Famed ultramarathon star Kilian Jornet debuts on the road.... Only runs 29:59 10k

Makes you appreciate American Jim Walmsley (HOKA), as he ran 2:31:52 last year, faster than what Kilian (Salomon) and Remi Bonnet (Salomon) ran this year.

I'm going to make a guess of 28:45, but it doesn't matter what he runs according to the boards. Over 29 minutes, he is a slow ultra guy, 27:45, he's still a minute off the top 10k runners.

These guys (Max, Walms, Kilian) are phenomenal athletes who get pain well. The financial upside of ‘crossing over’ the fan base and bringing more serious or even just a different type of runner to one brand or another is measurable. So they take risks, put themselves out there and it’s exciting!

Would love to see some legit track/road runners (top 5, in their prime) try ultras, even the less technical ones.

Regardless, go Kilian! This kind of thing makes running more fun for fans.

Standard Setter wrote:

Makes you appreciate American Jim Walmsley (HOKA), as he ran 2:31:52 last year, faster than what Kilian (Salomon) and Remi Bonnet (Salomon) ran this year.

You mean last year as in 2019, when Kilian won the race in 2:25:35 (breaking the legendary Jonathan Wyatt's CR) and Jim finished third six minutes behind Kilian in 2:31:52?

Jesus this whole comment smells like BS. Keep it up.

This year had little competition. Last year Kilian and someone else ran under the previous CR. Walmsley ran a similar time that could of won any other year but he came third in 2019.

curious... wrote:

How come KJ has not been signed up to be the face of Nike's ACG line ? Yes, I know he is likely contracted to wear Salomon gear but when that contract is up are Nike not missing a trick having the most widely known trail runner in their stable ? I think they would get him cheap ( compared to other sports..) and likely shift loads.

Salomon are a billion dollar company who also sponsor his winter ski and climbing activities so I don't imagine he's struggling for money or equipment.

This is happening today.... anyone able to actually watch it?

Killin it wrote:

Walmsley has no road 10k result but his best on the track is a 29:08. If Killian comes anywhere near that it would be incredible.

Wyatt has a 28:26 on the road. If Killian beats that he is just the undisputed all around mountain runner GOAT of all time.

This is a strange comment to me. This 10km race is not a mountain race. As much as I respect Kilian, it won't prove he's the GOAT mountain runner (his actual mountain race efforts should show that). Beating these guys' times would only prove that ....he ran a road 10km faster, when none of them ever claimed to be road 10km guys.

On another note, I think a ton of people in this site have no idea about mountain running, and how different it is than track or flat road racing (or even hilly road racing). With the altitude, technicality, steepness and other aspects, it's a very different sport and requires different strengths than running on a track. Sure, there are some fundamental similarities (endurance, for instance) but there are a lot of differences, too. I wish more of you tried a true mountain race, because then I think a lot of you would respect the sport and it's runners more.

*its runners...I hate autocorrect!

18th OA, 29:59

offical results

https://live.ultimate.dk/desktop/front/index.php?eventid=5092&fbclid=IwAR1TGlUgMjCPF002SNRCYgrrl1oCWVJJk76jjtTQEmZ1XQDkw1iLwxQ5xtM

Mezngi wins in 28:20

Filip finishes 6th in 29:03

Kilian finishes 18th in 29:59

Jakob finishes 71st in 35:05

Lol

Kilian also the only person in a T-shirt

https://live.ultimate.dk/desktop/front/index.php?eventid=5092&ignoreuseragent=true

You are welcome. I have raced against many of these pro trail athletes.

jfrb wrote:

30:02

First off a lot of people are saying Killian is an "ultra mountain guy"....and yes, he is well known for winning UTMB and Hardrock and other 100-milers (Western States even).

However, in my opinion his best performances have actually been from races in the 20-mile to 30 mile range (but technical steep mountain trail courses generally). He is actually really good at events still in the 30-min to 2 hour range.

Now I don't know anything about true mountaineering (Everest or even something like his Matterhorn FKT so I'll leave that out of the picture for now). Obviously he has also been good at super high altitude stuff and has vast climbing experience with ropes/crampons and skis.

But most of Kilians big wins and dominating performances in the realm of MUT have been in "Sky Running" and now "Golden Trail Series" Races. People know UTMB because it is a big deal, but he has been beaten there. He has shown "weakness" (At times) in longer ultras...whereas his dominance in shorter (sub-ultra_ mountain running is probably more prominent. (Granted he almost always gets top 3 in any MUT race he does....even on a "bad day"....except at the UROC 100km in Colorado in 2013 or something like that.....)

I actually think his 2:25 CR at Sierre-Zinal last year was probably one of his best performances ever...consider that that is not an ultra race (it is about 19 miles)...but it is an iconic mountain race because of the climbing and altitude and history. But it is not a technical race. The trail is generally quite smooth and to do well there you really have to have some serious turn-over/ wheels as the final 10-miles trends downhill and there are even dirt road sections on a lot of the course. It's also probably why a 28-min 10km guy like Jono Wyatt had the previous record there. But Jono (great climber that he was and still a Mt. WA course record holder) didn't really venture into longer mountain ultras over 50km all that much.

So Kilian has shown excellent range in all these events, but in my mind it is all just "distance running". Training for skimo in the winter is actually really good prep for mountain running in the summer, much like doing some hill workouts and hilly long runs is great for track and road runners to work on their flat speed. But the opposite can be true to some extent: mountain-ultra runners can benefit from doing some track intervals and flat road tempo runs at times as well.

The heart and lungs don't care what event you are doing if they are operating at the same intensities. It is fine-tuning the neuromuscular system and muscles/muscle build and activation for "Variable Running Economy on variable terrain" that makes these transitions more feasible. People are going to be able to pull that off at different ranges (And some not nearly as good as others!).

where jake wrote:

Jakob finishes 71st in 35:05

Uhh.. what?

Will Sage and Killian return for 2021's Pikes Peak Marathon?

lmaoo wrote:

where jake wrote:

Jakob finishes 71st in 35:05

Uhh.. what?

I'm with you! A 35 min. 10K only got him 71st?!? The last 10K I ran, I didn't even break 40:00 yet finished much higher than 71st. This is more like a road race result from the 70s.