Top runners star in The Rut’s three races |
One big weekend – three races. That’s what’s in store for the next Skyrunner® World Series events where The Rut will host a Sky, an Ultra and a VK in America’s rugged Montana mountains, September 4-6.
The men’s field is topped by new Swiss talent Rémi Bonnet, currently ranked 2nd, with America’s own Max King and Italian Davide Magnani in the Salomon team as well as brothers Ferran and Xavier Teixidó from Andorra, ranked 8th and 22nd respectively. After last year’s launch, this year’s edition presents a deeply stacked women’s field. Emelie Forsberg and Anna Frost will be up front with a super-strong Spanish line-up headed by Laura Orguè, Maite Maiora, Oihana Kortazar and Eva Maria Moreda. From the USA, reigning World Champion Stevie Kremer with Kasie Enman and Megan Kimmel joined by Norwegian Yngvild Pedersen. The men’s favourites from across the pond include: Tom Owens, currently 3rd equal in the Sky Ranking, aiming high; Italians Tadei Pivk (winner at Zegama and Dolomites) and Marco De Gasperi; Spain’s Sintu Vives (8th) and Jessed Hernandez; Andorrans Ferran and Xavier Teixidó. Americans competing in the Sky distance include Joe Gray and Rickey Gates, who will also race the VK. Emelie and Anna are also aiming to be at the start of Sunday’s The Rut 50K. A brutal 6,080m vertical metres ascent and descent awaits them, with the highest point reaching the 3,403m summit of Lone Peak in Montana’s aptly named Big Sky resort. Last year, Emelie took the Ultra Series title here with Kasie 2nd and Anna 3rd. The American field is led by Kristina Pattison (currently ranked 4th), Ashley Erba, 9th and Hillary Allen, 14th and 2014 US Skyrunner® Ultra Series Champion. The records here will be hard to beat. As the 2014 Skyrunner® World Series finals, Kilian Jornet took his Ultra title here in a fast 5h09’33” and Emelie Forsberg will be aiming to beat her own record of 6h32’42”. Follow us on twitter and Facebook for news and updates as the weekend’s events unfold. *updated September 3, 2015 |