Christian Allen and Anna Gibson handle the conditions of Gale Force to win the mountain race when Kilian Jornet is 23
Broken Arrow broke the script of this year’s promotion career. The eyes of the world rose from Kilian Jornet (Nnormal) assuming these races from the Valley floor to the Summit of Washshu Peak at 2708m, climbing approximately 4.8 km at 914 m. But the meteorological system and the field of men had another plan in mind.
Despite a beautiful blue day of the sky in Palisades Tahoe, Olympic Valley, there were winds of storm force at the Summit of Washshu Peak, so the decision was the task of redirecting the race to end in KT22 to 2,458m. This did about 3 km with approximately 660 mo ascent. Would this change be developed to the advantage of some runners over others?
Despite the changes, the race maintained some pronounced and technical sections. Starting in its usual place, the grass section was immersed and then the gradient quickly increased. Once they extended in the grass section and reached the dirt road, the climb did not yield, and then the single came, which took them to Ridge and a little descent before hitting the summit. Brief and sharp with Redlineing runners until the end.
The race
Both the fields of men and female were stacked with American and international athletes. Last year’s female winner, Joyce Njeru (Nnormal) was in the departure line, along with the runner -up last year Anna Gibson (Brooks) and Allie McLaughlin (Hoka) third place. But there was also an incredible deep field of the United States because the race acted as the American trial for the World Championship.
Similarly, the male field had an incredible variety of American talents, such as former world champion Joseph Gray (Hoka), Christian Allen (Nike), whom we saw with some innovative performances in the World Cup last year and Olympico). And Olympico). In addition, there were strong international athletes such as Philemon Kiriago (Run2gher/ON) by Kenya and Lukas Ehrle Alemán (ASICS). And obviously Jornet.
The male and female races began together and it was not a surprise to see a small group of people break the front while heading towards the grass section. Nor was it surprising to see Jornet and Gray in that group, along all, Tyler McCandless and David Sinclair once they left the road section.
For women there was a clear leader from the beginning and that was Gibson. But Njeru, Jade Belzberg (Altra) and Young America Sydney Petersen persecuted her strongly, which ended the Top 10 on Skyrace last year. With the shortest course, it was actually an assumption of how it would shake.
One thing that people predicted was that Jornet backed away right next to the rhythm and backed up in the field. He did not appear in the last internships of the race and then cited stomach problems of traveling as the reason he could not push as he wanted. It was all who opened a gap and a successful hero of Gray’s challenges to obtain the victory in 23.49, with the second place of Gray in 24.12.
Cam Smith stayed to take a nearby third at 24.24. The six best men were all from the United States, with Kiriago as the best international corridor in the seventh.
Gibson could not be caught in the female race, regardless of how hard Njeru and Belzberg. She may stretch a strong advantage and touched the victory in 27.32, almost catching Jornet in the line. Njeru directed a very strong race, as we see a week after week in the World Cup and second tok at 29.06. Belzberg was a nearby third in 29.23. Fifthly, surprisingly, the 12 -year -old career was Prodigy Pema Franchi Antelme or Ecuador
We don’t have to wait long for the next stage of the World Cup. Sunday is the 23 km Skyrace, stage six of this year’s mountain cup.