next race that is on the next day is the short trail. um So there are, as as mentioned, like Maud and I think I've seen a few others doing a double up, which, as we've said, very Euro.
00:44:30
Speaker
um So this one, forty five why is my internet not working right now? um With how much? 3,300?
00:44:41
Speaker
3,000, just under 3,500. Okay. So, 45,000, 45,000. And... You look really excited about that prospect, Charlie. and Yeah, have a look at this first climb.
00:44:53
Speaker
It's like... It's like 1500 metres. yeah Yep. Honestly, every single time I looked at this course, it was just like it sang to me. I'm like this looks amazing um for someone like me.
00:45:09
Speaker
um But then i think there's there's a few people both on the short and the long when it comes to the courses that it It's going to be an interesting mix because I think they've made courses that make picking winners more unpredictable because of the nature of the course, um because of how rough it can get, because of the technicality, the steepness, the length of time it's going to take. Like this this ain't your average 45K race.
00:45:35
Speaker
um It's going to be a very long 45K race. The weather does look good. From what I can tell, I've only actually looked up Canfrank itself, but I think it's a max of 17 on Friday.
00:45:46
Speaker
um So i hope that bodes well for everyone out there um and it doesn't look like too much rain. But then again, this is the mountains. So the weather could turn into anything and it's fraught with danger even looking it up beforehand.
00:46:01
Speaker
um But, yeah, I think this course, is this the second half? Oh, no, James, you said that this is the same as the first climb, but then... no No, so the for for the the long course, they go a bit further down the valley.
00:46:15
Speaker
for the So it starts off running downhill down the valley. ah The long course goes further and then come up a climb. And then they do some kind of random navigating at the top of the mountain, drop down a little bit, and then they pick up the short course.
00:46:30
Speaker
about four and a half K into the short course. yeah um And then they have the final climb up to Amaleta, which is the, this is the section that talking to Kelly, it was a real, real challenge for them. Okay, so that is on the short.
00:46:46
Speaker
That is on the short, but then it gets it then their courses diverge pretty soon after. um you So it kind of it gets up to Amaleta, which is the highest point of both races, 2,500, drops towards river drops down towards a river ah about 1600 meters and then the short course keeps going left down the valley and the long course turns right and goes up the valley and that's that kind of from amuleta down right and up the valley to the next ski resort that was the section that they were really struggling with and a big part was because there's just there isn't a track it's just off trail yeah yep yep which sounds amazing um sounds like
00:47:28
Speaker
Charlie, I'm really intrigued. Like if you had, I've put your name into this and you were coming up to here, how how would you feel about this course? Me? Yeah. know him We know this is like in Sims' ballpark. He likes this kind of stuff. think his face says it all.
00:47:45
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know. No, i mean I mean, probably not quite the course for me, but who knows? Like, You just expect for a hard day out. I think a lot of these people will just, it's going to be less of a race race and more surviving. I think even for some of the people at the front um and whoever survives the best and moves the smoothest will kind of come through. And and like Sim has said previously, like, does it scoot suit Skyrunners more than, you know, a traditional trial runner? Yeah.
00:48:16
Speaker
in a sense, but I guess we'll see. Yeah, that's what I was fully expecting Vlad and those guys to say. But he he seems to be thinking that it's obviously you need to be specifically trained, but it's not as sky running as everyone is making it seem, at least not for the short course. and and And he was thinking that five and a half was going to win this. Now he's thinking five is going to win this. And he was thinking around five and a half for himself. So When it's going to be interesting, obviously he could be wrong, but he has run the entire course. So he now knows and, and Vlad's obviously lives in Perth. The training isn't particularly specific for this kind of stuff. He's been in Europe for the last ages, but yeah, gonna be, it's gonna be fascinating. I've just put the course into Strava and Strava predicts it would take me nine hours.
00:48:58
Speaker
so Makes me feel good about myself. Nice. thanks job Nice. Yeah, I think, yeah, it's, I hope, like, based on what Vlad was saying, I'm like, okay, I reckon this is, it's going to be a like, it always ends up being faster than we think. um I think, especially at World Champs, you put everyone together because these fields are wild, wild.
00:49:18
Speaker
um i Roberto Di Lorenzi, he's coming, he is like the top ranked technically on um on free trail. But I'm going to say like in terms of favourites, Luca Del Perro currently leading the Skyrunner World Series and he's been in form.
00:49:35
Speaker
Alain Santamaria also has been incredible this year. um i also think Davide Magnini is incredible. on a rocket hot form right now. And he just won Giro de Mont recently, which is super techie if I'm not wrong.
00:49:52
Speaker
No, yeah, you're right. So I think i think it's the Italians here that look really good. Yeah, although I will say in terms of the team race, Andrew Blanes, Antonio Martinez and Manuel Mariles for the Spanish team is a strong top three.
00:50:07
Speaker
That's a very strong top three, especially for a course like this because I think it suits all three of them. um considering Blanes was second at Zagama this year.
00:50:18
Speaker
And then martin Antonio Martinez, he's ripping up Skyrun. And Manuel Morales already, or always on um technical terrain is damn good. um Then Stian Angermund, he's back.
00:50:33
Speaker
And he's right he's won it twice. He's two-time world champion. um I know he hasn't been – I don't think he's yet shown top form since his return. Yeah.
00:50:44
Speaker
But he's in the field and he's done it before. So i don't think you can ever really count him out when he's there. um Then who else have we got? Thomas Roach from GB alongside Christian Jones. Thomas Roach is an impressive, again, I think he's in his 40s, but he's an impressive athlete, especially on technical terrain.
00:51:04
Speaker
um from GB, and then um Eli Hemming, Seth Ruling and David Sinclair, all from um USA.
00:51:15
Speaker
how do you like ah How do you like all their chances? Eli's an interesting one. I don't know if we've seen him on a course like this, have we? No, but... I think Eli, I mean, in a five-hour race, I think el Eli could be, you know, one of the best runners in the world over five hours.
00:51:33
Speaker
um And I think they've been out there for a while. know Seth moves pretty well over technical stuff, but don't think he's raced too much tech.
00:51:46
Speaker
but I think you can't count these guys out. Like, they're always really good. um A name, an American name that might... The American name that might not be super shouted is Michelino Sonseri.
