ASICS FUJI TRAIL TEAM REPORT #9

Two more great weeks and more great victories: 4 on the UTMB circuit in South Africa and Austria as well as 2 medals at the European championships... are bringing our total to 80 events and 53 victories !  

But there's another aspect of the team that we'd like to draw your attention to ! We talk a lot about success and achievement, joy and smiles, but the lives of our athletes are not all about that, as you can imagine... They all have to deal with injuries, repeated injuries, failures and frustrations. 

Managing these problems for the SPMKT department and the team staff is part of our daily routine. we are there to show them our confidence, while respecting the values of the SMSB brand. 

Everyone is concerned... but we will take as an example, the misadventure that happened to Sara, the day before Zegama :

While she was the great favourite of this famous race, so important in the international calendar and in the heart of the Basque country, and while she was in top form, she was the victim of a double bacterial pneumopathy, which led her to the hospital emergency room and placed on respiratory assistance under perfusion.

After being scared during the  few first hours, she quickly got out of this physically delicate situation, but remained emotionally devastated. She's fine now, has returned home and will training again in a few days' time. She'll be back even stronger this summer. 

This example shows that our athletes show courage, resilience and maturity. Let's pay tribute to them ! 

To find out more about Sara, click here : https://www.instagram.com/p/C7l-X95MkRV/?hl=fr&img_index=5

ZEGAMA

25 may 24

Dimas PEREIRA 

A 15th place is a very ordinary result, especially for Dimas, twice Spanish champion last year, who is more used to podium finishes... but ZEGAMA is ZEGAMA !

This race is the pinnacle of the discipline in Europe, because of the level and density of the athletes, the difficulty of the route and its technical nature... and above all because of the public pressure : more than 40,000 people lined the course. 

With this fine race, for a newcomer to the event and a time of 4 hours (which not so long ago was synonymous with a podium finish), Dimas shows that he is one of the best hopefuls in Europe. 

To experience ZEGAMA with Dimas, click here : https://www.instagram.com/p/C7cIXvDtHoR/?hl=fr&img_index=3

GRAND RAID 73

25 may 24

Jérôme VANDERSCHAEGHE

It was a fine victory in this regional race, but Jérôme's race management was solid and he's preparing for a great summer of ultra-distance racing. To find out more about Jérôme's approach, click here :   https://www.instagram.com/p/C7b_fIKttToCzlV19XMr1sg-9kDSicgoQw0rNI0/?hl=fr&img_index=3

HOCHKÖNIG SKYRACE®

01 june 24

Martina CUMERLATO

You had to be brave to tackle the mountains on this Sky race, with freezing rain, fog and lots of snow at altitude... In these extreme conditions, Martina rode a solid race and took a fine 4th place. To take on the mountains with Marti, click here :  https://www.instagram.com/reels/C7wlqzOtSdp/?hl=fr

Nuria GIL

Nuria continues her excellent season with, after Chianti by UTMB, a 2nd success on this circuit. (5 races, 5 success this year !) 

Tired after her victory in El Reventon, she had to rest for a few weeks and start a new cycle, which is why she wasn't at Zegama. 

Not at all, the form is back, on a fast race she wins in a tight final, with 3 girls within a minute ! 

To share her emotion at the finish :

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7q9gWLNY5w/?hl=fr

Andrzej WITEK

Andrzej was back to his best and won in the Austrian rain at the end of a fast race. 

Now it's time for this summer's mountain programme, with LUT Lavaredo in Italy as his next target. 

To share his finish itw, click here : https://www.instagram.com/p/C7q20l3tX_D/?hl=fr

Julia DAVIES 

A good race for Julia, who was 2nd for a long time and well on course to take the lead, but the weather conditions decided otherwise. Julia tells us about her race: "Though 4th on paper might seem okay, I am really frustrated. I knew I was capable of more on the day and it was all going well until I got really, really, really dizzy and spaced out and kept falling over on the course. I ended up in the ambulance with 3 space blankets on at the finish 😭."
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7tTMmtNd1j/?hl=fr&img_index=1

Miguel BENITEZ

In order to progress to the highest level of mountain running, Miguel took part in a series of Sky running World Cup events, as well as vertical races. At this year's FEDME national championships, he wasn't very happy with the way he felt, but still managed a fine podium finish. To follow Miguel in the smog : https://www.instagram.com/p/C7uIT7kI3a4/?hl=fr

Genis PORQUERAS 

Genis was finishing a week's training in ANDORRA, ... What better way to end a week of heavy training  with a great mountain race ? The legs were quite heavy and the energy level quite low... But that's how you progress ! (a podium in the process)  https://www.instagram.com/p/C7j0JmDoXLS/?hl=fr&img_index=1 

