The New York Times
Keli MekMilen
2. avgust 2015.
TRČANJEM DO NEBA
Ženeva – Pred svitanje jednog jutra krajem juna, preko 1.200 trkača se okupilo na južnoj strani doline Šamoni u jugoistočnoj Francuskoj. To su bili učesnici takmičenja Monblan 80km, naporne planinske trke, u kojoj trkači treba da pređu 80 kilometara na sopstvenim nogama.
Sama dužina staze, zapravo, je samo lakši deo trke.
Učesnici su takođe trebali da na toj stazi savladaju ukupni uspon od preko 6.000 metara, skoknu do Švajcarske, i pređu preko glečera pre nego što žustro protrče ciljnu liniju – i to sve za 24 sata, koliko je iznosio vremenski limit trke. (Amerikanac Aleks Nikols je pobedio u vremenu 10 časova i 31 minut.)
Ovi trkači su deo rastućeg sporta skajraninga (SkyRunning), ekstremne sportske discipline u kojoj učesnici trče gore-dole po planinama. U poslednjih deset godina serija trka Monblan, jednog od iskonskih događaja ovog sporta, imao je rast učešća za 315%, od 1.600 učesnika u 2005. do 6.635 u 2015.
I dok trčanje po planinskim stazama (trail running) podrazumeva trčanje po postojećim stazama u bilo kom prirodnom okruženju, dotle je skajraning kombinacija planinarenja i trčanja i isključivo se odvija na planinama. Glavna odlika ovog sporta nije prevashodno dužina staze (trke se organizuju na distanacama od 3 do preko 80 kilometara), već pre svega ukupni vertikalni uspon i nadmorska visina na kojoj se trke organizuju, a to je po pravilu skoro uvek preko 2.000 metara nadmorske visine. Skajraneri mogu da trče i po stazama, ali oni više vole da trasiraju sopstvene putanje preko planinskih livada i kamenih proplanaka, ili uz i preko stenovitih planinskih odseka.
„Ponekad može biti zaista čupavo,“ kaže Endi Sajmonds, tridesetčetvorogodišnji profesionalni skajraner iz Velike Britanije, koji je ovogodišnju trku Monblan završio kao treći. „Trči se preko grebena. Ponekad su tu postavljene sajle, merdevine ili via-ferate“ – planinske trase obezbeđene užarijom, improvizovanim lestvama ili drugim pomoćnim sredstvima.
„Po meni, trejl trčanje se svodi na trčanje valovitim stazama. Poenta skajraninga je dostići vrh planine, stići do neba.“
Skajraning ima i svoje rizike. Dok su prelomi udova, ogrebotine i nagnječenja najčešće vrste povreda, od 1992. godine zabeleženo je i sedam smrtnih slučajeva na takmičenjima organizovanim pod pokroviteljstvom Međunarodne Skajraning Federacije (ISF): jedna žena je stradala od posledica povrede glave koju je zadobila prilikom pada sa kamenite staze; druga žena je preminula od posledica smrzavanja; a pet osoba je umrlo zbog srčanih problema. Zbog toga ISF sada preporučuje da se trkači medicinski provere pre trke.
Iako ljudi odvajkada trče po planinama, skajraning kao sport je prvi put formalizovan u Alpima 1992. godine, kada je Marino Đakometi, italijanski planinar, predsednik i suosnivač ISF-a, organizovao prvo takmičenje, trku od Kurmajera u Italiji do 4.810 metara visokog vrha Monblana, u kojoj je učestvovalo sedam učesnika.
Prema Lauri Van Hauten, suosnivačice i izvršnog direktora ISF-a, danas se skajraning takmičenja organizuju u 36 zemalja, procene su da u se u svetu ovim sportom bavi oko 600.000 ljudi, uključujući i 75.000 učesnika ovogodišnje skajraning svetske serije i nacionalnih skajraning liga. Prema učešću na takmičenjima pod pokroviteljstvom ISF-a, oko 80 procenata su takmičari muškog pola. Uzrast učesnika je od 18 do 83 godine, mada je većina između 25 i 44 godine, i uglavnom dolaze iz Evrope, Sjedinjenih Američkih Država i Japana.
Skajraningu nedostaje masovnost koja je prisutna u drumskim trkama, prema istraživanju iz 2013. koje je naručilo američko Udruženje za sport i fitnes, zabeleženo je preko 29 miliona učesnika na drumskim trkama, ali i pored toga ISF je uspeo da privuče velika sponzorska imena, kao što je, na primer, poznati proizvođač sportske opreme Salomon.
Van Hauten pripisuje rast skajraninga društvenim mrežama, ali i trendu među sportistima da traže neobične izazove.
