Run247's Ben Abdelnoor joined the Salomon team at Font Romeu and had a chat with mountain running legend Jonathan Wyatt
Favourite race in Europe?
My favourite course would be the Val Gardena Extrem Berglauf. It’s a really small race actually but it’s a nice track.
Favourite training session?
A long run in a fabulous location. Where I grew up in New Zealand we had a huge farm out the back and I used to just do a big loop, up and down, over the hills and farmland; beautiful.
Most important training session?
I would say that over the whole course of my career, so not just mountain running, 8 by 3 minutes with a 2 minute float. Not 2 minutes rest but 2 minutes float; still running, very relaxed, but moving. We would get further than a kilometre during a 3 minute rep on the flat. So I did that for years and then, when I started mountain running, I just turned it round and did 3 minute uphill. 24 minutes of effort; it’s intense. The whole session is about an hour and fifteen minutes.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
That’s a good question because both my wife and I are almost at a cross-roads. We’re both sort of thinking about the end of our careers, so I want to stay inside sport and be involved in a role with Salomon. I don’t know what that’s going to be, maybe staying as a community manager, but maybe a role inside Salomon HQ [Annecy, France]. My wife is in the military and skiing full time as part of the military group and so when she stops her skiing career she too will have to decide.
When did you reach your peak?
2004. I can say absolutely. I was 32. [Gold at World Mountain Trophy, 20th in Marathon at Olympic Games].
And Kilian Jornet – when do you think he’ll reach his peak?
That’s a tough one. For sure he’s been doing so much mileage from such a young age. I think it depends, he’s probably going to find a plateau quite quickly but then I think he’s still going to have some years when he’s super-fit and done some good training. And then maybe other years not so much. It depends how many events and things that he takes on and what he wants to really focus on.
What is the future of mountain running in Europe; has it got Olympic potential?
I think, step by step; the first big step has been made already by mountain running coming inside the IAAF, as it’s now officially recognised, from 2007 I think. That was the first year there was an official World Championship. So that was a huge step. Then we’re looking at trying to have mountain running inside the Commonwealth Games. So that’s also step-by-step. So now there is a new Commonwealth Championship for the second year, this year it’ll be in Wales. So maybe in the future, maybe Glasgow [2014] is too early for that, but possibly the next Commonwealth Games. So it’s a long process and it won’t happen in my time, unfortunately, but we often talk about mountain running using mountain bike areas. There’s even been talk about the Winter Olympics. I think the IAAF are pushing to get more cross-country running into the Olympics, because of Africa. Africa doesn’t ski, but yet there is a huge number of countries that vote in Africa, and maybe with that power they can push to have cross-country running. So it’s a political thing; I’m not hugely confident that we will see mountain running in the near future.
Can you tell us anything new from Salomon that might be coming up in the near future?
We’re seeing a trend with natural running, motion running, and there’s really a call from the market for really light and fast shoes. So you’re going to see some really light and responsive shoes for racing. They wont be for everybody. I think it’s important to be clear this is a shoe for really high-end racing. We’ve seen Kilian with a special shoe already [at the Western States 100]. So I think we’ll see that come to the market. In terms of apparel and bags it’s just an evolution. We’re seeing lighter materials being used for apparel. I’ve tested last year a really super light-weight material for racing clothing. I’ve tested materials that could also be used in wet weather that are non-absorbing. These things are ideas that are yet to find their way into the market, but the nice thing for us is that everything is tested by the athletes. Everything at SLAB is developed by the athletes and in conjunction with the R&D department, and then, when it gets to the market you know that it has been done, designed and tested by the athletes.
Click here to watch a video interview with Jonathan Wyatt
