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HOKA athletes face test of strength and endurance

“I was worried about whether I would be able to handle the demands of the course,” says Jenny. “But that’s the great thing about cross country, it is unpredictable. I told myself that everyone else would be thinking the same thing, and that it was the World Cross Country Championships, it was supposed to be hard!”

One week on and HOKA ONE ONE athletes, Jenny Nesbitt and Adam Hickey, are still very much feeling the effects of one of the most “brutal” cross country races they have both ever competed in.

Described by some as the “greatest footrace in the world”, the World Cross Country Championship is a biennial event that gathers the best distance runners in the world. It’s an occasion steeped in history and occupies a unique place in the hearts and minds of grassroots fans and distance runners.

And the race in Aarhus, Denmark exactly one week ago certainly lived up to the billing.

Living up to the hype

Much of the talk in the lead up to the race was about the course. The two-kilometre loop, completed five times by both the senior men and women, featured a cheering tent, ‘Viking Zone’, sand pit and rooftop running. It was innovative and different.

It was also “extremely undulating” according to Adam, and started with a 400m hill. Paths covered in sand sapped energy from tired legs. Long climbs and steep descents hammered the legs and exhausted the mind. There was little respite.

“The biggest takeaway from the whole experience is, without a doubt, the pain in my legs,” laughs Adam, who goes on to describe the Clifton 5 as a “godsend” in his recovery runs since.

“I didn’t really appreciate just how steep the hill up to the roof of the museum was or just how relentless the course would be,” says Jenny, who raced in the Evo XC Spike and finished 34^th overall. She was also part of the Great Britain team who finished a creditable fourth.

“I don’t think there will ever be a race like it again. I certainly wanted to get the opportunity to be able to say I had been there and done it!”

True test of strength and endurance

Both Jenny and Adam earned the chance to test themselves against some of the very best distance runners in the world by winning the UK trial event last month.

It was Jenny’s first time at the World Cross Country Championships. For 30-year-old Adam, it was his fourth appearance, having competed as a junior between 2005 and 2007. The road to his first senior outing, though, didn’t run smoothly.

Starting almost from scratch at the beginning of January after an ankle injury last autumn, Adam has gone from local county champion to 51^st in the world in just twelve weeks.

With the race more an ambition than an expectation at the start of the year, the firefighter and father-of-two cut short a family holiday with his wife Katie, two young sons Leo and Beau, and his parents to join up with the Great Britain team in Denmark last Friday.

Rubbing shoulders with the elite

For the first time at the World Cross Country Championships, club runners also had the opportunity to run alongside their heroes and be part of the event. One of those was HOKA ONE ONE field support representative, Joe Wade.

Joe (pictured below with HOKA NAZ Elite athlete Steph Bruce) was gifted a sub-elite place in the main race as a 30th birthday present from his twin brother, Tom.

So, how does Joe’s World Cross Country Championship experience compare to Jenny and Adam?

“Pure fun!” he enthuses. “Running in such a high-profile race without any pressure, rubbing shoulders with that calibre of athlete, was unforgettable.

“The course was something special, and the involvement of Mikkeller brought a real party feel to the whole thing.

“The organisers made everyone really feel part of it all and, for me, just having the opportunity to run was special.”

Photo credit: Emmie Collinge/Phil Gale and Joe Wade

Quickfire questions for a Guinness World Record holder

Bjørn Tore Tavanger set the Guinness World Record last year for the longest distance run on a treadmill in 24 hours by a man. But what made him take on the challenge? What went through his mind during the run? And who was his favourite celebrity guest runner? Read on to discover more about the Norwegian distance-runner.

What inspired you to take on the 24-hour treadmill challenge?

I organised the attempt together with my family at Aktiv365 and my local newspaper, Bergens Avisen (BA). BA streamed the event for the whole 24 hours. We had the best treadmill in the world and I had a new celebrity on the treadmill next to mine every hour. The greatest celebrity was Kygo.

