ultra running Archives -

HOKA fan Jared completes journey across Belarus

Earlier this year, we spoke to Jared Goldman, who was planning a 300km running journey across Belarus in search of his family roots. Now, four months later, Jared has completed his personal and emotive quest, and taking home an experience that proved more than he could ever imagine.

“Busiel” I say, gesturing at the huge nest above our heads. “No home,” replies Jaŭhen, since the nest is empty and no bird is in sight. “Working,” I add. After those words, we trot off again in silence.

Not much more conversation is possible since Jaŭhen does not speak a lot of English and my (Bela-)Russian is even worse. But we do not need words to understand each other and there is no awkward silence whatsoever. From the first few metres that we run together, we have an understanding of the road, the circumstances and of each other that is deeper than words can ever express.

Falling into a rhythm

Once outside of Minsk, the real Belarus starts to unfold right in front of our eyes. We fall into a rhythm, our cadence matches, and it is like we had been running together before. The small two-laned country roads turn into village roads, which at times turn into dirt tracks.

Jaŭhen is my running partner. I had chatted with him on Instagram just a few weeks before. We met in person just minutes before we started running.

Little did I know that this would become one of the most important elements on my 300km run across Belarus to find my roots. I had planned this trip for seven months and trained more in that time than my entire 2018 running year.

Why did the ‘Bearded Runner’, as Jauchen is known on Instagram, come with me? I’m sure there are many reasons, but I suspect that I helped remind him just how lovely Belarus can be.

Experiencing Belarus

I would have never known about the kolodets or the small water wells that lined the village streets. We would open the doors to little houses and reel down the bucket to the water waiting to be filled. After fetching it back up, we were rewarded with ice cold water for drinking and for taking an ice bath to cool us down in the hot summer sun.

We ran 64km the day before the finish. That night we stayed with Mila, a character from the small village of Lenin. Her mother made draniki (potato pancakes) and it was harvest season, so the garden had a never-ending supply of cucumbers and tomatoes, and the fruit was literally falling from the trees. I got to experience the real Belarus hospitality.

We would coin the phrase: “This is Belarus, baby.”

Saying goodbye

But like many mornings, we had to say goodbye to all our new friends. The last marathon was on the plan, and the finish line was waiting in the village of my ancestors.

I had to enjoy every moment surrounded by new brother and other people I had inspired to run. It was exactly where I wanted to be, and I knew that soon it would be over. The one main thing I learned to the fullest was to be present and enjoy the moment.

As we got closer, we were joined my more runners and running groups. We stopped to take selfies at the village sign that indicated we were now in the city limits of the town of my forefathers.

The village I had been thinking of for the last seven months was now beneath my feet. I was excited but at the same time I was a little bit sad the we had reached the finish line so fast and we were still so fit.

Completing the journey

Those last few hundred meters were a blur as I was lost in thought about where I had come from, where I currently was, and where I would be going. I saw the village waiting for us with women dressed in traditional costume, holding the red finish line. I turned to my new-found brother and grabbed his hand, because this journey was no longer about me, it was about everybody running to their roots.

I spent the next few days in the village of Kozan Harodok, searching for the answers to all the questions I had about my family.

Everyone likes to ask: did you find what you were looking for? But it was not always about finding the proof of my biological family. This would have been too easy, not leaving any mystery to keep searching.

It no longer mattered about finding proof of my family of the past because at the end of this run, I had found the family of my future.

Photo credit: Alexey Skrynnikov and Stanislav Korshunov

Thibaut back in the game and ready to race

Sport is full of highs and lows. It’s one of the reasons why we love it. Whether watching or taking part, running is a sport that has its fair share.

From crossing the finish line first or achieving that personal best to those inexplicable off-days and inevitable injuries. Running is a tricky sport to get right all of the time both physically and mentally.

It has been one of those sorts of years for HOKA athlete Thibaut Garrivier.

Arriving in style

Thibaut announced his arrival in style with a phenomenal win at Transvulcania back in May.

Transvulcania is a 74km race with 4,350m of elevation that takes place on the island of La Palma. It was a win for Thibaut that was a few years in the making.

After finishing third in 2018, Thibaut rose to the top of the podium this time around. It was a victory that, for him, justified the ultra-running path he had chosen four years before.

Rare are those days when it all comes together. But when they do, boy, does it feel good.

“Winning Transvulcania this year was absolutely crazy,” he says “It’s the best achievement in sports for me and that’s why I worked so hard for many years.

“This year started very well for me, with a huge progression compared to 2018. I am certain now that I can run with the best runners and would really like to take advantage of my progress before the year is out.”

Comeback race

The first opportunity for Thibaut to do that comes this Friday in the CCC race at Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc.

The CCC is a race that has been top of Thibaut’s priorities all year. However, it has been touch-and-go until the last-minute as to whether he would be able to line up at all.

The 28-year-old medical student has had to battle against probably the most frustrating injury of his career to date.

Putting the brakes on

He has been completely out of action due to tibial posterior tenosynovitis, an inflammation that affects the tendon connecting the calf muscle to bones on the inside of the foot.

Just as Thibaut was ready to put his foot on the gas, the brakes were well and truly applied.

“The last couple of months have been a really hard period,” he reflects. “But I start to feel better and better and can finally train properly.

“Unfortunately, my shape is not the best of 2019 but I’m really happy to be back in the game and feel very enthusiastic to run in Chamonix!”