00:52:00
Speaker
He's the guy who just got sent to court for cutting a switchback. So... He definitely won't be cutting any switchbacks here, but he got the, he took that Grand Tetons FKT.
00:52:15
Speaker
Well, actually, apparently not, but off Killian. So obviously unbelievable at technical stuff. He could be a shout. Yeah, yeah, definitely. I'm going to give another shout to Martin Nielsen.
00:52:27
Speaker
I actually reckon if he has his day, he's on the podium. So Martin is from Sweden. He's an, I watched him. So he won Tatra Sky Marathon, which 45k, 3,600 up and down in an incredibly impressive time in conditions where the race was canceled because of a storm.
00:52:48
Speaker
And he was like, by the time they canceled the race, I think he was eight minutes up on everyone. And going, I don't even know how that happened, but what, like just watching what he could do at Tatra, which is very similar to this race.
00:53:03
Speaker
Um, I reckon if he has, it if he has a similar day, i put him on the podium. Um, and he's been, he's also won Hotchkernig. Um, sky race Like he's up there in sky running this year.
00:53:14
Speaker
um So he's another like outsider name that I'm going to put well in there. Fred Tranchand, he's coming. um Rui Ueda, these are more people that are just, I think this race on the men's side is stacked. Lorenzo Beltrami. Yes.
00:53:29
Speaker
Yeah. i think like what what's really standing out to me is people ah people are prioritizing this now. Yes, there's still <unk>s countries that don't let you do UTMB in this one and therefore you had to choose or it just doesn't fit in the season. Like for us, it's so expensive to go over there just from the travel side of things. But...
00:53:49
Speaker
You're looking at the indexes of these athletes and it there isn't – maybe shows an hour, yes, but there aren't very many places where you can look and see this level of index and be saying these many names and go, wow, this is – it's really hard to choose. Yeah, yeah.
00:54:08
Speaker
No, I'm with you. It's exciting. I'm so freaking excited, which makes this even harder. up Pick a winner. James, you can go first this time. ah For the men. For the men, yeah.
00:54:20
Speaker
This is really tricky because I do think that CCC see is going to have played. So I really like David Sinclair's chances, but you're, what, three weeks off 100K. So I reckon I'm going to go with Manny Mariles.
00:54:35
Speaker
Nice. I think on this course, it definitely plays into his favour. And when he's on form, he can definitely run with the best. Nice. Nice. What about you, Charlie? are picking?
00:54:47
Speaker
David A. Magnini. Good one. I think that's, yeah, I would so love to see him come back to full form after everything he's had. Like that would just be a win for people, I reckon. um But I'm going to go with Luca Delpero.
00:55:00
Speaker
I reckon if he had to go, I reckon he's going to be like Italy. Italy could go honestly one, two, or one, two, three. Like it's going to be.
00:55:11
Speaker
It's also, I think this is, and correct me if you guys disagree, but it's going to really suit the runners that are able to start calm, be confident about being a bit further in the pack because of how aggressive the first half of this course is.
00:55:26
Speaker
And I think that's where it's going to potentially come in the disservice of someone like Eli, who is happy just to go. Yeah, yeah. But that's, yeah. And again, hence hence why my pick for Manny. But it's it's a fascinating course because it's not just go as hard as you can from the gun. No, definitely not.
00:55:42
Speaker
um Well, yeah, I will say that's why I rate some of the Skyrunners that have also proven they've got speed for the first half and then picking up in the second half. But taking us to the women's, this one, honestly, I'll be watching going this is wild because I'm just going to read some of all the top ranked. We've got Judith Vita, Tove Alexanderson, Clementine Joffre, Naomi Lang, Sarah Alonso, Maud Mathis, Lucille Jermaine,
00:56:08
Speaker
Caitlin Fielder, Carolyn Kimetai. There's um who else have we got? Marlon Osso, Therese Leboeuf, Helen Mino-Faulkner, Bianca Tarbotten, Daniela Omis, Tabor Hemming,
00:56:24
Speaker
Grayson Murphy, I don't know why she's ranked so far down, but Grayson Murphy's in there. She's bloody won a thing before. Takako Takamura, Cecilia Basso from Italy. ah It just, honestly, Patricia Pineda and Callie McChrystal, they've both been doing really well in Skyrunning as well, and Dominika Stelmark from Poland.
00:56:42
Speaker
And honestly, you could just keep going. But, ah yeah, what who are your guys' tops on the women's side? I think Tova Ellisonison is the biggest name here She's like the goat orienteer. So did you see she just won in a course record the Can Frank Marathon?
00:56:59
Speaker
Like she just did it, which I'm pretty sure is a single. Did Yeah, yeah. Like how long ago? Like a a week, two weeks? It says on – so where'd she go?
00:57:10
Speaker
um Can Frank, Can Frank Marathon a couple of weeks ago. She raced – She set the yeah record in 5.39 while taking an 18-minute break at an aid station to get stitches after a fall.
00:57:23
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, I think – I mean, it depends how those stitches go. But if you have a if you have a look at her UTMB index, there's one race out of this – I think this is 15 races that she hasn't won, and that was the Golden Trail World Series final. She came fourth.
00:57:45
Speaker
She's won everything else. Yeah, so – But what similar to what James just said, how many of her races have been this long and she is the one that will go out hard and, that like, the reason she came fourth at that golden trail is because she went out hard and she didn't hold on.
00:58:02
Speaker
Yeah. And like we saw it in Innsbruck against Grayson in the classic, like she went out really hard in that first lap and it was in that second climb where Tove was like collapsed over, hunched, still moving well, but Grayson just straight past, flew. flu and And Tove, like she still held on for second. I think as a name on this start list, she is the one that is by far excited me the most because she's such a good athlete, but we just do not know what's going happen.
00:58:31
Speaker
She runs. It's just like it looks painful. and She's just got like, honestly, she's just got such a high tolerance for just how much it can suck out there, which means that she may hold on, obviously. She's she's always going to give absolutely everything.
00:58:47
Speaker
I think the question is, does she give absolutely everything too early? Now, the fact that she did actually still hold on at Camp Rank, for the course record and it's, I don't know if it's the same course or at least a very similar course, it's in the area.