I wanted to give it a shot above all because of two things. Firstly, to break the Guinness World Record, of course. And secondly, I wanted to raise money for all the children at Bergen city’s local hospital, Haukeland Sykehus. We raised $12,350 USD in the end. The organisation, Haukelands Venner, distribute the money to the children who need it most, and, knowing that all the money we raised is helping a lot of people who really need it, really inspired me.

How did you prepare for the record attempt?

I train a lot. I run somewhere between 245 and 260 kilometres every week throughout the year. I’m the strongest person mentally, probably the strongest in the world, even if I say so myself. I always run my second running session on my own treadmill at home, which helped for the record attempt. I used the HOKA Napali for training and the record itself. And, of course, I hung yellow post-it notes for two months all over my house telling me that I was going to break the Guinness World Record!

What went through your mind while you were running?

Everything and nothing. I was focused on not falling off the treadmill. I just tried to keep one foot in front of the other. I set my treadmill to 11.1 km per hour from the start, and kept that speed for the first 23 hours. I managed to increase the speed for the final hour and ran the last 15 minutes at 13.2 km/hour! It was just awesome having all the celebrities on my side cheering for me too. This offered a welcome distraction.

Can you briefly describe the story of the 24 hours?

Just before the race started, we had the Superman theme blasting out on the loud speakers. When I started to run, we played the song Run by the Swedish band Nomy. After 6 hours and 7 minutes, I fell off the treadmill! I was talking too much to my friend and the Norwegian rower, Ulrik Wie, while eating Mr Lee, a hot boiled soup with pasta and chicken. Apart from that, it when really well. That’s rock ‘n’ roll. I didn’t hurt myself at all! I stopped eating the pasta and went over to pizzas!

The most difficult part was between hours 15 and 16 – because I really needed to take a pee! Right after I finished my 16th hour of running, I quickly nipped to the toilet for the first time since I started running. I only had to go to the loo once during the day, and from hours 16 to 18, I knew I was going to crush the Guinness World Record! That was an awesome feeling.

What was the atmosphere like?

The crowd and atmosphere was amazing. It really couldn’t have been any better. People were crazy! I had a blast for 24 hours. There was so much support from all the celebrities, me being a circus by myself, family, and all my musician friends – William Hut, Molly Go Go, Subshine – who played pop and rock on the sidelines. Awesomeness!

What does your family think?

All of them still think that this is by far the most amazing thing they have ever witnessed. The atmosphere during the last hour was totally electric. My family and friends were helping out throughout the event and everybody did an amazing job. To have my wife and little girl on the sideline as I finished the job was amazing. There were a lot of happy tears.

And where do you go from here?

I’m going for the gold medal in the World Championships of 24 hours Running in Albi, France from 26-27 October. It’s going to be like 420 people form 75-80 different nations competing. The gold medal is coming home to Norway!

Photo credit: Rune Johansen, Bergens Avisen

HOKA elite athlete training camp in pictures

More than 50 of our elite athletes came together last weekend to live, sleep and breathe all things HOKA ONE ONE at our annual training camp in Mallorca.

A number of our star-studded athletes from road, trail and triathlon, including Susie Cheetham (pictured above), headed to the Hotel Viva Blue in Muro for an action-packed weekend and chance to meet the rest of the HOKA family.

The weekend started with a run. How else? Our trail athletes epitomised the “go everywhere, run everything” attitude as they put the Speedgoat 3 through its paces on their Friday morning shake-out run. It was the perfect leg-loosener before spending a couple of hours in the classroom.

Our athletes listened in as they learned the story behind HOKA ONE ONE. They heard how radical change often comes about in trying to solve a simple problem – and how redesigning a shoe that helps an athlete tackle 100 miles in challenging conditions can actually help all runners perform.

We do things differently – as trail athlete Harry Jones discovered. As well as learning about the patented elements that influence every shoe we build, the entire team was introduced to the latest HOKA products and exciting innovations.