„Ljudi napuštaju drumsko trčanje, jer je ono na neki način postalo dosadno. Oni traže nove izazove i zbog toga se odlučuju za sve duže distance, tako da im čak ni maraton više nije dovoljan. Oni žele trke od preko 150 kilometara, ali i žele da tih 150 kilometara budu sa puno uspona i na većoj nadmorskoj visini. Što je veći izazov, to se više ljudi uključuje“ kaze Van Hautenova.
To što u ovom sportu ne postoji previše tenzija, to što je relativno dostupan i što pruža prilike za istraživanje, takođe je ključ njegovoj popularnosti.
„Zaista je jednostavno – sve što ti treba su patike, možda nesto hrane i pića i to je sve,“ kaže Tor Ludvigsen, dvadesetšestogodišnji skajraner iz Norveške, „Postoji toliko opcija, toliko staza i vrhova na koje možeš otići.“
Drugi naglašavaju nešto drugo kao razlog razvoja ovog sporta, nešto što je znatno teže izmeriti.
„Mislim da skajranning postaje sve popularniji jer živimo u društvu koje je sve više upućeno na velike gradove. Manje se krećemo. Sve više sedimo, a pošto smo ljudi, mi smo i životinje. Potrebno nam je kretanje,“ kaže Kilijan Žornet, dvadesetsedmogodišnjak, pobednik skajraning svetske serije 2014. i najpoznatiji skajraner na svetu. „Mi želimo da boravimo napolju i da idemo u prirodu. Ovaj sport povezuje obe stvari.“
Žornet je odigrao glavnu ulogu u popularizaciji skajraninga.
Rođen u Sabadelu u Španiji, Žornet je počeo da se bavi skajraningom još kao dečak. Njegov otac je bio staratelj planinskog doma u Pirinejima, a Žornet je proveo detinjstvo u istraživanju planinskih vrhova. Sa trinaest godine je učetvovao u prvoj planinskoj trci, trci između sedam planinskih domova. Šest godina kasnije, osvojio je svetsku skajraning ligu, i postao najmlađa osoba ikad kojoj je to pošlo za rukom.
Tokom poslednjih deset godina, Žornet, koji sad živi u Šamoniju, pobedio je na preko 80 trka i vlasnik je nekoliko rekorda. U julu je postavio novi rekord staze na Mont Maraton trci u Sevardu na Aljasci. Pet dana nakon toga, postavlja novi rekord na trci Hardrok 100 u Silverstonu, Kolorado, trci na 160 kilometara sa preko 10.000 metara ukupne visinske razlike.
„On je fenomen, otelotvorenje savršenog skajranera,“ kaže Van Hojtenova.
Žornet ipak nije nepobediv. Na Monblan vertikalnom kilometru, napornoj trci u kojoj učesnici savladavaju oko 1000 metara vertikalnog uspona na stazi dužine od oko 3,8 kilometara, koja je organizovana na južnoj strani doline Šamoni, Žornet je bio pobeđen od strane Saul Antonio Padua iz Kolumbije, koji je pobedio u vremenu od 34 minuta i 34 sekunde i oborio Žornetov rekord staze iz 2012. za dva minuta.
Sledeće godine Žornet planira da postavi brzinski rekord u usponu na Mont Everest. On će se penjati iz Tibeta, napadajući severnu stranu planine. Namerava da to učini potpuno sam, iz jednog pokušaja, bez pomoći dodatnog kiseonika ili fiksirane užadi. Nosiće sa sobom par stvari pored cepina, trideset metarskog užeta, hrane, jakne i dereza. Dok je većini amatera penjača potrebno nešto više od mesec dana da se popnu na najvišu planinu na svetu, Žornet planira da to učini za između 24 i 48 sati.
Za mnoge, skajraning zvuči prilično pakleno, ali za Žorneta i njemu slične lepota je u kretanju.
„Biti stalno u pokretu je zaista predivan osećaj, tako mislim.“
_____________________________________________
The New York Times
Keli MekMilen
August 2, 2015
GENEVA — One morning in late June, 1,200 runners snaked up the south side of the Chamonix Valley before dawn in southeastern France. They were participating in the Mont Blanc 80 KM, a grueling running race in which participants would cover 50 miles on foot.
The distance, though, might have been the easy part.
They would also climb a total of 20,000 feet in ascents over the terrain, dip into Switzerland and cross a glacier before dashing across the finish line — all in less than 24 hours, the race’s time cap. (Alex Nichols of the United States went on to win the race in 10 hours, 31 minutes.)
The racers are part of the growing sport of skyrunning, an extreme discipline in which runners speed up and down mountains. Over the past 10 years, the Mont Blanc race series, one of the sport’s most iconic events, has seen a 315 percent increase in participants, from 1,600 racers in 2005 to 6,635 in 2015.