00:59:01
Speaker
But 5 hours 39 probably gives us a bit of an indication of the winning women's time, which means Vlad might be on point for the 5 hours for the men, um which Yeah, I think it that result alone just shows, okay, maybe she is she yeah maybe she is the favourite and coming in in form for a race of this distance.
00:59:20
Speaker
But, yeah, I would just hope that those stitches aren't infected and, like, actually hold if they were done at the side of a trail um at an aid station um in the middle of a race and they hold.
00:59:32
Speaker
um That's a wild story. Like, only Tove, surely. I've just brought up her results in orienteering from this year. And this is where we need Brody because I don't really understand what all this means. But essentially, it's just it's just first, second, or third. That's all it is. It looks like the duration sort of taps out about 95 minutes. yeah So this will be interesting how she can recover off that marathon because, yeah, that that definitely is is a big question mark. But she's clearly in the orienteering world in fine form. like Her orienteering world ranking is one. Yeah, yeah.
01:00:05
Speaker
so Yeah, for sure. But it's just so exciting. She's got Judith Vita. She's got Sarah Alonso. She's got Maude Mathis. Lucille Germain has been doing amazingly at the Sky Running World Series this year.
01:00:16
Speaker
like She's just got so many people to contend with. Then you put in Grayson Murphy moving up to this, and she's been targeting this for a very long time, as far as I can tell. Yeah.
01:00:27
Speaker
Yeah. I think Helen Mino-Forkner is the name that we've you've mentioned, but haven't given enough airtime. Like she's one that I'm very, very closely watching. We'll get to it, but for I'll go first because I did last time as well.
01:00:40
Speaker
Like she's, she's my pick for this one. um I just, i love her approach. And again, it stands back to what I just said about the men's field of somebody that's not going to run hard out the gun with an ego and can like control themselves.
01:00:53
Speaker
I think she's going to be, yeah, very good. and Yeah, nice. And what about you, Charlie? Who's your pick for the win? um Sarah Alonso. Nice one.
01:01:05
Speaker
Nice one. I think that's a good one. That's definitely a good one. um And she's such a battler out there too. And yes she's Spanish. Like it's a home champs for her. ah Yeah, she's going to be fighting.
01:01:16
Speaker
Like you're just going to see. But I think this is going to be interesting because it's so it's also home for Marlon Osso. And she's in pretty fine form. i'm and I'm going to go with Judith.
01:01:29
Speaker
I think, of course, um also the orienteer, knows how to keep a cool head, knows how to come through the field. yeah I think the orienteering and racing experience paired with the strength that she's got, I think,
Long Trail Race Insights
01:01:42
Speaker
Judith. So there's our short trail and we're quickly running towards the end of the time that we've got. So let's get on long trail.
01:01:51
Speaker
Now, James, you've already done a good um explanation of how this course differs to short trail in that it goes out longer, then comes back, re-meets the same course. This one is a long, long trail.
01:02:03
Speaker
It's, yeah, I don't know how long it's going to take, but just off everyone's reports, it's it's a true very long race. Yeah. yeah It sounds like it's, and I don't know if so since I spoke to Kelly and Ben, if anything has changed with the cutoff times, but it does sound like we're going to have ah pretty good reoccurrence of what happened at Austria and a lot of people getting cut off in this one.
01:02:28
Speaker
i just hope like I hope they have changed that because it's like if half the field at a World Champs is getting cut off, what does it hope does anyone have? Like, yeah, ah either way, I just ah hope they do let people finish the race, especially if it's good conditions and they can get out there. But 81.2 kilometres, 5,400 metres of elevation gain, and on the women's side, Katie Scheid is top ranked.
01:02:53
Speaker
And honestly, can you go past Katie as a favourite? I don't know. Have you guys seen her Instagram post from, I think it was today or yesterday? Yeah, I saw that. It definitely had question marks shooting up. Oh, okay. Yeah, do you know, because it she she was talking about the last week being incredibly hard, but it didn't sound like it was about her.
01:03:13
Speaker
did do and No. No. It was somewhat ambiguous, but she definitely was saying that It will make things harder. Okay.
01:03:26
Speaker
Yeah. So, yeah, I don't know what's going on there, but as I just mentioned about the how much life stress and that emotional toll can take on you, when you've got to push yourself to the absolute max because you're racing the best in the world, it's not something you want to be weighing on you. Yes. No, not at all.
01:03:42
Speaker
that um Yeah, I haven't seen that. So that's that's an interesting update, especially so close to the race. Yeah. um and i don't think athletes tend to not put stuff like that out unless it's a really big thing i'm gonna say yeah yeah like if she's got the post up here it's like this is not my story to tell not my problem to claim so it's clearly not about about her um and in the grand scheme of things just how lucky we are i'm wondering if it's something about jamon her partner um but yeah Like it's all speculation at this point, but all we do know is there's something um which like can be fuel for the fire, can really make it fizzle out. So that'll add some more interest into it.
01:04:25
Speaker
um But yeah, Katie Scheid is, she's at least top ranked, um but the Marion Delespierre, Sorry to all the French people if I got that really wrong. on Oh, my God.
01:04:37
Speaker
No, she's from France. Yeah. yeah She's the defending world champ from 2023. So she's out there defending. And what's she done recently? She was third at Laboreto um And then they don't have any many other results for her for this year. So third at Lavarado in a tough field is good.
01:05:00
Speaker
um But then, yeah, there's not much more indication of form there. Katie Scheid, when did we last see her race? Obviously, she has an arm, which was impressive. Yeah.
01:05:12
Speaker
That was her last one because she was coming off hard rock. Yeah, okay. Yeah. And then she also won MIUT. um Also on the French team, Anne-Lise Rousseau, um she won at Transvolcania. So you must have seen her there, Charlie.
01:05:28
Speaker
um um I didn't see anything at Transvolcania. There was too many clouds. Yeah. Fair, very fair. um But a win there certainly sets her up well and she's had heaps of really big wins second at Hard Rock.
01:05:43
Speaker
Like I think people that have done well at Hard Rock might just really like this course. um I will say I'm going to call this a smart move and I'll be interested to see how she does go. Martina Milnacic, she was in the long course.
01:05:54
Speaker
She's gone down to the classic distance saying that she feels that's better after the recovery from CCC. So she won CCC and she's still racing, but she's racing classic instead of long trail.
