Less than a week to go and the Kima Trophy, next race on the Skyrunner® World Series, is going to be hot, hot, hot. That’s the forecast for the weather, but also the competition will be blistering.
On the second leg of the new Extreme Series, the essence of pure skyrunning is fully expressed by this race that goes back 20 years. It has represented a challenge for great champions over the years and was the inspiration for the Series and the Tromsø SkyRace designed by Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg.
After losing her way in the last edition in 2014, and taking second in 2012, the top slot at Kima has been Emelie’s focus. After injury and many months of rehab, she raced – and won, her own Vertical just three weeks ago in Norway. Kima will be her first long race this season.
“Kima has been the race for me since four years and I’m really happy to go back there” She commented. “This year I feel very different though, not confident on the distance or the hours as I have not been training a lot due to my ACL rehab. It will be super exiting in many ways that’s for sure. My only goal is to finish happy and healthy!”
Italian Emanuela Brizio has been on the podium here five times, winning in 2008 and 2010. She will compete with athletes many years younger. In just a few weeks she will celebrate her 48th birthday and no doubt…another podium.
Joining the competition: Spaniards Nuria Dominguez (4th in 2014) and Elisabet Bertran; New Zealander Ruth Croft; Zuzana Urbancova from the Czech Republic; Canadian Tina Lewis; Briton Elisabeth Barker and Natalia Tomasiak from Poland.
The women’s record stands at 7h36’21” set in 2012 by Nuria Picas.
The men’s field is where all the competition lies. Tom Owens heads the Extreme Series ranking after winning at Tromsø. He’s on a winning streak after taking a silver at the recent World Championships and victory at Comapedrosa. He knows what he’s in for at Kima after placing second in 2012 and fourth in 2014.
Owens described the race as “the definition of skyrunning. Racing here is like being a kid, jumping nimbly from rock to rock and feeling full of energy.”
Spaniard Manuel Merillas second here in 2014, will push the pace up front. He will be joined by Italian Marco De Gasperi, who needs no introduction and since his first race on Monte Rosa at the age of 17, has established titles and acclaims throughout his 22-year career. It will be his first Kima, but “extreme” is not a new word for him.
Heading for their first Kima experience, Briton Jonathan Albon and Sota Ogawa from Japan are ranked second and fourth respectively after Tromsø. The top class line-up includes: Jan Bartas from the Czech Republic; from Germany, Philipp Reiter and Florian Reichert; Frenchman Alexis Sevennec; Nepali Bhim Gurung; Italian Fulvio Dapit (6th here in 2014); André Jonsson from Sweden; Andorran Sintu Vives; and race organiser of the Extreme Series’ finals, the Salomon Glen Coe Skyline, Shane Ohly. All the way from Alaska, Allan Spangler will fulfil his Kima dream.
Kilian Jornet’s 2014 course record of 6h12’20” still stands.
A biennial event since 2008, the Kima Trophy course travels over rough, rocky terrain set in a relatively unknown area in the central Italian Alps, known more for mountaineering than for trail running. “Just” 52 kilometres long, it crosses seven passes with a massive 8,400m of ascent and descent. Moraine, snowfields and exposed crests feature largely on the course, with fixed ropes at key points. Pure skyrunning.
Testimony to the appeal of this gruelling race, runners from no less than 35 countries will be taking part – an incredible result considering it is capped at 250 participants who are all vetted for safety. A total of 284 athletes including the elite field will be at the start line on Sunday, August 28 in Valmasino.
The three-race Extreme Series is presented by Alpina Watches awarding the male and female winners of each race with an Alpina Horological Smartwatch.
Extreme Series ranking
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