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The world championships event had
121 runners registered from 20
countries, a record turnout. For the first
time IAU and the LOC, also offered a
team event that mirrors IAU’s team
competitions in the 24 Hour and
100km events.
In the absence of defending
champion, Thomas Lorblanchet, Erik
Clavery ensured that the individual
men’s title remained with France. He
won the 70km race, followed in by
Jason Loutitt (CAN). Loutitt had a fiveminute
lead going into the 8km
switchback at 40km but Clavery made
up the distance and did not relinquish
the lead. Loutitt dropped down as far
as fourth place but rallied in the last
5km to finish in the silver medal spot.
Patrick Bringer ran a very strong race,
working through the competition for
the first two-thirds of the race to claim
the bronze medal.
Among the women returning
champion Cecilia Mora was quite
relaxed and held strong form until
25km, after which Maud Gobert used
her technical trail skills to pass Mora
20 AUGUST 2011:
IAU 50km WORLD
TROPHY FINAL, ASSEN,
THE NETHERLANDS
Both winners set new course records in
Assen, a small town about 2.5 hours to
the north-east of Amsterdam. The race
was held over 10 laps of a flat and fast
5km loop. There was also an open race
that was run concurrently with the
World Trophy Final.
“There was stiff competition
in the IAU 50km Trophy
race. You can go hard at the
start and see if you can hold
on or you can take it steady
and see what the
competition is like. I decided
to stay with Sue [Harrison],
who is my main rival. I knew
she was holding back but I
held on to the pace and
stuck with it.
It was nice [to be] in the
lead and everything feeling
okay. I was waiting to feel
tired but It didn’t hit me
until the last two laps. By
that time I was in such a
high to finish that I rode it
to the end. I am really
pleased to be back racing at
such a competitive level. I
knocked 17 minutes off my
best time… I hope to run the
Commonwealth
Championships in North
Wales in September.”
Emma Gooderham (GBR),
IAU 50km World
Trophy Final
and drive on to the finish. Lucy
Colquhoun came back from a two year
international racing hiatus to take third
place with a very strong second half.
This race also included a team
competition in which France, taking
three of the top seven places, easily
won gold with a combined time of
20:24:50. Italy took silver with
20:56:36 and Norway bronze with
21:39:02.
In the women’s race France took three
of the top six places, and easily won
team gold in a combined time of
24:00:02. Italy took silver in 24:21:35
and Canada bronze with 27:01:08.
MEN:
1 Erik CLAVERTY FRA 6:39:07
2 Jason LOUTITT CAN 6:40:32
3 Patrick BRINGER FRA 6:47:50
4 Thorbjorn Thorsen LUDVIGSEN NOR 6:49:55
5 Silvano FEDEL ITA 6:51:18
WOMEN:
1 Maud GOBERT FRA 7:41:31
2 Cecilia MORA ITA 7:50:02
3 Lucy COLQUHOUN GBR 7:57:20
4 Aurelia TRUEL FRA 8:04:22
5 Cinzia BERTASA ITA 8:14:0
Temperatures were in the mid--teens
at the start and warmed up as the day
went on. Rookie IAU runner Eliot
Kiplagat Biwott (KEN) took the top
honours in a new course record. Early
race leaders John Wachira (KEN), Seun
Moleshioa (RSA) and Eliza Mogoboya
(RSA) started with a blistering pace and
lasting up to 35km. Then Biwott,
having run a conservative pace, started
to move up the field. The early leaders
began to fade away and Vermeesch
followed by Iwayama moved into
strategic spots to make the podium.
In the women’s race, Emma
Gooderham (GBR) added another
medal to her silver from the 100km
Commonwealth Championship,
followed by last year’s winner Susan
Harrison. Gooderham chased Harrison
for the first quarter of the race but on
the fourth lap passed the defending
champion and then held on to her lead
to set an outstanding course record.
“At 40km it was difficult for me. We were three Frenchmen more than
six minutes behind behind Jason (Loutitt, early race leader). I wanted
to go faster, and at 48km I caught him and went past.
I live in flat countryside in Brittany. I do strength training for climbing
and long runs but it is difficult because we are not professional. Trail
running in France is big. I am happy because I compare [this
Connemara race] with last year in Serre Chevalier and this time there
were many more more nations represented. There are many nations
around the world, at a good level: Canada, Norway, Italy… I always
start with the idea to win., but it was really a surprise for me.”
Erik Clavery (FRA), IAU World Trail Championships
Zakrzewski ran a very steady race in
only her second ultra run and finished
strong behind Harrison.
There were 17 selection races held for
athletes to qualify for the World Trophy
Final. The criteria for selection was sub-
3:20 (men) and sub-3:50 (women). The
winners of the series races were
automatically selected and following
the preliminary selections the next
fastest finishers were invited until all
available places were filled. Some
runners were invited on the basis of
their marathon times.
MEN:
1 Eliot Kiplagat BIWOTT KEN 2:54:53
2 Pieter VERMEESCH BEL 2:57:23
3 Kaito IWAYAMA JPN 2:59:12
4 John WACHIRA KEN 3:02:33
5 Eliza MOGOBOYA RSA 3:03:55
WOMEN:
1 Emma GOODERHAM GBR 3:17:30
2 Susan HARRISON GBR 3:25:05
3 Joanna ZAKRZEWSKI GBR 3:26:37
4 Yuka EZAKI JPN 3:28:06
5 Shanna Ailes ISTNI USA 3:33:58
“I planned to win. I had a few problems but I was hoping for something
good here. I train for long distance and I thought I would be well
prepared for this race. It’s my first time in the Netherlands and it is very
good here; the weather is also good. I ran here with the guys from
South Africa and we compete together in races there. Loskop Marathon
is something we ran together. I hope to do my next Marathon in
Europe. I am hoping for 2:10. My personal best is 2:16.”
Eliot Kiplagat Biwott (KEN), IAU 50km World Trophy Final
Distance Running | 2011 Edition 4 41