World elite to Ultravasan this summer

We have taken a closer look at some of the hot names running Ultravasan 90, 2017. Ladies first:

Jasmin Nunige, Switzerland.
This Ultravasan 90 victor from the past two years is returning and aiming for a third win. She has won Swiss Alpine (78 km) seven times and will on June 5th, for the first time, run the world’s most famous ultramarathon Comrades Marathon in South Africa, which runs, this year, from Durban and up to Pietermaritzburg (89 km, 20,000 participants). Jasmin started her season in the best way possible by winning Eco Trail Paris (80 km) with a new record time.

Sarah Bard, USA.
Sarah came second when she ran Ultravasan for the first time last year. She was fourth in the 100 km World Championship in 2015 and fourth in Comrades Marathon 2016. She has not competed this winter but will be running Comrades again this year.

Jo Meek, UK.
”The Running Squirrel” came fifth in Comrades 2014 and fourth in the 100 km World Championship 2014, and would have run Ultravasan 2015 but an injury spoiled most of that year. A strong comeback followed in 2016 with, among other things, second place in CCC Courmayeur–Champex–Chamonix (101 km) after Swedish Mimmi Kotka – and this August will be Jo Meek’s first Ultravasan, a race that could suit her perfectly.

Ida Nilsson, Sweden.
This former multiple Swedish champion of 3000 metre steeplechase, and 5000 metre running, was second in Ultravasan 2015 as a newcomer to ultrarunning. In 2016 she made her international breakthrough by winning Transvulcania Ultramarathon on the Canary Islands (73 km). She would have run Ultravasan 45 in 2016 but a cold got in the way. Competed this winter in the ski mountaineering World Championships! On May 13 she runs to defend her Transvulcania title. Read a longer report about Ida in the new issue of Vasalöparen.

Traci Falbo, USA.
Traci has specialized in races longer than 100 km and has achieved great success, including the 48-hour indoor running world record. She was part of USA’s bronze-winning team at the 100 km World Championship in Spain, 2016. This July she will run the 24-hour running World Championship and in August she is coming to Dalarna to run Ultravasan.

Elite men:

Jarle Risa, Norway.
Jarle Risa has placed third, sixth and first in the last three Ultravasan.

Fritjof Fagerlund, Sweden.
Second in last year’s Ultravasan. Came 14th in Comrades 2016 and has placed 10th, 6th and 14th at the 100 km World Championship these past three years. Will run Comrades this year.

Patrick Reagan, USA.
Pat followed up his third place in Ultravasan 2016 by also placing third in the 100 km World Championship.

Jonas Buud, Sweden.
Winner of Ultravasan the first two years; had to break off his race in 2016 due to injury. Guaranteed to be eager for a comeback in 2017! Jonas, who was second in Comrades 2013 and won the 100 km World Championship in 2015, chose not to compete in Comrades this year after getting a place in the prestigious Western States (161 km) between Squaw Valley and Auburn in California, which on June 24–25, 2017, will run for the 44th time.

Giorgio Calcaterra, Italy.
Three-fold 100 km world champion – 2008, 2011 and 2012 – and also third in both 2009 and 2015. Last year, Giorgio won the worldwide Wings for Life World Run which runs in a number of locations at the same time. He set a new world record in the competition, which takes place this year on May 7.

Jared Hazen, USA.
Third in Western States (161 km) 2015, when he was 20 years old (!), and third in Les Templiers in France (73 km) 2016.

Ranno Erala, Estonia.
Eighth in Ultravasan 2015 and sixth 2016. 17th in the 100 km World Championship 2016.

Elov Olsson, Sweden.
Eighth in Ultravasan in both 2014 and 2016. 11th and best Swede at the 2016 World Championships. The international breakthrough was confirmed this February when Elov came second in Black Canyon Trail 100 km Run in Arizona. Will be running Western States this summer, just like Jonas Buud.

Eric Senseman, USA.
Third at Black Canyon Trail 100 km Run 2017.

Henri Ansio, Finland.
16th at the 100 km World Championship 2016.

FACTS/Previous Ultravasan winners
Ultravasan 90, men
2014 Jonas Buud, IFK Mora FK (SWE), 6.02.03
2015 Jonas Buud, IFK Mora FK (SWE), 5.45.08 (Record time)
2016 Jarle Risa, Undheim IL (NOR) 6.11.49

Ultravasan 90, women
2014 Holly Rush, Team Bath AC (GBR), 7.09.04
2015 Jasmin Nunige, Switzerland (SUI), 7.02.35
2016 Jasmin Nunige, Track Club Davos (SUI) 6.54.32 (Record time)

Ultravasan 45, men
2014 Roman Ryapolov, IFK Mora FK (RUS), 2.49.47
2015 Fritjof Fagerlund, Rånäs 4H (SWE), 2.45.30
2016 Roman Ryapolov, IFK Mora OK (RUS) 2.41.47 (Record time)

Ultravasan 45, women
2014 Gloria Vinstedt, Sweden (SWE), 3.28.13
2015 Caroline Dubois, France (FRA), 3.13.22
2016 Lisa Ring, IK Nocout.se (SWE), 3.04.18 (Record time)

Footnote:
Ultra is the name of races longer than the marathon distance of 42,195 metres, and ”trail” or ”terrain” means that the main part of the race is not on asphalt. ASICS is hosting Ultravasan 90 and Ultravasan 45.