The ASICS FUJI TRAIL TEAM had 8 athletes in 6 national teams, and we accompanied them with a team coach and a photographer. They won a total of 2 individual medals and 5 team medals. Lukas EHERLE for Germany took 3rd place in the Vertical Race and 2nd in the Up and Down. MATHYS for Switzerland took 17th place in the Vertical Race and 10th in the Up and Down, winning the team silver medal ; Quentin MEYLEU, for France, took 13th place in the Vertical Race, winning Bronze, and 20th place in the Up and Down, winning Team Gold. Romain DISCHER, for France, took 14th place in the Up and Down, winning Team Gold, Anna Stiina ERKKILA for Finland took 6th place in the Trail Long 58km, Didrik HERMANSEN took 34th place in the Trail Long, Benedikt HOFFMAN took 8th place in the Trail Long. Esther FELHOFFER for Austria finished 34th in the Trail Long. 

We didn't have all our runners as candidates for selection, but it's important, at a time when TRAIL is becoming more structured around the world, to play the IAAF circuit's game, and they did their national jerseys proud. 

Lukas EHERLE 

At 19, Lukas is already one of the best when he joins the Senior category  ! Road, track, cross country, mountain racing... He seems to have no limits ! In the cold and mud, he managed his race perfectly to claim his first podium finish in the Senior category... Series underway !  https://www.instagram.com/p/C7txgUptiyD/?hl=fr

In the uphill and downhill race, which calls on all the qualities of mountain running, as you also have to go downhill, Lukas confirmed his level with this 2nd place, 3 seconds behind Delorenzi, a Swiss runner who has reached athletic maturity and is currently dominating the Sky Running world circuit...   https://www.instagram.com/p/C7xJmvvtJPs/?hl=fr&img_index=2

Maude MATHYS 

Bad day for Maude, no energy and no strength.... although she's more of an athlete for the big names.... she did what she could with the resources of the day .... a race to forget than this 17th place for the Vertical.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7ootTVNFrw/?hl=fr&img_index=1

In the uphill and downhill race, the shape was slightly better, enough to snatch a top 10 finish and win the team silver medal ! https://www.instagram.com/p/C7t6JdcN7Qx/?hl=fr&img_index=4

Quentin MEYLEU

Quentin lived up to his first selection, taking risks in this vertical race and finishing in the top 10 for a long time. He fulfilled his moral contract by bringing his result to the French team for a team bronze medal. To climb with Quentin : https://www.instagram.com/p/C7onrkxKVco/?hl=fr

In this 2nd race, the ambition was to get out in front and secure a ranking for the team. This was achieved with an individual 20th place and a team victory! The medal is there : https://www.instagram.com/p/C7pA_KXtf77/?hl=fr

Romain DISHER

The story of this young athlete is incredible. Last year he won the Trail Elite Factory in France. When he joined the team this winter, he discovered the high level and in just a few months, he joined the French team and won a team gold medal thanks to his fine 14th place in his first championship... amazing ! https://www.instagram.com/p/C7t-LxyIclD/?hl=fr&img_index=1

Benedikt HOFFMAN

Still in the game ! Incredibly consistent at the highest level, Bene took a very fine 8th place, with as usual a controlled race and a great finish, well done ! https://www.instagram.com/p/C7sNcY4tsJi/?hl=fr&img_index=1

Anna Stiina ERKKILA

A great race for Tintii ! Slightly injured this spring, she's showing that she's recovered well and will be at top for the races this summer ! https://www.instagram.com/p/C7r9GKJtOVi/?hl=fr&img_index=3

Rebecca KHONE

A great victory on home  at a world event, Rebecca has confirmed her progress and  steadily increasing her distances, preparing  a great summer. To taste the champagne with her, click here :  https://www.instagram.com/p/C7wQtoYt_qi/?hl=fr

Robbie RORICH

Our "bushman" has done it again: with this victory he ends a cycle of speed and will now devote himself to ultra-distance, with the formidable TDS as his goal this summer. To cross the line with Robbie, click here : https://www.instagram.com/p/C7bMZf1M9gZ/?hl=fr

Admire MUZOMPABWA

We're delighted with this performance, because after her recent victory in the UT DARKENSBERG 100M, Adie has confirmed his progress and qualified for the UTMB finals, so the adventure continues to run in the bush with Adie , click here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7lqjkns43H/?hl=fr 

Provisional results 2024

80 EVENTS 

Coming soon : swiss canyon, Tenerife by utmb ...