Kilian ran his first race apart from Salomon today and got the CR at Zegama (3:36). Didn’t see much about the field but still an impressive win. Him vs. Francois at Hard Rock 100 is going to be insane!
Seth Demoor was in Course Record training as well, if injury respect him he will be the one taking the win at pikes peak Marathon! C'mon now!
Think Walmsley is focusing on UTMB and probably feels this will detract from that where Killian feels it can help him build
I get the feeling Walmsley is a one race trick pony by choice and can handle more or less successfully one challenge. Now he focuses on one race and once race only. Used to be WS, now UTMB. He'll never be all rounded athlete in the sport. Reminds me of Lance Armstrong (only TdF) in this regard.
Race specialization is a natural byproduct of a sport becoming very developed, and has nothing to do with athletes choosing to be a "one trick pony." Either you specialize to win, or you lose.
I get the feeling Walmsley is a one race trick pony by choice and can handle more or less successfully one challenge. Now he focuses on one race and once race only. Used to be WS, now UTMB. He'll never be all rounded athlete in the sport. Reminds me of Lance Armstrong (only TdF) in this regard.
Race specialization is a natural byproduct of a sport becoming very developed, and has nothing to do with athletes choosing to be a "one trick pony." Either you specialize to win, or you lose.
Kilian said in the interview after he ran it first as a high school kid (I think) and one of those Kenyans has a 2:09 marathon PB so I don't think that comparison works.
A one trick pony doesn't win marathon distance races up to 100 milers. Courtney Dauwalter is more a one trick pony and she'd admit that too. She needs a certain distance to be in it. Kilian mixes it up. I'm also not saying that as Kilian stan - I think he's phenomenal but his Everest summits are pretty shady.
I don’t there is anyone who can win a zegama/sierre-zinal and then win utmb anymore, not even Kilian. Both ends are too competitive. 100miles in the mountains is more suited to Francois/Pau Capell types. Kilian in the past could get away with it but to break the records and keep winning at the shorter/faster stuff he’s had to focus quite a lot. Before he could get away with just being a really good climber or a really fast descender. Over the years he’s been adding a lot of speed workouts. He has to be at the top of his game climbing, cruising and bombing it down technical terrain.
the guy was lean at Zegama. No way he adapts to utmb in time. Needs some fat. One thing he has going for him is that he races a lot less now with not so much pressure from sponsors. But still they are two different worlds even for him.
D-Class Kenyan runs 3:48 in first attempt in road shoes and no experience. Give him 10 runs and he goes 3:19
He got beat by 12 minutes and I tried finding more info on this Kenyan. Couldn't find anything. Plus this is kilian Jornet, one of the greatest mountain athletes of all time. Get back to me when a Kenyan gets within 5 minutes of Jornet vertical km record.
Honestly these are not top level Kenyans. The good Kenyans are typically at the world Mountain Champship. Also kilian doesn't have the Vertical Kilometer record. He is also not among the best climbers. There are a handful of Ugandans, Gray from usa and 1-2 other Kenyans who could romp kilian in a classic distance for uphill races. For a marathon over steep terrain kilian is one of the best though. His time this year must be taken with a grain of salt. It was dry this year. It's not usually dry nor are there tons of fast elites pressing early the pace like this year. Many years it's just a bunch of mediocre Europeans and kilian and maybe 1 or 2 other Italians
Killian once showed up at Mt. Marathon in Alaska for a 5km mountain race and set the course record! (It's since been beaten, but still!). Incredible range from a guy who has won 100 mile races!
Adharanand Finn gets into Kenyans in trail running in Rise of the Ultra Runners. Read that and I doubt you’ll see any top level Kenyans try it unless the prize money increases. He also concludes in a roundabout way they’re a bit too soft for it. Too quick to DNF rather than bite down and fight.
As for this years Zegama, well the conditions are the conditions. If you get a cracker day you still have to run the race and the race still has 42ks with 2700m of climbing.
I think if anything the conditions helped Nienke more because it took out some of her weakness on the trail making the course more runnable.
I don’t there is anyone who can win a zegama/sierre-zinal and then win utmb anymore, not even Kilian. Both ends are too competitive. 100miles in the mountains is more suited to Francois/Pau Capell types. Kilian in the past could get away with it but to break the records and keep winning at the shorter/faster stuff he’s had to focus quite a lot. Before he could get away with just being a really good climber or a really fast descender. Over the years he’s been adding a lot of speed workouts. He has to be at the top of his game climbing, cruising and bombing it down technical terrain.
the guy was lean at Zegama. No way he adapts to utmb in time. Needs some fat. One thing he has going for him is that he races a lot less now with not so much pressure from sponsors. But still they are two different worlds even for him.
Not sure why you are getting downvoted this is a really good post. kilian is an exceptional climber and especially exceptional at technical descents - he would consistently blow guys like Anton Krupicka/Geoff Roes out of the water back in the day when he was barely 20.
Is kilian confirmed running UTMB? I know he has Hardrock vs. Francois in mid July, that race will be bonkers after Francois’s performance last year
Race specialization is a natural byproduct of a sport becoming very developed, and has nothing to do with athletes choosing to be a "one trick pony." Either you specialize to win, or you lose.
Or your name is Kilian Jornet.
You could say Kilian is a one trick pony. Needs long mountain races with lots of vert. On a flatter, runnable course like WS, Walms is better. That's the thing though. Walms trained in Flagstaff - ideal for WS. Hazen's also hella fast at WS. But both suck at UTMB.
funny none of you mention the D-Class Kenyans placing 2 in the Top 10 with the 5th place finisher in his first effort missing the CR by less than 3-minutes in like road shoes and over-dressed. Studs.
why should i be impressed by a 2:07 'professional', who first off, can't choose the proper gear for the conditions and second, got stomped by a bunch of guys that probably can't run under 2:20?
funny none of you mention the D-Class Kenyans placing 2 in the Top 10 with the 5th place finisher in his first effort missing the CR by less than 3-minutes in like road shoes and over-dressed. Studs.
why should i be impressed by a 2:07 'professional', who first off, can't choose the proper gear for the conditions and second, got stomped by a bunch of guys that probably can't run under 2:20?
Except the woman winner pb for marathon is just over 2 20 and she was like 35th overall?
You could say Kilian is a one trick pony. Needs long mountain races with lots of vert. On a flatter, runnable course like WS, Walms is better. That's the thing though. Walms trained in Flagstaff - ideal for WS. Hazen's also hella fast at WS. But both suck at UTMB.
Kilian is no one trick pony. He regularly posts videos of his training: 60k warmup, then vertical K in 2:20 then 5x5000 in 13:20 each with no rest. All timed with an hourglass and measured with a twig.
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