Kings of the Trail #178
- Luke Jarman
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Go Further & Explore More...
"It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."
Sir Edmund Hillary
For trail running enthusiasts and dedicated watchers, next week is pure heaven as the UTMB week starts on Monday with a thrilling selection of races and events across a packed week in Chamonix and beyond. This year brings an incredibly talented field to all the races, with trail running superstars such as Kilian Jornet*, Jim Walmsley, Vincent Bouillard, Caleb Olson and Jonathan Albon in the main men’s race and Courtney Dauwalter, Fuzhao Xiang and defending champion Ruth Croft in the main women’s race, and in the CCC, Western States champion Jennifer Lichter amongst many others. In addition to these celebrated athletes who will surely bring a thrilling race at the front of the pack, there are hundreds of other runners out there looking to compete and overcome the beautiful and demanding courses of the many other races. These competitors are drawn to the challenge of these events to conquer the trails and themselves. Having put in the hard, often boring work and training to be in the best possible shape, everyone will line up at the start looking to overcome whatever obstacles the course (and their minds) will throw at them and cross the finish line in Chamonix, rightfully being celebrated as winners in their own right. These achievements don’t happen by accident but are a testament to grinding out runs when they didn’t feel like it and trying to hit individual goals every step of the way. I am here for it all and will be watching from afar, cheering them on and being inspired by the amazing effort put in to get them to Chamonix…
* Breaking news - Kilian Jornet has announced today he has had to withdraw due to injury and will undergo surgery; hopefully, he will be back in 2027…
Until next week, be safe and enjoy the trails...
UTMB starts next week, with a series of races and events in Chamonix and beyond. Here is all you need to know, and more, from one of the most famous trail racing events in the world…
A few weeks ago I covered Aurélien Sanchez’s incredible effort to smash the Fastest Known Time (FKT) for an unsupported traverse of the 2,650 mile PCT, here he explains the whys and hows of that amazing result…
It is easy to try and find shortcuts or quick fixes, but as regular readers know, it’s all about the consistency…this article captures that idea perfectly; “Chop wood. Carry water. Believe in the process, and back it up daily…”
This year's Western States is still being talked about as there were so many competitors who ran crazy fast times. This wonderful short film is a glimpse into what it takes to run 100 miles…and the essential part crews play in getting their athletes to the end…
📸 Sintra, Lisbon, Portugal
I have to constrain myself not to include many, many more tracks from Prince…but this one is pretty perfect for this week. This is an awesome live rendition of Joy In Repetition from an after show concert in 2002 and is not only over 10 minutes of pure magical Prince indulgence, but is a great nod to the story above on the need for consistency to find real gains; even when it’s not glamorous or sexy (two words that certainly can be associated with Prince!)
Each week, I update the Kings of the Trail playlist with a new selection of music. Like trail runs or hikes, the playlist will be varied and eclectic, but hopefully, there will be something for everyone to enjoy…
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