This is Skyrunning...
Michael Lanne at Kima 2012
With summits approaching 3000m, 3800m of vertical gain, chain traverses across sheer rock faces during a brutal 50kms, the Trofeo Kima race is the epitome of Skyrunning. One man who also epitomises that ethos is Kilian Jornet…
Yesterday he won his second Kima, with a display of mountain craft that few came close to, winning by over 10 minutes from the UK’s Tom Owens, who had a superb run in second.
Kilian Jornet
Andy Symonds also ran a great race in 4th, considering that 1. he was injured for most of June and July, and 2. most of his trail-blazing ultra wins this year have been on far less technical terrain. Read his very interesting recount of events via his blog.
Andy Symonds at Kima 2012
Talk Ultra man Ian Corless has not only delivered the following report from Italy, but also some great high altitude images which leave the viewer with a real sense of awe that this race embodies.
Talk Ultra press release:
Less than 2 hours from Milan Bergamo airport and nestled in the peaks of Val Masino, every other year a race takes place. A race so severe, so difficult and so demanding that it has a restricted field of just 100.
The Trofeo Kima was established to honor the memory of mountain guide Perangelo Marchetti affectionately known as ‘Kima”. I can think of no better way to honor a man of the mountains.
The race, 50km long and covering some 7 mountains passes is part of the Ultra Skyrunning series and is billed as ‘the one’. Starting in Filorea the race goes in an anti-clockwise direction. Preda Rossa at 1940m, Rifugio Ponti 2559m, Roma 2894m, Bivaccio Kima 2894m and Cameraccio 2950m and this is just the first half of the course! With over 3800m of vertical and terrain that would make the most hardy mountain person think twice, the course is the jewel of the Skyrunning crown.
Kilian Jornet ran the race for the first time in 2010 after UTMB was cut short due to bad weather. Desperate not to waist his training and a weekend opportunity he headed over to Italy from Chamonix and the next day, along with Miguel Heras tackled what he now calls an iconic race. Setting a new course record of 6:19:03 in the process.
The night before this years race had electrical storms and a deluge of rain in the Val Masino making many wonder if the race would actually go ahead. Morning came and with it a new day. Dry weather and an improving sky confirmed that the race could go ahead but with a 30 min delay.
Once underway Kilian Jornet soon made clear his intentions leading from Tom Owens, Andy Symonds, Franco Sancassani (3rd place 2007), Philipp Reiter and Michel Lanne.
In the ladies race Emelie Forsberg and Nuria Picas raced neck and neck with Emanuela Brizio (2008 and 2010 winner) chasing behind. Forsberg pushed ahead and at Cameraccio 2950m she took the lead and the prize money for the first lady to the highest point of the course.
At Camerozzo 2765m a super technical section in what already is a very technical race, Kilian descended by chains securely bolted to the wall and had a lead of nearly 10 mins over Tom Owens.
Nuria Picas and taken the lead here and was looking super strong. Behind Emelie Forsberg and Emanuela Brizio now raced neck and neck.
Emelie Forsberg
In the men’s race Michel Lanne now in 4th place, chased Francis Sancassani in 3rd. Several minutes behind Andy Symonds and Philipp Reiter chased together.
Kilian used all his mountain skills and ran into the finish to win comfortably in 6:28:52. Tom Owens pulled of an impressive 2nd place after (in his words) a disappointing Sierre Zinal just two weeks ago to cross the line in 6:39:28. He said as he finished:
Tom Owens at Kima 2012
“Wow, so hard, so technical, an incredible race, you can’t describe what that course is like”.
Francis Sancassani sealed the men’s podium in 6:45:39. Salomon running had an impressive outing with Andy Symonds, Michel Lanne and Philipp Reiter filling 4th, 5th and 6th.
Nuria Picas ran a wonderful race to finish first in a new Course Record of 7:36:21 some 10 mins faster than the previous best. Emelie Forsberg had to move up a gear in the final km’s to win a well earned second place in 7:46 from Emanuela Brizio who was just seconds behind.
Nuria Picas
I have witnessed many races and the Trofeo Kima stands out as the most incredible, the most beautiful and the most frightening I have ever seen. It’s an incredible race and with just 100 entries every other year it is one race that should make it to all ultra runners bucket list. It is a fitting tribute to KIMA.
Kilian victorious at Kima 2012
