TRAIL MENORCA CAMÍ DE CAVALLS 2021
©Trail Menorca
During the course of 2020, all of my planned events had been cancelled for obvious reasons. Even when I had that I had an UTMB qualifying race, a few weeks later, the prospect of running the Camí De Cavalls in Menorca had also been erased. So, after a few months of waiting, I finally found myself at the starting line in Cituadella in the middle of May 2021.
The weeks leading up to this race I had spent in Switzerland, training and preparing myself for the longest race I would run to date. Unlike previous races, I did not follow a specific training plan, instead I simply run based on how my body and mind felt. I felt less pressure on running specific time splits and distances, but simply enjoyed the journey towards race day. Unfortunately, I did suffer from a light foot injury one month prior to the race, which forced me to stop training the weeks leading up to it. Given my different training approach, I simply accepted the fact and allowed my body to recover. Thus, I mainly opted for long hikes that had less impact on my foot, while still benefiting from altitude training and getting used to climbing hills.
Trail Menorca Camí de Cavalls is one of the longest trails and most beautiful courses in Europe. Camí de Cavalls measures 185 kilometre and with a total of more than 3500 vertical gain. Given that I was running around an island, which is considered to be rather flat, the latter translated into a continues up-and-down. The course led past remote beaches, white sand and crystal clear water. While the scenery offered enough reasons to be distracted, it was crucial to stay focussed. It was a technical course, not only caused by running through the sand, but mainly due to the rocky and uneven terrain. It was crucuial to be sharp, in order not to roll your ankle, trip or fall.
A couple of days before race day, the initial plan had been disrupted by a new COVID-19 lock-down enforcement in Spain. Nevertheless, the organisers developed a concept that enabled the competition to take place, but with less than a week to go, the Spanish authority did not grant the permit for the 185K race to take place during the night. Strict regulations did not permit runners to be outside after 23:00, which meant that the 185K course had to be split into two parts.. On that note, I am grateful to the team behind Trial Menorca, who had put together and amazing event despite all the challenges that they were faced with.
As per the original schedule, the race commenced on Friday at 6:00 in Cituadella. When the sun appeared on the horizon, the starting gun sounded and we run into the sunrise. I had quickly found my rhythm and I was able to run well across the rocks and along the coastline. While moving forward, I was embracing the scenery around the island, mostly with the ocean and white beaches in sight. As I have mentioned, I entered the race with less focus on an exact training regime, instead a well prepared mind. In fact, unlike other races, I did not even bring a battery pack to ensure that my watch would remain switched on throughout the entire day. On average my GPS watch lasts around 12 hours, i.e. I have to carry battery pack to ensure that my watch does not turn off during the run. On day one, we had to run 100 kilometer and reach the port of Mahon by 23:00. About one hour away from the finish line, my watch eventually switched off. Yet, little did it matter to me. I knew that I was on time, fully focussed on the journey and eventually crossing the finish line. Until today, I still do not know my exact finish time on each day.
Upon arrival in Mahon, I immediatley hopped on a bus, which would then take us back to Cituadella. One hour later, I walked back to my hotel, to eat, rest and recover. After a short night, I woke up at 3:00 and jumped back on the same bus at 4:45 to return to the start of the second stage. Like the day before, day two also commenced at 6:00 and we had to complete the stage by 23:00. We started in Es Castel and I had to complete the remaining 85 kilometers, running along the southern part of Menorca and leading us back to the finish line in Ciuatdella. Although, the atmosphere was not the same without hundreds of spectators along the course, all the people that we were passing along the beaches and small fishing villages offered encouragement and additional energy by cheering us on. After another long day in the sun and not-so-forgiving sandy and rocky trails, I reached the old port of Ciutadella and eventually opended the final gate of the course, in order to cross the finish line.
Given that I have failed to complete my two previous attempts at UTMB in 2018 and 2019, both due to severe hallucinations, Trail Menorca has become my first successful 100 mile race. Above all, apart from a wonderful course, I have also collected 6 ITRA points for the completion, enabling me to fulfill the qualification criteria for Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc 2022. Overwhelmed by the emotions and relieved to have completed this course, I opened up an ice-cold can of Mahou beer. À bientôt, Chamonix.