01:06:05
Speaker
So, yeah, um that may be a very smart move. However, second at CCC, Sylvia Nordsgar is running. So, It'll just depend how much CCC took out of Sylvia, but she's very good on this terrain um as well as Hilary Durati, very good Skyrunner and very good over these distances.
01:06:24
Speaker
An interesting one, Katharina Hartmuth, third place at UTMB, wasn't she, think? She... I'll get her. ah She was, yeah. Yeah, third place at UTMB and third place at Hard Rock so far this year.
01:06:40
Speaker
And she's backing up the long term. So... She also, was she? Was she, so has she seconded? Yeah, she was second in 2023 at the Long Trail in Austria. Yeah.
01:06:50
Speaker
So she's got the pedigree. I just wondered, does she have the legs after that season? No. i ah you know You never want to wish bad on anyone, but like I don't want the level to be set at that, that you can go and do two 100-milers and then win the world jumps in the space of like three months. Yeah, I hear you.
01:07:12
Speaker
And credit to it. Obviously, ah everyone has their own recovery windows and they have like the track the history can dictate what they can do now. But... If she can, and you've got to assume that that isn't the optimal way to build into world champs, maybe it is for her.
01:07:27
Speaker
But if she can do it, imagine what she could do with maybe just 100 miler in her legs. Oh, I know. Tell me, like, I'll be interested to watch what what she does. Like, even if she's in the top 10, I'm going to be like, okay, you're insane.
01:07:39
Speaker
But that's awesome. But also, how? um But yeah, that's an interesting story for people to follow along. Ida Nielsen. Yes. Oh, sorry, were you going to say something else, James? Yes.
01:07:50
Speaker
All i was going to say I just find it really interesting interesting to see different countries' approaches to like how you can run and what you can run. Because like Australia is not alone in saying that you can't race within a certain period. The US didn't say that, but they openly said that like their selection criteria did take into account. Did they think that athlete could do the backup? Yeah.
01:08:11
Speaker
And then you have countries like Germany who clearly don't care at all and are like, yeah, 100 miles a great warm-up for another 80K. Yeah. i just find it really I just find it really interesting. Yeah, for sure. It's like I wonder how big the German team is um in terms of is she alone on on the team for this race or is there others in there? There's Rosanna. Oh, Rosanna Bouchard. Okay, of course. Yeah. Yeah.
01:08:36
Speaker
And then you've got Eva Maria Sperger and the either Sophie Hengman. Okay, so they've got a full team. So I suppose she it's only three that score though, right? Yes.
01:08:47
Speaker
Yeah, they've got a full six. They've got two more pro now as well. I suppose sixth runner. like It's like if she has a if she has her day, she's going to score really well for the team. If she doesn't have a day, the team's there. So like i can see that I can see it. When you're going to send a full team, it's almost like but why not um send the one that's got the most credentials even if they're tired.
01:09:07
Speaker
Let them have their day if they're going to have their day. But Yeah, other contenders, Eden Nielsen from Sweden. she's um She was second in 2022. And what did she do She did Western States and placed fourth.
01:09:19
Speaker
So... She's had a bit more recovery time from Myla and i think that bodes well for form coming into this oh and already having come second before.
01:09:30
Speaker
um Martina Valmosoy, she was third at Transvalcaria this year. um And then Jennifer Lichter from the US. I don't know if I've seen her at a race this long though, surely. She's not done. No, I just heard her on a podcast with Dylan. She said she's stepping up.
01:09:46
Speaker
But I think she could be really good at a course like this. I really back her. Yeah. i If anyone out there wants to listen to a podcast episode, listen to the what that Jen Lictus episode on Free Trail. It was an incredible lesson. Yeah, nice. Just an incredible, incredible story.
01:10:02
Speaker
But yeah, I agree, Charlie. I think even though she at this is her stepping up to the 80k distance, well, she did Templier, but like a technical 80k distance, I think she's going to be one that's been fascinating to watch.
01:10:15
Speaker
Sim, who's your who's your pick for this one? Far out. My pick... Or I'm going to go, oh, she might be too tired. I would love to go Sylvia. um But.
01:10:26
Speaker
thought you were going to Katharina. No, I'm not quite that. That's that's a little too tight too too tired for me. um jeez. That's a hard one. I'm going to say, I'm i'm looking at the wrong bloody thing.
01:10:41
Speaker
or Esther Chilag's in there too. Fire out Sunmaya Buddha. It just keeps going. I'm going to go Ida Nilsson. and interesting I'm going to go some eye builder.
01:10:52
Speaker
Although tried to go. Katie tried to go past her. But now you've put doubt in my mind. So she's either going to win or, yeah, she probably will still win. Go, James.
01:11:07
Speaker
i'm definite I've definitely got a bit of recency bias because I'm listening to her episode not a long ago, but um I'm going to go Jen Lichter. nice Nice. Now, quickly on the men's, ah Jim Wamsley and Francesco Puppi are the two top rated, but both of them have said this course doesn't suit them, interestingly.
01:11:24
Speaker
It's the veg sandbagging. so Yeah, it's Jim Wamsley, let's not forget. he doesn't really lose unless he loses himself, you know. This is very true. However, Christian Monogio was not actually that far behind him at OCC. so yeah yeah Yeah. He's also running for...
01:11:42
Speaker
And the reigning sky running world champ in this ultra distance. Yeah. I think another big name on this is Peter Frano. Yes. Yeah. I think he can do anything in a technical course like this.
01:11:54
Speaker
Could really, really suit him. Definitely. Other names of note, Caleb Olsen, Western States winner. Peter Engdahl from Sweden. um He's done everything, I feel like. andrea Andreas Reitera, also for Italy.
01:12:08
Speaker
um can't remember what he did, but he's done something incredible, I swear. um this is This is my research. He's been second at CCC a couple of times. Yeah, okay. um He's been second, yeah.
01:12:19
Speaker
Yeah, Vincent Bouillard, I'm not – after he DNF'd at Western States and I'm not sure he's raced since, but he's in there and he – I don't know if I've seen him on this technical terrain though, but yeah, not sure how much that – I mean, we hadn't seen him before so who knows? Pretty much, yeah, true. Oh, that's right. Andreas came second 2023 and third 2022. Yeah.
