UTMB 2011
There's been a big rant over the net these last couple of days about Usa trail runners vs European ultra runners so i'd just like say one or 2 things about this debate since the UTMB has ended... So we can all go back to our normal lives... some of us have proper daily work to do others can recover from there effort in the Mont blanc, etc. From my point of view yes its true we saw many USA elite runners bail out, (an action that sometimes cannot be understood) by the average trail runnner that competes, and his main goal is to finish(which for me is still the main goal) of any ultra event. Simply you just can't keep up the pace with the fast group... maybe you are just not made for it, maybe its better to keep your OWN pace and build on that, you could reach the top group in the end. I think we have many examples from which runners were out far in the back of the pack and started building and passing runners till they finished in the top 10.(not bad hey)... Now to respond to the reasons that has lead to this debate i think we should just step back and see the whole picture. I don’t think that its such a question of Americans dominating Europeans and vice versa… We could just take a look at the facts. From my point of view European elite trail runners train more professionally just like track and field athletes do, thats what my impression is when i see Killian and the rest of the Salomon team supporting their athletes… well going over to an American mentality of ultra running things are just simpler… something like “a door to trail running attitude” which is not wrong from my point of view… Maybe the European runners just take it more seriously. American ultra runners do not lack of talent and endurance, but the UTMB is a tough race, its not only the steep ascent, but i think its the weather that plays a major role as well. As for the Americans pulling out take a step back and see how many LOW key USA runners DNF’ed ? just curious… Many elite athletes just think its not worth it JUST to finish so they pull them selfs out of an ultra, you get that quite a lot. For me its the journey and the persistence for the accomplishment not the standings overall.
*utmb 2011
There's been a big rant over the net these last couple of days about Usa trail runners vs European ultra runners so i'd just like say one or 2 things about this debate since the UTMB has ended... So we can all go back to our normal lives... some of us have proper daily work to do others can recover from there effort in the Mont blanc, etc. From my point of view yes its true we saw many USA elite runners bail out, (an action that sometimes cannot be understood) by the average trail runnner that competes, and his main goal is to finish(which for me is still the main goal) of any ultra event. Simply you just can't keep up the pace with the fast group... maybe you are just not made for it, maybe its better to keep your OWN pace and build on that, you could reach the top group in the end. I think we have many examples from which runners were out far in the back of the pack and started building and passing runners till they finished in the top 10.(not bad hey)... Now to respond to the reasons that has lead to this debate i think we should just step back and see the whole picture. I don’t think that its such a question of Americans dominating Europeans and vice versa… We could just take a look at the facts. From my point of view European elite trail runners train more professionally just like track and field athletes do, thats what my impression is when i see Killian and the rest of the Salomon team supporting their athletes… well going over to an American mentality of ultra running things are just simpler… something like “a door to trail running attitude” which is not wrong from my point of view… Maybe the European runners just take it more seriously. American ultra runners do not lack of talent and endurance, but the UTMB is a tough race, its not only the steep ascent, but i think its the weather that plays a major role as well. As for the Americans pulling out take a step back and see how many LOW key USA runners DNF’ed ? just curious… Many elite athletes just think its not worth it JUST to finish so they pull them selfs out of an ultra, you get that quite a lot. For me its the journey and the persistence for the accomplishment not the standings overall.
