November 28

KILIAN JORNET PHANTASM24H FINAL: KILIAN RECOVERED AT THE HOSPITAL. BJERKE WINS WITH 232KM.

Posted by Héctor Rubio on November 28, 2020 in trail running spain | 1 Comment

KILIAN JORNET 24H TRACK: FINAL #KILIANPHANTASM24. Bjerke won the competition with 232.28K, silver for Jo Inge Norum with 219.45km and bronze for Simen Holvik 208.13km. DNF: Jornet (134.8k); Hakansson (161k) and Hermansen (174.80k).

Differences for the three finalists of the 24h. Also for a Hakansson who retired at 12H after signing a new Norwegian record of the modality with 161km. For a Kilian who continues his recovery, now at home, but he spent the night at the Hospital, on medical advice after vomiting and dizziness suffered in the race.

Kilian 24h, Hakansson behind. Photo: Salomon Running

KILIAN JORNET 24H FINAL:
BJERKE WINS WITH 232KM. KILIAN STAYED THE NIGHT AT THE HOSPITAL.

The temperatures during the race, moved in a range from 4°C to -2°C with spot wind of up to 30km/h. It was forecasted some punctual drizzle with 3.7mm in total, spread over about three hours during the day. The windchill feeling was therefore around 0°C in the race throughout the challenge.

Conditions hardly valid to try the adventure, but in no way optimal. During the attempt, Jornet changed direction every four hours. The appointment was on the same track where he has already performed the trainings this seasson, which he knows well and where he has trained for several months.

In its attempt, Jornet has used Salomon’s new S/LAB Phantasm, as well as the Suunto 9 gps watch, the brand’s longest battery life. Here details of the current Salomon Slab Phantasm and Suunto 9. The finnish brand’s top-of-the-range gps watch. The hard conditions have forced Kilian to run, not only with gloves as in the picture, but with a jacket and hat too, almost all the time. In fact, he was the only one to run with short tights, while all his companions did so with long ones and even outer over-trousers. This is how the track looked, with a slight curdled snow from the first few hours.

KOUROS, WORLD RECORD 24H, IS POSITIONED AGAINST THE CHALLENGE.

In the last hours leading up to the race, bitter news were arriving from Greece: The legend Yiannis Kouros, world record 24h with 303.56km since 1997 was positioned head-on against challenges like Kilian Jornet’s. Here you have the full note and translation of the publication made by Kouros. A critique of a druff.

Still in middle October 2020, five of his world records remain: the 1,000km, 1,000 Miles, 24 Hours, 48 hours and 6 Days. And yes, there are world running records of non-stop at that time. And Yiannis, who set the world record 1,000km in 1984, returned in 2005 to set the 6-day record with 1,036.8km. Living legend. Although perhaps, his criticas in this case, in our view, have been unfair and disproportionate, perhaps because we do not know well the details of the challenge.

RACE CHRONICLE.

Kilian Jornet attempted yesterday the 24hrunning track record on in the so-called #KilianPhantasm24. Therace was developed on a 400m track in Mundalen, Norway. The competition included also several Norwegian athtetes specialized in the long distance to make it an official race. From Transgrancanaria champion Didrik Hermansen to big guy Hakansson who despite his 90kg weight was leading the race for the first 12h until signing a new Norwegian record in the distance.

To follow all health prevention measures against the Covid pandemic, the challenge was developed without an audience. Notably, the great live coverage of salomon’s challenge through a live http://www.Salomon.com/phantasm24.

Kilian started with good sensations, marking a first marathon in 3h03m, just 3min after Kouros’ world record pace. He continued at an increasing pace until he stood ahead of the record, adding 121km in the first 10h, however, he stopped twice due to knee problems.

The first stop was quick, for inner soles change. The second time, he stopped 3min to recover with the help of a physiotherapist. The third stop was at 09.25pm, after more than 10 hours of running. Thus began an agonizing wait among the fans to see if KIlian managed to get back on track.

Unfortunately, at 22.15am the organization confirmed Kilian’s abandonment. Salomon reported later on, that he suffered dizziness and vomited. The race doctor recommended his stop in order to not aggravate the situation. The race, continued without him..

Almost from the start of the run, it was led with authority by the Norwegian Hakansson, the burly Norwegian runner has marched for hours with 1-2km ahead of Kilian, who was marching second. After the third stop, Hakansson’s lead was already more than 7km away as he continued to advance with an advantage accumulated that made even a world record think.

If it stayed that way, it would have been quite a surprise to be a tall and strong runner, close to 90kg in weight. A very unusual morphology among the leaders of the ultra24h, who tend to have light weights. Of course, that was also the body type of the pioneer of modern ultratrail, the mythical Gordy Ainsleigh who first set out to compete against the horses running the Western States 100.

The passage of the kms made the logic prevail. Hakansson was down at 6m/km rates, versus the 4.45m/km needed to stay on the path of the 24H record. Its most likely projection would then be a mark close to 270km, below Spain’s 274km record set by Iván Peñalba in 2019. A mark of great merit in itself, as Ivan was fifth in the 2019 Ultra-Fund World Cup.

KILIAN 24H: MESSAGE BY IVAN PEÑALBA
SPAINISH 24H RECORD WITH 274KM

Spain’s record has a high level, set by Iván Peñalba at 274.33KM in DEC 2019. Iván Peñalba who went on to lead the last 24H World Cup track that same year, where he finished fifth. The reference gives us an idea of the commitment of adventure, where surpassing Spain’s record would in itself be a great achievement, although Kilian’s air capacity empowers him to come up with great ambitions.

Today morning, after the official closing of the race, Ivan published a note on his social media of great interest, which we reproduced here (Translated by Hekruca):
“I just saw you’ve dropped off, @kilianjornet in your 24-hour record attempt. This discipline is very difficult and those of us who run it are aware that at any time the dreaded withdrawal can occur. But this sport always gives a second, third and fourth chance. And I’m sure it’s waiting for you, Kilian, sooner than you expect. I don’t know any friends in who haven’t had a hard time or tremendously wrong. I hope to see with my eyes and, if possible, by your side a new attempt, surely successful. Lots of strength, mate. Please don’t think of any when these things happen that it’s a defeat. It’s LEARNING”