01:12:44
Speaker
So when it comes to the world long champs trail, he's a performer, like he performs. Very good. For Italy. Benjamin Rubio, I should definitely mention because he's the reigning champion from France coming back to defend.
01:12:59
Speaker
so ah I know if you guys remember watching that one. That was a dominant performance as well. yeah Yeah. So this one's another hard one to pick. Who are you going with, James? Well, there's one. So i don't think he's going to win, but another name that's been i found him really interesting this year is Bogdan Damian.
01:13:16
Speaker
um He's a where is he from? Romanian athlete. Yeah. And i think on this type of terrain, he could be be fascinating, but he's been in the whole Golden Trail series. Yeah. Yeah.
01:13:29
Speaker
Yeah. So I don't know. I'm just looking at his results now, what his history is like. he's got He does have some options of So here's an interesting one because this can't be right, but on the PDF and on Free Trail, I think on Free Trail too, but he's listed in the Classic and the Long Trail.
01:13:48
Speaker
But he's in the Long Trail the day before the Classic. You can still technically do both. He does both. That's a double that I'm like, surely not. Yeah, and there's then there must be either he was, he like, I don't, I don't know what the stature of Romanian athletes are like, but potentially he just got accepted into both and he hasn't been pulled off. So if he is running the long trail,
01:14:12
Speaker
You look at his results from this year, it's really quite fascinating. He has or eight or nine races. A lot of them are the Golden Trail, but then there was a 70k in Romania with 4,000 meters that he ran in seven hours.
01:14:26
Speaker
And then he did OCC and came So, but when I was watching him, he's very good on this. on Yeah, definitely. So he was very, very smooth. And I think anyone that's coming from Scandinavia is going to be one to watch on this sort of course. But who am I picking on this?
01:14:47
Speaker
I think... it's It's really hard to go past either Jim or Francesco at the moment. make them with Jim is Jim. Francesco is having an incredible year.
01:14:58
Speaker
um But I'm going, this is so tough. it won um I'm sorry, I'm getting there. I'm actually going to go with Christian Minogio.
01:15:11
Speaker
i
Classic Race Course Overview
01:15:12
Speaker
I'm probably going to eat my words there because if it like Jim Jim and Francesco are much better at runners but he'll he would have taken a lot of confidence I would have thought of being that close to Jim granted like maybe not Jim at 100% but on this style of terrain yeah fair yeah Charlie who do you pick Jim Jim wins any race he starts yeah except for he didn't win Broken Arrow no he didn't yeah Yeah, true, true.
01:15:44
Speaker
No, I'm going. i will i will then just take Francesco because as much as he says this course doesn't suit him, I think he's such a like, A, he's very hard on himself. So I think when he says it doesn't suit him, it's just going to be harder for him to win um essentially harder for him. But I think him and Jim are fairly similar runners, but I'd almost put Francesco maybe ahead on technical. I don't know. But I'll take Francesco out of that one.
01:16:11
Speaker
Which leaves us one race left, um if you've got time, James. I know we're a little bit over. no um But we have one race left and that is the classic, which short, sharp, fast.
01:16:23
Speaker
Is this a double loop again? Have you looked at this, James? I haven't looked this. think it is still a – I'm looking at it. I'm about to look at it now. I think it's still a double loop um course, which they like to do for the spectators. So through the city.
01:16:39
Speaker
um Twice. Let's have a look. Where's – I do like – the website has – yeah, it's double loop. They they have – a website has – Really good maps.
01:16:51
Speaker
um So they essentially do the same... Oh, no, they do a different climb. So the two climbs are slightly different in the direction that they approach them from, um but the descents are the same.
01:17:04
Speaker
um So... They'd come back into town at halfway or back close to town, not looks doesn't look like right in town, um and then to the finish. So there is a flat section in the middle that goes for, like it's flat until, it's flat for the first K, and then there's a flat section in the middle that goes for about a K, and then it's flat for the last K.
01:17:26
Speaker
Everything in between is where they get their 775 metres over 14 k's. So what's that? Three flat k's, 775 metres over 11. So the rest of it's like steep, but I'm going to say that's going to be fast.
01:17:44
Speaker
um And there's lots of switchbacks again um in one of the in the part of the climb they do twice, but at the same time the descent also lots of switchbacks and lots of tight switchbacks on the descent, at few.
01:17:58
Speaker
least of few It's an interesting one because ah from all the courses, like this this does, at least from from looking at the profile, look like a very good classic course. Like the ah climbs are roughly 3K long, 350 meters, so it's what, 12%.
01:18:15
Speaker
It means that you're going to be running most likely every step unless there's something ridiculous underfoot in here. And it's going to be a proper classic race. Oh, yeah. That's certainly what it looks like. I haven't heard anyone talk about this course and um I haven't actually – got any insights on that front.
01:18:30
Speaker
But just on the stats, I think you can see that it looks like it's going to be bloody fast, which means it's interesting for who then you put down as favourite.
01:18:40
Speaker
um The top ranked is la on the women's side. I'm sticking to women's. um Lauren Gregory. who actually do put right up there on a course like this. Also from US though, Anna Gibson and Ali McLaughlin. I'm going to put prop like Anna seems to have the number of Lauren um on these sorts of distances um this year so far at least.
01:19:02
Speaker
But then outside of them we have Martina Milnacic. She comes in second ranked. I'm not sure she'll have the legs and the speed after CCC. um for this sort of course. Like I just don't, I think this is a course and it's so fast, you you need to come in fresh. Like you can't get away with not having your top end.
01:19:20
Speaker
But then Scout Adkin, Joyce, um is that Joyce Muthoni? Is Joyce and Jero and Joyce Muthoni the same athlete?
01:19:31
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. Oh, I do have that right. So Joyce and Jerry, Chris Mel de Waal from France, um And then Valentin Ruto, also from Kenya, who's been ripping at some of the golden trails.
01:19:45
Speaker
um Athlete mentioned already, Orioli Archie from Switzerland, who I think will be right up there based on recent form. um Who do you guys have? Well, was going to a question for you both, but Charlie, I'll go to you first.
