Ultraloper Karel Sabbe participates in ‘Most mythical and prestigious trail run game in the world’: « Turning body into a racing car » (inland)
At the beginning of this year, Karel Sabbe ran right through New Zealand. At the end of August he goes to the Mont Blanc massif for a special competition. – © If
Two months after his amazing record on the legendary hiking trail in Araroa in New Zealand, ultra-operator Karel Sabbe announces his new challenge. The 35-year-old dentist is taking a new road and this time does not attack any record time. At the end of August he will participate in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, the ‘most mythical and prestigious trail run match in the world’. On the menu: 176 kilometers and more than 10,000 meters through France, Switzerland and Italy.
On January 15, Karel Sabbe left at the northernmost point of New Zealand, to reach the southern Bluff 3,006 kilometers later. It quickly became clear that he would pulverize the fastest known time on the iconic hiking trail in Araroa. With a swollen leg, open toe and tons of sleep deprivation, Sabbe the Long Pathway finally traveled in ‘only’ 31 days and 19 hours. With that he pulverized the previous record, which was on 49 days.
A good two months later, the dentist and the worldwide ultra -run phenomenon come up with a new challenge. No attack on an existing record time, but an official running match. And what kind of one. At the end of August, Sabbe will be released at the start of the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, according to the organizing UTMB World Series ‘The most mythical and prestigious trail run match in the world’.
« Time for change »
“For the words of Sifan Hassan (Dutch top athlete, ed.) To be used: My curiosity wins from my fears, « says Sabbe. » I have four months more time to turn my ‘freight train’ from a body into a racing car. I felt it was time for a change and look forward to it. «
« After a strong basic training – if you can describe the length of New Zealand this way – I am ready to focus on speed. » – © Karel Sabbe
« After a strong basic training – if you can describe the length of New Zealand this way – I am ready to focus on speed. » The Ultra Trail has no less than 176 kilometers, more than 10,000 altimeters and traverses the Mont Blanc massif of France, Switzerland and Italy. The arrival is in Chamonix.
With the Alps, Sabbe already has a good bond. In the summer of 2021 he set the world record on Via Alpina, a hiking trail of 2,650 kilometers long with 160,000 altimeters. A year earlier he walked the Italian Alta via 2 – a trekkocht of 10 days – in just 37 hours. The competition has been warned.
Read too. A mountain route of 10 days? Karel (31) does it in a day and a half
© If
© If
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