Mudge Begins Defence of Buff Skyrunner Title at Valmalenco-Valposchiavo
02.06.2008
The second race in the Buff Skyrunner series, which attracts the very best long distance mountain runners from around the world, takes place this coming weekend on the Italian/Swiss border. The Valmalenco-Valposchiavo race is always a parade of the stars and this year the organisers are looking forward to the return of the women’s Skyrunning World Champion and course record holder, Angela Mudge of British team Saab Salomon.Totally dominant in the last two Buff® Skyrunner® World Series, the British racer holds the women\'s record for the Valmalenco-Valposchiavo event, with the sensational time of 3h10’18†for the 31km distance, which includes 1850m of climbing. Maurizio Torri recently interviewed Mudge about her plans and preparations;
Angela Mudge, a Skyrunning Doctor. Let\'s talk a little about you: when you started running, where you live, and how you train? I started running at school but didn’t start hill running until I was 21 and started a post graduate course in Stirling. I come from Devon, where the sport didn’t exist, and found out about it when I moved to Scotland and so I moved from cross-country and track to the hills. I live in a village by the Trossachs in Scotland, so I have hills up to 3000ft nearby. I train like any endurance athlete, running mostly in the hills or on forest tracks. I train every day and also use my bike for cross training.
Alpine skiing, marathons, snow-shoe walking, and cross-country running: these are the principal disciplines to which Skyrunners devote themselves during the winter months. Can you reveal to us how you prepare during the cold season? The winter isn’t too harsh in Scotland, so I continue to run in the hills throughout the year. We don’t get much snow, and when it does arrive I just avoid the bigger mountains and run on the smaller local hills. I compete in cross-country running most winters to keep fit and to keep myself motivated.
The summer season is almost upon us. Tell us your objectives for this season? This year I plan to compete in the Buff® Skyrunner® World Series and the British Championship Fell Running series. I haven’t completed this since 2000, and I like the races this year so I have decided to give it a go. I also plan to run/walk across the Pyrenees for something different.
After a year away, your presence at the start of the Valmalenco-Valposchiavo Skyrace is eagerly anticipated. On this Italian-Swiss run you hold a record that is almost incredible. What is it that you particularly like about this competition? I love Alpine races, and I love the kind of terrain this race covers. The course is very pretty, but tough. It’s well organised and I really enjoyed the whole event last time. The organisers are very welcoming to the athletes and this always makes you want to return.