01:19:59
Speaker
How much do you think running the uphill is going to impact the people doing the classic, if at all? I don't think it will affect that much at all. I don't think at all. I don't think like i think um especially the uphill, like, yes, it's a big aerobic effort.
01:20:16
Speaker
But you won't have any muscular damage and that would just be out to hang out. i think And I think the people that do this are very good at doing these back-to-back efforts. So I don't think it will affect them much.
01:20:28
Speaker
But it is interesting. i do think it's very interesting if Ali Mack and Lauren Gregory and Joyce and Jayru actually ah doing just the classic and not the up.
01:20:39
Speaker
Like I find that an interesting choice. Whether that affects the race or not will kind of to be seen. but Yeah, fine definitely. I think Anna Gibson showed. I think that because the classic up, down, and then the Broken Arrow VK weren't far apart um when she won both of them back-to-back. So, um yeah, and then Scout Adkin, like she's been doing back-to-back World Mountain Running Cup races constantly. And then Joyce, she's used to the Golden Trail backup, which I think a longer race a week apart is worse than an uphill
01:21:13
Speaker
Although she's not doing the uphill, so that doesn't matter. So that's interesting. um Yeah, because Joyce, like we're just looking at I Run Far, they've got Joyce in as the favorite, which, yeah, I'm going to put Anna right up there.
01:21:29
Speaker
Anna Gibson. Yeah, I think on this course, I think I'd put Joyce. Joyce, okay. Yeah. What do you like of scouts' chances on this sort of course?
01:21:44
Speaker
not steep enough, maybe? i don't know. Yeah, I think it's it's just it's such a different, being able to hurt yourself uphill for that long and to have that aerobic capacity to do so versus being able to deal with the up-down, up-down nature of this.
01:22:00
Speaker
Plus then you added the switchbacks. I just think that someone someone like Joyce is potentially going to have the ability to manage those variables a bit more, whereas the the uphill champs is just literally run as hard as you can to the top of the hill.
01:22:14
Speaker
Yes, it's the same thing in any race. like You run as hard as you can to the finish, but I think when it comes to like the tactics, yeah I've seen Joyce do really well in that perspective. that second climb can absolutely destroy you if you've gone too hard on the first climb and descent. like It's the second climb.
01:22:30
Speaker
that often separates people and shows you who's the winner. But then if people are still together at the end, they've got 1K of hard, flat running to deal with. um And, yeah, you're right there. i would Joyce, I think she's just got the speed.
01:22:44
Speaker
Like she's got so much speed at the back end. So um you are probably right. Who's your pick then? um Are you going to say Joyce? Yeah, um um I'm going to and say Joyce, I would really love to see Ali Mack have a good day.
01:22:56
Speaker
ah feel like it's been it's been a while and she is a past world champ, but that's just my honourable mention. But yeah, Joyce for the win. What about you, Charlie? Anyone that you're looking for? Well, I went Anna in the up. I'm going to go with Lauren Gregory. Nice.
01:23:10
Speaker
I think she's got the dog. Yeah, especially if she's a she's targeting just this one. Oh, you've both taken the faves. Even though I just said I'm not sure, I reckon maybe I will then go.
01:23:22
Speaker
I reckon she'll either be in front or behind them at the scout, Adkin, because even if she's not winning, she'll be bloody close. um She's never far behind if she's not at the front. So that's a pretty safe bet.
01:23:35
Speaker
Then on the men's side in this short distance classic, we have, look, Philemon Curiago, um don't know. ah feel like he's done so many. He's had so many wins this year. But just behind him, Michael Cilello, also from Kenya.
01:23:52
Speaker
Paul Machocker, also from Kenya. Cesare Maestri, he comes in as fourth ranked. um We've already mentioned him. But Manuel Innerhofer, Lucas Earl, like all very similar.
01:24:03
Speaker
Jan Torella I didn't see in the uphill. So he's got to be only in the classic. um And then, look, Damien Bogdan is actually ranked quite high, but if he's done the long trail the day before and then tries to tackle this course, honestly, good on him.
01:24:21
Speaker
Just go for the bats back when. Oh, no. If someone managed to pull that off, that would be one for the freaking centuries. But this keeps going. Jacob Adkin, like he's there. He's Scout's brother, I think.
01:24:33
Speaker
um Yeah. And then, yeah, Mason Coppy from the US as well as David Norris. um Who else have we got? check Charlie, anyone else you've been looking out for on this one? Yeah.
01:24:47
Speaker
ah Down a little bit, Remy LaRue and Mason Coffey and David Norris, like some US-Canadian base runners, I think can do really well in a race like this. like Those guys are properly good.
01:24:58
Speaker
Yeah. Especially Remy Leroux. Yeah. Yeah, I think, as I said, the people that have just done ETC, well, obviously different fields and everything, but those are the names that I'm really looking at. So Remy and Tijeri, I think they're definitely going to be featuring probably both both top fives.
01:25:19
Speaker
um But i
Focus on Australian Athletes
01:25:21
Speaker
think I think you read out the the main the main ones that are going to be going. and Like it's, Philemon is having a good year. Oh, is he ever. he's He's a very impressive athlete. like he's And I think it's easy to forget how young he is as well.
01:25:36
Speaker
So every every race is experienced. Every race he's working out that he can push that a little bit harder. He's improving his tactics. And I just get the impression that he wants it more. Like he's he's kind of moved out of the shadow of Patrick and now he's like, no, I am the one. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:25:52
Speaker
And i I love that confidence. Like I like ah i like to see people race with them with with a bit of ah like an inflated self, like ah with an ego, because you you have to, you can't be competitive if you don't believe in yourself.
01:26:04
Speaker
And that's what comes across as as like some people for arrogance and stuff. But just listening to him speak and it's obviously, he's so softly spoken when you're watching the Golden Trail stuff, but you can just tell in the last year, there's been a bit of a change of- ah Trust me, in person, he's always been, he's always, he's very fun to be around.
01:26:23
Speaker
and they loved playing it up with the the patrick and philemon thing he's a lot of fun yeah um and the the other think the interesting through line here is although i've just said two names i think could will be in the top five i'm actually wondering how many kenyans could be in this top five because the whole every time they see them into the golden trail they are incredibly fast to halfway yeah And then most of them blow up.