Breaking out of the classroom – and reaching for the sky. There was just enough time on Friday afternoon to head down to the beach for a flying group shot to celebrate International Women’s Day and our boundary-breaking HOKA athletes.

And it was all smiles throughout the rest of the weekend as our athletes were papped in the latest HOKA products in cool and inspiring locations across the island. One weekend. One team. One HOKA family.

Photo credit: PEIGNÉE VERTICALE

Breaking down barriers for mental health and wellbeing

Simon Vaisey was a happy-go-lucky kind of guy until he started to experience mental health issues during his second term of university. Thanks to the help and support of his family, friends and the charity, Samaritans UK, Simon was able to take a step back, speak up and find his way forwards again. Read on to find out more about his story and why he’s now tackling 50 marathon events in 50 weeks to raise awareness for mental health charities.

“50 marathon events? In 50 weeks? Are you mad?”

If I had a pound every time somebody has said that to me over the last year, I’d be a very rich man. But every so often, an idea can come in to your mind that you can’t let go. This has certainly been one of those ideas. It’s an idea I started putting into action on 9 September 2018 – and one that has seen me tick off 20 marathon events since.

“But why 50 marathon events in 50 weeks?” I hear you ask.

Well, before I started this journey, I had run one marathon and three half marathons in my 24-year existence. Now I’m attempting 30 marathons and 20 half marathons in consecutive weeks. I wanted to challenge myself further, set myself a goal that seemed unobtainable, push my body to its limits.

Facing up to the challenge

And it won’t just be about the physical act of running a marathon. Some might think that a long-distance event is predominantly a physical challenge, but as any seasoned runner would know, it is also very much about the mental battles you face along the way.

These long-distance events will see me tackle challenges I would never have dreamed of facing, as well as raise awareness of the value of good mental health and wellbeing for everyone.

I hope that by giving this challenge a go, I can help people realise they can break through any barrier they feel might be in their way.

Why now?

Let me take you back to where this all began.

I have always been a happy-go-lucky kind of person, continually positive and pretty laid back. Nothing ever phased me, and life was, for the most part, pretty good to me. Fast forward to January 2015, though, and life took a 180-degree turn.

I was beginning my second term at university. Things weren’t going great, factors that were both in and out of my control were the forces of this change. Without family and a secure network around me, my mental health declined rapidly.

Speaking up

At first, I can’t say I really noticed. It was when I went home to visit those closest to me that I realised something wasn’t right. But I carried on as normal as possible, thinking it would blow over. But it didn’t.

I decided to move back home and sit my exams later on in the year, so I could take proper care of my mental health. Through self-care and immeasurable support from my friends and family, I came out the other side.

I was fortunate. Through first-hand experience, I can vouch for the number of people who aren’t lucky enough to have such a support network, who don’t seek help, especially boys and men. Whether it’s down to embarrassment or a lack of understanding, people don’t feel like they can speak up.

Raising awareness

However, there are a number of charities, organisations and individuals changing this, using their voices to bring attention to these issues.

Did you know that 70% of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems are not given appropriate intervention? Through tackling 50 marathon events in 50 weeks, I hope that the awareness and funds I raise can support the provision of a more rigorous support network for young people in our schools, colleges and universities.

The support I received was critical. Now I want to try and give back, so more people can benefit and feel that they can speak up about mental health.

Simon is running to raise awareness for UK mental health charities, Samaritans UK and Mind. Samaritans UK reach out to more than half-a-million people a year through their work in local areas across the UK and Ireland. One area of work that is particularly close to Simon’s heart is called Step by Step, which provides practical support and guidance to help school and college communities prepare for, and recover from, a suspected or attempted suicide. Listen to Simon discussing his challenge on BBC Radio Oxford.

You can follow Simon’s journey on Instagram @simonjamesvrun50 and help him towards his £3,000 target by visiting his Virgin Money Giving page.

