In Chamonix, Jornet and Kimmel lead Salomon sweeps of podiums
On an overcast morning in the French Alps, superstar Kilian Jornet made a triumphant return to the trail running circuit with a win in his first trail race of the season at the Marathon du Mont Blanc. Just over a month after summiting Mt Everest twice in a week, Jornet outdueled an absolutely stacked field to win the 42km race, edging out Salomon athletes Stian Angermund-Vik of Norway and American Max King. Jornet finished in 3:45:45, followed closely by Angermund-Vik in 3:47:05 and King in 3:50:49 after the trio pushed the pace all morning.
Another Salomon athlete, Switzerland’s Marc Lauenstein, finished fourth, while Salomon runners South African Kane Reilly was fifth and Frenchman Thibaut Baronian was seventh.
“I’m really happy to have regained this level,” Jornet said. “It was a really tough race, given that the standard was so high. There were up to 15 runners on the starting line who had a chance of winning.”
On the women’s side, Salomon runner Megan Kimmel from the United States led a Salomon sweep of the podium as well, with Ida Nilsson and Annie Jean finishing second and third, respectively. Kimmel pushed the pace to beat Nilsson, last year’s winner, by nine minutes, finishing in 4:40:36.
Also in Chamonix, Salomon athlete Mimmi Kotka won the women’s 80km race, with fellow Salomon athlete Lucy Bartholomew in second.
Sandes and Bradley win at Western States 100
In California, South African Ryan Sandes came from behind to win his first Western States 100-mile race with a measured approach on a course that involved snow running in the early stages and scorching temperatures as they day wore on. After trailing the leader by nearly one hour at the halfway point of the esteemed race, Sandes closed fiercely in the latter stages to win by 28 minutes in 16:19:37.
“For me, Western States is my dream race to win,” Sandes said after the victory. “I’ve got my wife, my baby, my mom and some really good friends here, so it couldn’t be better. For me, it’s one of the greatest days of my life.”
On the women’s side, 25-year-old American Cat Bradley won her first Western States 100 in her first attempt. The Boulder, Colorado-based schoolteacher is making good use of her summer holiday. Like Sandes, she battled through the snow in the early stages and then grabbed the lead in the second half of the race, finishing in 19:31:30.
“I didn’t know what was going on up front for most of the day, but I was sick of getting passed in the snow, so I told myself I’m not going to let anyone pass me until the finish,” Bradley said in her finish line interview. “I didn’t even know what place I was in for most of the race. This race is so crazy because it has so many different elements to it. It’s unique in that way.”
On an overcast morning in the French Alps, superstar Kilian Jornet made a triumphant return to the trail running circuit with a win in his first trail race of the season at the Marathon du Mont Blanc. Just over a month after summiting Mt Everest twice in a week, Jornet outdueled an absolutely stacked field to win the 42km race, edging out Salomon athletes Stian Angermund-Vik of Norway and American Max King. Jornet finished in 3:45:45, followed closely by Angermund-Vik in 3:47:05 and King in 3:50:49 after the trio pushed the pace all morning.
Another Salomon athlete, Switzerland’s Marc Lauenstein, finished fourth, while Salomon runners South African Kane Reilly was fifth and Frenchman Thibaut Baronian was seventh.
“I’m really happy to have regained this level,” Jornet said. “It was a really tough race, given that the standard was so high. There were up to 15 runners on the starting line who had a chance of winning.”
On the women’s side, Salomon runner Megan Kimmel from the United States led a Salomon sweep of the podium as well, with Ida Nilsson and Annie Jean finishing second and third, respectively. Kimmel pushed the pace to beat Nilsson, last year’s winner, by nine minutes, finishing in 4:40:36.
Also in Chamonix, Salomon athlete Mimmi Kotka won the women’s 80km race, with fellow Salomon athlete Lucy Bartholomew in second.
Chaverot Wins Again
Just a few weeks after her dominating victory at the MaXi Race in Salomon hometown of Annecy, France, Caroline Chaverot continued her incredible season with another mega-performance at the Lavaredo Ultra Trail in Italy. She crossed the line after 120km in the Dolomites in 14 hours and five minutes, 12th place overall and 45 minutes ahead of the 2nd place woman, Ruth Croft.
MARATHON DU MONT BLANC
Men:
Kilian Jornet: S/LAB ME.sh shoes, Sense Tank, S/LAB 4 Running Short
Stian Angermund-Vik: Sense 6 shoes, Sense Tank, S/LAB 6 Short
Max King: Prototype Sense 7 shoes, Sense Tee, S/LAB 4 Short
Marc Lauenstein: Sense 6 shoes, Sense Tee, S/LAB 6 Short
Women:
Megan Kimmel: Sense 6 shoes, Sense Tank, S/LAB Light Short, Sense Ultra 2 Pack
Ida Nilsson: Prototype Salomon shoes, Sense Tank, S/LAB Light Short, Sense Ultra 2 Pack
Annie Jean: Sense 6 shoes, Exo Tank, Exo Shorts, Sense Ultra 2 Pack
Women’s 80 KM Race:
Mimmi Kotka: Sense 6, Sense Tank, Sense Light Short, Sense Ultra Pack
Lucy Bartholomew: Sense Ultra, Salomon Top, Sense Light Skirt, Sense Ultra Pack
WESTERN STATES 100
Ryan Sandes: S/LAB Sense Ultra shoes, prototype Salomon shirt and shorts
Cat Bradley: Sense Pro Max shoes, Sense Tank, S/LAB Light Shorts
LAVAREDO ULTRA TRAIL
Caroline Chaverot: S/LAB Sense Ultra Shoes, S/LAB Exo Top, S/LAB Modular Top, S/LAB Sense Ultra bag