Returning to Chamonix

The CCC race starts on Friday morning at 9:00am UTC+2. It starts in Courmayeur in the Italian Alps. Athletes then cross both borders into Switzerland and finally France before arriving back in Chamonix 101km later.

It is not the first time Thibaut has competed in Chamonix. He placed sixth in the OCC (55k) race in 2017.

This experience on the Mont Blanc trails plus the support, advice and inspiration from fellow HOKA athletes Audrey Tanguy and Julien Chorier, who he has been training with in Val-Thorens in the build-up to UTMB, should see him fare well in his first over-100k race.

Following a year of highs and lows, Thibaut’s ambition remains simple.

“The first objective is to take pleasure and discover the race,” he says. “I want to experience the race and the distance to be back in my best shape next year to fight for the win.”

Photo credit: PEIGNÉE VERTICALE

Harry ready to face his biggest test yet

Whatever challenges we choose to face as runners, there is always a sense of the unknown when we step on to the start line.

It doesn’t matter whether we are aiming to win or to complete a race for the first time; whether we are a professional athlete or a complete newcomer; whether the race is 5km or 175km.

We prepare as best we can, but concentrating on running our own race is our only guaranteed route to success.

HOKA ONE ONE athlete Harry Jones is somebody who follows this philosophy closely.

Sticking to the game plan

In 2018, Harry lined up in the CCC race at Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc for the first time. Harry’s goal before the 105km race was to finish inside the top-10.

“My best memory from last year was getting to the halfway mark knowing that my racing plan was coming together,” he remembers.

“I was feeling fresh – well, as fresh as anybody could after 50km in the mountains.”

Harry ignored the hype and stuck to his game plan. He spent the second half of the race continually catching runners up ahead and was rewarded with an eighth-place finish.

This year, Harry steps up to the UTMB race. His approach remains the same.

Patience is a virtue

In a race that lasts almost 24 hours, patience is a virtue. If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, then you’re on the path to success.

“It’s so easy to throw your race plan out the window and let yourself get carried away,” says Harry.

“Whether you’re out there to get a specific finishing time or position, or just to experience the mountains and take in the views, keep reminding yourself to run your own race.”

Biggest test yet

The Brit has been in Chamonix since the beginning of July, training in the French, Italian and Swiss valleys in preparation for his biggest test yet.

While his training has focused on lots of vertical and consistent high mileage, he has also been paying attention to the finer details to make sure he’s in shape come Friday 30 August.

“UTMB brings the world’s best together in one event, which has to be one of the biggest motivators for me,” says Harry.

“Of course, I love the mountains and all the supporters, but I love racing among the best in the sport and challenging my limits.”

Falling in love with ultra-running

Harry started ultra-running in 2015. After moving to Thailand in 2017, his love and pursuit of ultra-running only intensified.

You can find Harry travelling the world and sharing his ultra-running experiences on his popular Harry Runs YouTube channel.

“Ultras intrigued me from the day I heard of them,” he says. “My first ultras were in Thailand, where safety briefings would typically discuss what to do in the event of a snake bite, so a little different to racing in Europe.

He has lived something of a nomadic existence over the last couple of years, travelling from race to race, combining being a professional athlete with his full-time running coach commitments.

“But the biggest challenges I face are probably the mental battles we all have to fight through on race day or within demanding training weeks,” he says. “It’s all worth it in the end.”

Photo credit: PEIGNÉE VERTICALE

New challenge on the horizon for Franco

If it’s true that we all run for different reasons, with our own markers of individual success, then another thing that unites us as runners is our desire for a challenge.

Continually stretching our boundaries is something we all do as runners. From training week-to-week to the races we enter and the challenges we seek, we’re often striving for more.

This desire to evolve and seek new challenges is certainly true of HOKA ONE ONE athlete Franco Collé.

Returning to Chamonix

Franco has raced across different continents and over distances from 20km to 350km in a career that spans more than 20 years.

He has enjoyed numerous successes, not least in winning the Tor des Géants twice as well as finishing third in the TDS race at Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc three years ago.

The time is right

Franco returns to Chamonix this year and this time, he’s taking on the big one.

“I’ve never done the UTMB,” says Franco. “I decided to take on the adventure this year as I think the right moment has arrived.

“I’ve reached the age of 40 and think I’ve acquired the right maturity to try to do my best in this competition.”

The UTMB means a lot to trail running athletes and fans all over the world.

More than a race

Each year, the 170km race sees more than 2,000 people share in the same dream and take to the start line on the Friday evening, knowing it will be 24 hours before they’re done.

It is more than a race. It requires all athletes to push their mental and physical limits in order to cross the finish line. Preparation is months, years in the making.

For Franco, the UTMB is a race that ranks high on his bucket list.

“I think the UTMB is the symbol of trail running,” he says. “It is one of those events that you have to try once in your life. Chamonix is such a unique environment and the landscapes around Mont Blanc make it so special.”

Chasing new challenges

This willingness to confront a challenge head on is typical of Franco. It’s a way of life and something he doesn’t take for granted.

“My life as an ultra-runner is everything to me,” he says. “I like starting with my backpack, always looking for new challenges.

“For 2-3 days a week after work, I leave and never know what time I return. Every day, sacrifices are made to succeed in reconciling work, family and passions.

“But every sacrifice is worthwhile and always repaid when you reach this and succeed in what you set out to achieve.”

Photo credit: PEIGNÉE VERTICALE and Stefano Jeantet

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