Approximately fifteen years ago, the promising up-and-coming 22 year-old ultra endurance athlete Kilian Jornet took on the famous Western States 100 mile race in Tahoe California for the first time. Despite being a newcomer to WSER, fellow race participants and ultra fans knew that he could very well capture the victory or even threaten the course record. Unfortunately for the young Spaniard, the blazing heat and demanding climbs took it’s toll, and a possible 1st place finish diminished to 3rd (still a podium finish, which is super impressive especially for a course rookie). Knowing that with just some slight adjustments that the race was his to win, he returned the following year in 2011 and took the well-deserved victory. Now 37 years of age, Kilian sparked a fire in the ultra running world by announcing his clear intentions to return to Olympic Valley this summer with undeniable GOAT status, and I couldn’t be more hyped to see him toe the line!
Jornet was seemingly destined to become the mountain-conquering freak athlete he is today, as he was raised in a hut nestled high in the Pyrenees mountains. During childhood, his parents would take him on long adventurous expeditions through the high-elevation land that helped him not only grow in fitness, but also develop a strong relationship with the steep and rocky terrains. He would trek and ski for many miles, becoming one with the natural setting that some may consider harsh or unforgiving. Instead of seeing the hikes and trips as challenging, Kilian saw them as fun times outdoors and as adventures that no indoor man-made place could provide.
Jornet began ski and trail running competitions at an early age as well, and set his first trail running course record in 2oo5, and later becoming the BuffSkyrace World Series champion 3 years in a row from 2007-09. He then took on WSER in 2010 as his first 100 mile ultra race, took home the victory is 2011, and the rest is history. He has won some of the biggest ultra races in the world (UTMB 100, WSER 100, Hardrock 100, ect.)and has set numerous course records in the process. He has also taken on many of the world’s hardest summit challenges, and has accomplished feats that include setting the ascent and descent record for Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2010 and reaching Mt. Everest’s peak twice in the same week without support or supplemental oxygen in 2017 during his famous “Summits of my Life” project.
These stellar achievements I’ve listed are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Jornet’s long list of accolades, and beyond the trails he has also started a family and co-founded a new innovative running brand called NNormal (from personal experience, the shoes and socks are amazing).
Runner Steve H reported that the shoes Kilian helped design were “By far the best for an condition on the trails!”
Overall though, what I find most amazing about the legendary ultra running star is his love for his sport. He leaps and bounds down steep slippery trails in a beautiful, flowing way that ultra runner Anton Krupicka would compare to how an antelope would move. He surges uphill like a machine, dominating tough verticals and making them look easy and natural. And through all the miles, he continues to love it. If you watch the movie Unbreakable: The Western States 100, seeing Kilian dart down the course feels like watching an excited kid exploring the world around him while seeing just how hard he can push himself physically. The long, draining, mountainous challenges are just what he’s always done, and they’re what he loves the most.
Kilian is my textbook definition for “modern mountain man”, a long-lasting, unbreakable bond forged at a young age between a human and vertical elevation. His passion for running, suffering through hard physical challenges, and pushing his body to limits that were at points thought to be impossible or too insane, that is what has and what will always make him a legit ultra contender. This summer’s WSER 100 is filled to the brim with elite talent, but over the past 2-3 decades Kilian has continued to give every elite ultra athlete a run for their money, leaving many in awe as all they could do was eat his dust.
“I think Kilian will do great.” said ultra runner and Run Republic founder Joe Nakamura when asked about his outlook on Kilian’s return to the course. “To me he’s the GOAT, and I think if he’s well-trained, as he usually is, I think he’s definitely top 5. I’m not fully confident he’ll take 1st because some of the guys that are coming are more heat trained and have been doing the race more recently…but I think Kilian’s right there, you can never count him out.”
I couldn’t agree more with the fact that you can never count the legend himself out of any race, and as we slowly inch towards the day where he and many others take to the WSER starting line, every competitor in the run must keep that idea in the back of their heads. Never count out the Spanish legend. Never count out the ultra king. Never count out the mountain man. Never count out Kilian.