01:26:47
Speaker
But this is only 14. forty yeah And so going to say blow up, like finish in the top 10, not out. But so I do think that's going to be interesting is is actually like how how how East African dominant is this top 10 going to be? Well, there's four ranked inside the top 10 based on rankings. So i think yeah I think it's fairly safe that four of them will be in that top 10. But I'm going to go first and still fill them on off both of you because...
01:27:13
Speaker
I know I'm sort of, I've met him at least. I'm claiming it. But who are you taking then, James? I'll let Charlie have this one.
01:27:25
Speaker
um I want to say bogged in Damien after he's come back from his four other races. um I'm just to go Suzanne Maastri. I think he's really good. He's usually really good at these kind of races very specifically. doesn't look like he's doing uphill.
01:27:42
Speaker
Could be a shout. Yeah, I'm going to go Remy LaRue then. I would have gone Cesare Maestri, but yeah, I'll go Remy again form. I think it's going to be and it's gonna be it's gonna be fun to watch. like ah Historically, I've been more interested in the long and the short trail, but the the uphill and the classic teams are great. And it's such an intense race.
01:28:04
Speaker
It's just brilliant. So it's going to be a very exciting weekend of racing to watch along. It sure is. Just to finish this off very quickly, obviously bringing it back home to our Aussies. um And I think from what I could tell, and this is just based on free trial, which is off UTMB indexes, our top ranked um in terms of the fields is in the uphill Lara Hamilton.
01:28:27
Speaker
She comes in ranked 22nd. um And she has come 26th in Thailand. and No, she went not in Thailand, in um Austria.
01:28:39
Speaker
So if she can improve on that, like I would love to see Lara break into that top 20. um And I think based on her uphill form recently, especially in the uphill, I think she can. um So ah think in terms of women, she would have to be our top ranked in terms of trail results.
01:28:59
Speaker
um Also on the classic distance team, which is also the uphill team, we have Jess Ronan and Emily Bartlett. Emily's a debut debutante and we haven't seen too much of her on the trails, so think this is going to be great experience for her. Jess Ronan, we have seen before.
01:29:13
Speaker
She's an incredible um short distance trail runner. I should look up her best result, but They're the three that you're looking out for on the Aussie side for both the uphill and classic mountain on the women's.
01:29:25
Speaker
On the men's, geez, I'm going to be interested to see how Fraser Darcy does. Did you just see did you see that he just won City to Bay half marathon like two days ago? So he raced the half marathon like, what, four day five days before the race in Europe?
01:29:40
Speaker
So sometime between there he's flying over. um serious yeah so And he ran minutes flat. Um, so like not that fast for him, but also fast enough ah coming off the back of Sydney marathon.
01:29:56
Speaker
Yeah, they you just run a 217 and then you just go knock out a half marathon and then flyer fly to Europe and run. uphill and the up down. Like honestly, I don't know. Yeah, it'll just be interesting to see how he does off legs, possibly very tired legs.
01:30:12
Speaker
Ian Best, I think, in the uphill and Michael Kernaghan, I'm super excited to see how they go. um Nathan Pierce is also in that team and... has the experience. I just hope he learned from last time's experience, especially I think it was the uphill where he was fifth behind all the Ugandans at 1K and then slowly learned that wasn't a good place to be that at that point in the race um as he drifted backwards a little bit. But I think he's gained so much more experience since then.
01:30:42
Speaker
um and in the Charlie, it looked like you had something to say when Sim mentioned Ian and Michael or it just a reaction? Oh yeah. I was doing some running with Ian for a bit here. He, um, he's flying. We're in, in Canberra. We have a lot of the, um, like a lot of the clients here. Some like really good runners have done, especially you say at the back of tenant.
01:31:01
Speaker
See if you you've run up there where you had the old Australian mountain championships that like you've had, we've had some really incredible runners on and Ian is flying. Like he's putting down some legit times.
01:31:13
Speaker
Um, and he's running really strong. So I think, I think he's a shout. Plus, he's really like he's nailed on a lot of things you have to be nailed on. So I back Ian, actually. Yeah, Ian's one and he's got in he's got international experience in uphill races.
01:31:26
Speaker
So um i think he'll know how to hold his head, hold his hold his nerve and come home strong. So um i would not put it past him to be the top Aussie on the day at all. ah Michael Kernaghan, it's his debut as well. So i just we just haven't seen him on this sort of stuff. But the way he climbed at Donna Double, honestly,
01:31:43
Speaker
um if he can If he can emulate that at all, he'll be doing pretty damn well. And then it's this exact same team in the classic um up-down other than Ian being the uphill specialist.
01:31:55
Speaker
He's out of there. um So it's Fraser, Nathan and Kernaghan and Michael. So... Then in the short trail races, Billy Curtis is our top ranked in the men's and I think this course probably will suit him.
01:32:10
Speaker
But I don't know if we've seen him race since Wandi, maybe? Yeah. I don't think he's done anything since. But, yeah, I'd agree about the terrain. suit However, Blake Turner, like Blake was ahead of him at Wandy until he took the wrong turn.
01:32:24
Speaker
And Blake has been flying this year. So, um yeah, Billy Curtis, Blake Turner, and unfortunately, and then Vlad, because Brady was in this team. um So it's the three of them. Three to score, right?
01:32:37
Speaker
yeah hopefully Hopefully we get a team score if they can all get across the line in these sorts of terrain. um You never quite know. But then Trish McKibben, Jess Jason and SJ Miller are on our women's side. And damn, I ah i think Trish has, has SJ, SJ's been in the world champs before?
01:32:58
Speaker
SJ's been in the Sky Running Champs back in 2015, but never the World Trail. so Trish has experience there. Jess, obviously she was there and on the team, but didn't get to race in Austria. So this is a debut for her in terms of this sort of race, um which I think then for Jess and SJ, like it's it's a lot of gaining experience.
01:33:19
Speaker
um And then Trish, um she's been there before. I would love to see how she comes through the field. um i well yeah i think i think trish is speaking to her trish i'm really excited about like she's got a lot of things that are dialed in now she's overcome her historically she's had with her gut and speak speaking her recently like her training has gone very very well i usually went on ah run with jess sj in bright and sj just came back and was like damn trish is in love that so Yeah, I think a good one for Jess to get some experience. I think SJ's kind of, this is a celebration of getting back to the start line after a tough last 18 months. And yeah, I really want to see that team do well.
