5 Continents, 5 races, 5 wins, many admirers...
But not necessarily for the competition, more for the way that Kilian Jornet has gone about his running in 2011. The young Catalan is wise beyond his years, of that there is no doubt.
His induction into the mountain and nature at a very early age seems to have given him an inner sense of respect for the natural world.
This last instalment of the 2011 film series surrounding his amazing efforts across 5 continents sees the Kinabalu race featured and perhaps more than ever the intense, yet highly respectful and friendly, rivalry between Kilian and Marco de Gasperi.
Marco and Kilian, buddies...
In this release we also get a flavour for the reasoning behind the year:
The idea of Kilian participating in 5 races on 5 different continents came about at the beginning of 2011 as a great way to promote Trail Running all around the world. The aim was to organise a conference featuring Kilian in conjunction with each race, in order to measure the development of the sport and its practices. With that purpose in mind, Kilian has chosen to take part in each continent’s biggest race.
It’s all about meeting people, sharing, exchanging ideas. So far, these seminars have provided a wealth of learning about the different Trail Running mentalities and communities around the world today. They have allowed us to perceive specific aspects of the sport in each country, as well as some resulting distinct constraints, therefore enabling us to better understand how to help develop the sport in years to come.
Kilian on-route at the WS100
By taking part in this project, Kilian has set himself an ambitious challenge: to win every one of these races, thereby not only proving his talent as a competitor, but also highlighting how the level is rising in the sport as a whole, in any and every country.
As the season has progressed, media interest and requests have been more and more frequent, and Kilian has become the face and the ambassador for Trail Running around the world. With his remarkable humility, he has in his own way favoured the development of his chosen sport.
There is of course pride in the number of victories (this has been Kilian’s best trail running season ever), but Kilian is also happy to have shared experiences and emotions with so many great runners, some of them well-known in the sport, and others anonymous, but all with a shared passion.
Kilian refuels
Those who practice trail running are essentially motivated by a love of nature and a desire for the inner peace that comes with escaping outdoors. For runners living in cities or in the mountains, the spirit remains the same. These 5 races across 5 continents have allowed every runner to enjoy breath-taking landscapes, to get close to unspoilt nature, to breathe, to listen to the sounds of the fauna.
Trail running is the source of unique emotions that you won’t encounter in any other sport, and that’s why we all love it so much!
After a season that has been emotionally charged and physically testing, Kilian is planning a bit of time off. His mind filled with memories, he will have a chance to think about the new season ahead, and is already planning new challenges for 2012!
AUSTRALIA – NF100KM – MAY 2011
USA – WESTERN STATES 100M – JUNE 2011
FRANCE – UTMB 100M – AUGUST 2011
SOUTH AFRICA – TABLE MOUNTAIN 36KM – SEPTEMBER 2011
MAILAYSIA – KOTA KINABALU 21KM – OCTOBER 2011
Reactions so far
Paul Bateson Nov 11, 11:39 AM
I have raced in some events where Kilian has been a competitor (and winner) and he is definately a superb ambassador for trail running and outdoor ‘athletics’ he also does a pretty good job of representing Salomon, hope they continue with support for him and trail races for many year’s to come.