October 15

GOLDEN TRAIL SERIES 2018: Finale Set for South Africa Otter Trail Run on 20 October

Posted by adefrutos on October 15, 2018 in golden trail series 2018, kilian jornet, kilian jornet 2018, salomon, salomon trail running, salomonrunning, trail running, trail running spain, trail running spain 2018 | Leave a comment

The Grand Finale of the Golden Trail Series is bringing the world’s top 10 men and women marathon distance trail runners to South Africa to compete for the Series crown at the Otter Trail Run on 20 October. Trail running superstar and series leader Kilian Jornet (Team Salomon) will toe the start line against an incredibly talented field on the men’s side, while season points leader Ruth Croft (Team Scott) headlines the star-studded women’s lineup.

The top-10 men and top-10 women who qualified via the inaugural Golden Trail Series represent 11 different nations, including France, Great Britain, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.S.A. and the host country of South Africa, represented by Team Salomon athlete—and last year’s Otter Trail winner—Meg Mackenzie. Christiaan Greyling, also from South Africa, won the men’s race last year.

Podio Mundial Skyrunning Skyrace. Foto: Skyrunning

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SALOMON GOLDEN TRAIL SERIES: FIVE RACES AND THE GREAT FINAL.

This year has seen the successful rollout of the inaugural Golden Trail Series, a collection of the five most iconic “short-distance” trail races on the planet, ending at the Otter Trail. The Golden Trail Series (GTS) was created to promote professional trail runners as the world-class athletes that they are, to acknowledge the passionate fans as an essential ingredient in the sport, and to showcase and protect the awe-inspiring nature and environments where the trail running’s most legendary races occur.

In 2018, the Golden Trail Series touched down at the Zegama Mountain Marathon in Spain’s Basque Country, the Marathon du Mont Blanc in Chamonix, Sierre-Zinal in Switzerland, Pikes Peak in Colorado and the Ring of Steall in the Scottish Highlands. Now, the final test comes on the shores of South Africa, where a €100,000 (R1 478 305) prize pool will be shared equally among the overall top 10 men and women.

In addition to the honor of being crowned Otter Trail champion, at stake in South Africa is the chance to win the title of the season-long Golden Trail Series. The men’s and women’s GTS champions will be determined by each athlete’s top three performances in the first five races of the series, plus his/her result at the Otter Trail on 20 October. The overall male and female winners will take home the newly created Golden Trail Series Champion trophy.

The competition figures to be off the charts at the Otter Trail Run, one of South Africa’s legendary trail races. It boasts a 42km undulating, coastal route challenging even the most capable athletes. Typically, a recreational five-day hike, the pristine trail is exclusively booked for Otter entrants once a year over the Otter Trail Run. This year the typical Otter route is run in reverse, from Nature’s Valley to Storm’s River, in what is referred to as the Retto.

As he has been for more than decade now, Jornet was the man to beat all season since returning from a broken leg suffered last winter. He’s won every race he’s entered in the Golden Trail Series—at Chamonix in his first race back, then at Sierre-Zinal and the Ring of Steall. At the Otter Trail, the competition figures to be stiff. Norwegian runner Stian Angermund-Vik (Team Salomon) and Swiss runner Marc Lauenstein (Team Salomon) are two of many looking to challenge the Catalan. The Swiss dentist returns to Otter, where he has won twice and is the course record holder in both directions.

MEN RANKING: Kilian Jornet leading

In the women’s series, Croft has been a consistent performer from the outset, notching a win in Chamonix along the way. Expect that she will battle Sweden’s Ida Nilsson (Team Salomon), Megan Kimmel (Team Salomon) and others, as she has done all season long. Mackenzie has the local knowledge to compete as well. Unfortunately, Laura Orgue, a Team Salomon’s runner from Spain who finished third in total points over the first five races, will not be able to compete in the Otter Trail after breaking her clavicle in a cycling accident this week. She will be replaced by France’s Céline Lafaye (Team Merrell), who finished 11th in the series standings, just three points from the 10th spot.

WOMEN RANKING: Ruth Croft leading

*Laura Orgue qualified in third place, but will not be racing in the Grand Finale due to injury. France’s Céline Lafaye (Team Merrell) will take her place.

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THE RETTO TRAIL RUN

This year marks a decade since SANParks gave the event the green light and hosted the very first Otter African Trail Run. Each year The Otter African Trail Run takes place in an alternating direction. It’s the same route, but with different climbs to conquer and all new spectacular views to look forward to. In 2018 the event will be run from West to East, starting at Nature’s Valley and finishing at Storm’s River Mouth Rest Camp. A capped number of participants have the privilege of trail running on Africa’s more revered hiking trail which traces the shoreline of the Tsitsikamma National Park from one end of the park to the other. This five-day trail is normally preserved for hikers and is off limits to trail running outside of this event. The Otter boasts varying terrain and endless obstacles that challenges even the most capable trail runner. There are 11 significant climbs and descents, 2600 meters of elevation gain including +-7000 steps (ascending on the RETTO) and four river crossings, including the infamous Bloukrans River, which involves a swim.