01:33:58
Speaker
Yeah, and all three of them get across the line. that would That's definitely, and I suppose this, we haven't actually given the update. So Mia Noble, who people may have listened to her episode um where I did an interview with Mia, she was also on this team, but unfortunately she has got a fracture in her foot.
01:34:14
Speaker
So she is no longer racing. So this is again, a team of three. suppose that it just shows you how hard it is to make it to these start lines um with so always there's a few people on every team that doesn't quite make it. And that leaves only our long trail.
01:34:28
Speaker
On the men's side, Ben Burgess, Matt Crean, Andrew Gaskell, Thomas Dade. Ben, I'm excited to see. I'm so excited for Ben. I've been talking to him a lot whilst he's been over there and he's just like, he's making the most of a year of not working and living overseas and yeah he's just going from shape to shape. could be an absolute surprise packet for us. Like, um and I think he's he's certainly an example of someone that knows how to stay stay their ground, hold their head, come through and like just stay positive throughout. But um yeah, Charlie, have you chatted to any of these guys recently?
01:35:02
Speaker
No, I actually haven't. um i Yeah, the long one will be interesting. I mean, Matt Crain's just so classy in these kind of races. Oh, yeah. um It's definitely going to be interesting to see how it turns out.
01:35:14
Speaker
For sure. yeah Yeah. On the women's side, Nicole Patton, Kelly Angel, Cecilia Mattis and Hannah McRae, which, yeah, it's, I think, again, interesting. I think this course might suit Nicole quite well.
01:35:28
Speaker
um I'm not sure, I haven't chatted to her, but then Kel, Kel the second half for sure and we know how much um strength she's got in the back end of races when she's having a good day if she can get the nutrition right, which sometimes really steep courses like this can make it a little bit easier on that front because you're spending a lot longer hiking.
01:35:48
Speaker
um So at least you're getting the fuel in on those uphills. But it depends how much, if there's a lot of that scrambling and like tension from not being comfortable with the terrain, I do find that that can actually hinder people's nutrition and those sorts of things as well, which really does play into it.
01:36:03
Speaker
um I think that's one of the reasons why someone that's more comfortable in the terrain can actually go a lot faster and smoother is partly because they're they're usually fueling better as well in these really long races. And it takes a lot of fuel to keep your brain switched on for the technical terrain.
01:36:19
Speaker
So um yeah i think those that are more comfortable in techie, which Cecilia Mattis, I think, um super strong on that sort of stuff. And Hannah McRae, Being from Tassie, like she's probably the most used to technical out of all of these four women.
01:36:33
Speaker
So could be a really strong runner for the team. And again, I just hope that we didn't get a chance to have team scores, at least in the women's last time. I'm not sure about the men's, but having four on the start line for both of them bodes really well. And I really hope that like,
01:36:49
Speaker
A, they may be to maybe change the cutoffs, but B, we just get those team scores and they all lift each other up along the way. But yeah, you haven't chatted to anyone other than Kel in that long women's And Hannah, yeah, I think Hannah's going to be one, she's kind of like she has the confidence of the terrain. I think it's the same with Andrew Gaskell coming in that they have, ah having Kanani and Mount Wellington there to train on, it really does help them.
01:37:17
Speaker
um And sounds like hannah Hannah made some coaching changes ah got a coach after Buffalo. um And it sounds like just a the bit more direction, a bit more structure in in what she's doing, bit more purpose behind it.
01:37:29
Speaker
finding something kind of getting ah her more into a rhythm that's sustainable is kind of what's what's happened so yeah I think she's going to be really on to watch then Nicole whenever she comes to do KMR always performs. So she's good on this style of terrain.
01:37:46
Speaker
So I think that, I think that that women's state team has a very good chance of getting three, if not four across, across the line and hopefully having some good days in the process.
01:37:56
Speaker
and Exactly.
Closing Remarks
01:37:57
Speaker
Now I haven't actually looked this up, but there will be live streams. Usually YouTube is my go-to. We will post that on the um podcast stories. Oh, and just quickly, I think shouldn't necessarily be an afterthought, but um massive shout out to our juniors that we'll be representing. We have Ruby Smith, in the juniors. That's an 8K race.
01:38:15
Speaker
Alec Franski butky in at Tadda. Oh, I can't pronounce that. Can I? Tadda? Do you know how to pronounce that? Tadda Nolan? Tad, maybe?
01:38:27
Speaker
Tad. Tad, okay. So the D and the H. Okay. Todd Nolan and Robert Shannon um in the men's for the 8K.
01:38:38
Speaker
um So massive shout out to those juniors. Such a cool experience. And, yeah, we'll be posting. um I'm actually, because I'm down and out, you know, I've got all this time lying down doing not much. I will be trying to post all of our Aussies results.
01:38:50
Speaker
I'll post live streams. So just follow along on the podcast Instagram and I will get as much information to everyone as possible, including those write-ups by Arun Farr. um and then results as we get them.
01:39:02
Speaker
So follow along. Charlie, thank you so much for chatting all this with us. It's been a pleasure. not Yeah, thanks for having me. I would have just chewed off anyone's ear who could have listened about it.
01:39:14
Speaker
so i would have been talking about this anyway. This just works out perfectly. Perfect, perfect. Well, thanks for doing it with us and sharing it with all the people listening because I'm sure they got a lot out of that. And James, as always, thanks for all your help with the podcast and um it's been a good chat.
01:39:30
Speaker
And just the inside knowledge, you're amazing. I love it. um Awesome. Well, that leaves us on episode 76. It's getting them to the numbers, guys, where we're forgetting every week.
01:39:43
Speaker
um But episode 76 of the Peak Pursuits podcast. Thank you so much, everyone, for listening. Everyone get behind our team. Watch out for them all on socials. I'll try and keep them all tagged. Give them some love. um Follow them along and support let's all support them.
01:39:57
Speaker
No matter what happens out there, it's a tough sport, this one, at the good times and the bad times. so Yeah, everyone get your cheering on. And we will be running down all the results next week, which look out for that show because it's going to be some fun.
01:40:10
Speaker
But thank you for listening and we'll speak to you then. Nice seeing you guys. Cheers. Thank you.