Whereas trail running includes running on trails in any natural setting, skyrunning combines mountaineering and running, and takes place exclusively in the mountains. It is distinguished not so much by its distance (races range from 2 to over 50 miles), but instead by vertical gain and the altitude at which the discipline takes place, almost always at or above 6,500 feet. Skyrunners might run on trails, but they often forge their own routes across meadows and rock fields, or up and over rock faces.
“It can be really hairy,” said Andy Symonds, a 34-year-old professional skyrunner from Britain who finished third in the Mont Blanc race. “You’re on ridges. There can be chains and ladders and via ferratas,” mountain routes preset with cables, bridges and other aids.
“To me, trail running is about undulating paths. Skyrunning is about getting to the top of mountains, getting to the sky.”
Skyrunning does not come without its risks. While broken limbs, abrasions and contusions are the most common injuries, there have been seven fatalities in events affiliated with the International Skyrunning Federation since 1992: one woman suffered a head injury after falling down a rocky slope; another woman died from hypothermia; and five people have died of heart failure. The federation now recommends that racers are prescreened for any health issues.
While people have long run in the world’s mountains, skyrunning as a sport was first formalized in the Alps in 1992 when Marino Giacometti, an Italian mountaineer and president and co-founder of the I.S.F, organized the first competition, a race from Courmayeur, Italy, to the summit of 15,780-foot Mont Blanc that featured seven participants.
Today, races take place in 36 countries, and there are approximately 600,000 skyrunners worldwide, including 75,000 entrants in the 2015 Skyrunner World Series and Skyrunner National Series, according to Lauri van Houten, I.S.F. co-founder and executive director. Based on participation in the I.S.F.’s events, most skyrunners — 80 percent — are male. Participants range in age from 18 to 83, though the majority tend to be 25 to 44 years of age and come from Europe, the United States and Japan.
Skyrunning lacks the mass reach of road running, which has over 29 million regular participants in the United States alone, according to the 2013 Sports and Fitness Industry Association survey, but nonetheless the I.S.F. has managed to attract big-name sponsors, such as the sporting goods manufacturer Salomon.
Van Houten attributes skyrunning’s growth to social media and to a trend of athletes seeking out novel challenges.
“People are going away from road running because it’s kind of boring. They’re looking for new challenges; therefore they’re doing longer distances and it’s not enough anymore to do a marathon, so people want to do the 100 miler and then they want to do 100 miles going uphill with altitude,” she said. “The bigger the challenge, the more people are starting to do it now.”
The sport’s no-fuss, pared-down accessibility and opportunity for exploration are also key to its popularity.
“It’s really easy — all you need is your shoes, maybe some food and drink, and you go,” said Thor Ludvigsen, a 26-year-old skyrunner from Norway. “There’s so many options, so many trails, so many summits you can go to.”
Others point to something harder to quantify behind the sport’s growth.
“I think skyrunning is getting more popular because we live in a society in which we live more and more in the cities. We move less. We are sedentary and, as humans, we are animals. We need to move,” said Kilian Jornet, 27, the 2014 skyrunning world champion and the sport’s most high-profile personality. “We want to go out and go to nature. This sport combines both things.”
Jornet has played a major part in bringing skyrunning out of obscurity.
Born in Sabadell, Spain, Jornet started skyrunning as a boy. His father was the guardian of a mountain hut in the Pyrenees, and Jornet grew up exploring the peaks. At 13, he took part in his first trail running competition, a race between seven mountain huts. Six years later, he won the Skyrunning World Series, becoming the youngest person ever to do so.
Over the past 10 years, Jornet, who now lives in Chamonix, has won more than 80 races and holds several race records. In July, he set a course record at the Mount Marathon race in Seward, Alaska. Five days later, he notched another course record at the Hardrock 100 in Silverton, Colo., a 100-mile competition with 33,992 feet of total elevation gain.
“He’s a phenom, the embodiment of the perfect skyrunner,” van Houten said.
Jornet is not, however, unbeatable. At the Mont Blanc Vertical KM, a punishing race in which participants ascend 3,281 feet over 2.36 miles up the south side of the Chamonix Valley, Jornet was bested by Saúl Antonio Padua of Colombia, who won with a time of 34 minutes, 34 seconds, beating Jornet’s 2012 course record by two minutes.
Next year, Jornet will attempt the speed record on Mount Everest. He will climb from Tibet, tackling the mountain’s north face. He will do it alone, in one push, and without the help of oxygen or fixed ropes. He will carry little more than an ice ax, a 30-meter rope, food, a jacket, and crampons. Whereas it takes most amateur climbers more than a month to climb the world’s tallest mountain, Jornet estimates it will take him between 24 and 48 hours.
For many, skyrunning sounds hellish; but for Jornet and others like him, there is beauty in motion.
“To keep always moving is a really beautiful feeling, I think.”
