Some time ago we had talked about Kilian Jornet’s training, in some ways surprising considering that we are talking about an ultratrail runner: Kilian had in fact told us that he does not train only in the mountains but rather that he concentrates half of his training schedule right on the flat.
Today we understand why, and we also have confirmation that nothing is done haphazardly. Indeed, beyond the absolute usefulness of flat training even for an ultratrail runner, the reason was also another: Kilian was preparing to launch a challenge to the 24-hour world record. Naturally flat.
A (monstrous) mileage to beat
The longest distance ever covered in 24 hours is the distance set in 1997 by Yiannis Kouros: he covered 303.506 kilometers, an achievement that Jornet himself calls “absolutely wild.”
In an attempt to break the record that has remained unbroken for 23 years, Kilian will wear the new Salomon S/LAB Phantasm “road” running shoes specifically designed for road speed and will try on the circuit in Måndalen, Norway, where he has resided for years. The start date is Friday, Nov. 27 at 11 a.m. (postponed from the initial interval, listed between Nov. 21 and 22) because acceptable weather conditions are finally expected. Kilian will finish his assault on the record on Saturday 28, also at 11 a.m.
A different way of training
As mentioned, Kilian has been preparing for this challenge for months and has had to change his habits to do so. While he understandably had no problem working under stress, the aspect he had to take care of most involved speed, which in the mountains is relatively less important than endurance.
The transition to the flat surface was paradoxically no less treacherous than the rough terrain to which he is accustomed, quite the contrary: Kilian experienced some muscle problems and after the 10k test race he finished with a time of 29:59 in mid-October he had to stop due to problems that required absolute rest.
As a thorough and precise athlete, Kilian leaves nothing to chance. Of this challenge he says “It’s so many kilometers that I can’t even visualize it. I have seen Yiannis’ splits so I want to keep up as long as possible. I know the speed I have to maintain each hour, so I know the pace for each kilometer and each lap. Of course, the first 10 hours will be a little faster and then slow down hour by hour, so I have a definite plan and know how much I will have to run each hour. The important thing is not to have muscle problems and to be able to eat without having major critical moments“.
To follow the race in time you can follow Kilian ‘s and Salomon ‘s Instagram channels and then log on for the live stream (which will last 24 hours, you’re warned! – assuming all goes well, that is).
(Article updated after the official announcement of the final date, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020 at 5 p.m.)