Antoine and Olivier united by shared ambition

Teamwork makes the dream work, as the saying goes. But what are the characteristics of a successful sporting partnership?

Friendship must be one. Trust another. Unity and compassion a couple more. Striving together towards a shared ambition certainly requires a special understanding.

For HOKA athletes Antoine Pérel and Olivier Lyoen, these characteristics form the backbone of their tandem triathlon ambitions.

The duo have made huge strides in the short time that they’ve been training and competing together, though their backgrounds could not be more different.

Following a different path

Once joking that “my longest distance is 100 metres”, Antoine Pérel has far exceeded that in recent years.

Always active in his youth, he used to dream of becoming a professional football player like his father. But this wasn’t to be Antoine’s sporting path.

Antoine was diagnosed with cone dystrophy at the age of 10. The condition is an inherited disorder of the eye and affects a person’s ability to see colour and fine detail. At first, Antoine didn’t realise he couldn’t see anymore like everybody else.

As his condition got worse, Antoine was forced to abandon his football dreams and stopped playing the game five years later.

Success in a new sport

Sporting ambition still burned inside. At the age of 16, undeterred by his failing sight, Antoine turned his attention to athletics – and with remarkable success.

For several years, Antoine was one of the best five long jumpers in his category in the world. He held the U23 age-group world record and was the French national champion for more than a decade from 2005 to 2016.

He reached the pinnacle of his career when he competed at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. But after the discipline he competed in was removed from the Paralympics schedule in Rio eight years later, Antoine turned his back on track and field.

This second twist of fate set Antoine’s sporting path in another new direction.

Waiting for the opportunity

For Olivier, his partnership with Antoine is an opportunity that has been a long time coming.

From 2002 to 2008, Olivier volunteered to act as a guide to visually-impaired athletes. However, he was never called into action.

Eight years later, after a professional career that spanned three appearances at the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, the call finally came.

“I stopped triathlon in 2008 because my son was small and I wanted to dedicate more time to my family,” recalls Olivier.

“I did the same amount of running but it was only in 2015 that I decided to resume triathlon. I won my age category at the French Championships, qualified for IRONMAN Wales and competed at Xterra Malta.

“Guiding Antoine is much more rewarding than continuing to do triathlon alone. I achieved all the challenges that I set myself in this sport apart from taking part in the Olympics. The ambition now is to make it with Antoine.” Olivier Lyoen

“The next year, I spent a month living and training in Hawaii with my wife and children. It was after this that the call came.”

Coming together as one

While Olivier was living in the south Pacific, Antoine was taking the first steps in his triathlon career in northern France.

In a session run by the French Triathlon Federation designed to unearth promising talent, Antoine’s potential was there for all to see. The only sticking points? He had to find a tandem, a guide and learn how to swim.

Cue, Olivier.

“I train Antoine very seriously,” says Olivier.

“We found the budget to finance travel and equipment and started competing together in 2017. Before we knew it, we’d achieved two podium finishes in Paratriathlon World Cup events and won the Open World Championship in Rotterdam.

“Guiding Antoine is much more rewarding than continuing to do triathlon alone. I achieved all the challenges that I set myself in this sport apart from taking part in the Olympics. The ambition now is to make it with Antoine.”

United by shared ambition

The fledgling duo have made great progress over the last twelve months and are currently ranked 15^th in the world. Tokyo 2020 is not such a pipe dream.

Antoine will soon become a father for a second time. Despite their stretched financial resources, Antoine and Olivier have a dream to realise.

“We are united by this project to take part and win a medal at the Olympics, much like two brothers united by name.” Olivier Lyoen

“Our relationship is very strong,” asserts Olivier. “We are united by this project to take part and win a medal at the Olympics, much like two brothers united by name who carry a family project.

“We look out for and take care of each other because we are a team.”

Photo credit: Peignée Verticale