Zegama-Aizkorri: A NNormal Experience

Two months ago we ran a competition to win a trip of a lifetime - meet athlete Kilian Jornet, win a head-to-toe NNormal running outfit and experience Zegama-Aizkorri, one of the most iconic trail races in the world.

Our lucky winner was Lewis James of Penrith and last weekend he headed out to the Basque Country to enjoy an incredible weekend with SportsShoes and the NNormal team.

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Pictured: Lewis enjoying the Vertical Kilometre route.

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Zegama-Aizkorri is a renowned international trail race and part of this year's Salomon Golden Trail Series, with some of the biggest names in the sport taking part, including 10 x winner Kilian Jornet. First held in 2002, this annual event is a marathon with mountains featuring over 2,736 m of ascent.

In addition to the classic race, there is also a Vertical Kilometre (VK) race, climbing over 1000m in 5km.

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Lewis arrived just in time to watch the VK and even managed to hike/run the route himself. Not for the faint-hearted, this race is super-steep and super-technical in parts, with hundreds of spectators on the course cheering on all the athletes with a level of passion and noise that the basque crowds are famous for (more on this later!).

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Lewis said; "The VK route was pretty savage! The mud and the terrain made it feel very similar to Britain but these mountains are obviously on a much bigger scale."

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Pictured: Lewis running to the summit of Aizkorri.

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The following day it was back up the mountain to recce some of the classic marathon race route, whilst testing the two NNormal trail shoes, the Kjerag and the Tomir2.0.

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Lewis said; "I like the shoes, particularly the Tomir2.0. I think for a cushioned shoe the grip is really good, the cushioning is really springy and well placed. Definitely a contender for my shoe of choice at the Lakeland 100."

NNormal's highest-performance trail shoe, Kjerag features lightweight reactivity, high-speed comfort, extreme grip and stability. From training for your 1st VK to making the podium on your 50th 100-mile, Kjerag makes you uncatchable.

Tomir2.0 is NNormal's most versatile and comfortable model. With a higher stack than the Kjerag, this max-cushioned shoe is more suited to long-ultra trail distances and features a deeper 5mm lug for more aggressive grip on extreme off-road surfaces.

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Zegama is Zegama

Of course, no trip to Zegama would be complete without watching the race itself and what a spectacle it was. Despite the inclement weather, thousands of spectators lined the trails to watch Kilian claim a record 11th win in this prestigious event, whilst Norway's Sylvia Nordskar enjoyed victory in the women's race on her debut performance. And it was a better than NNormal day for the brand, as Kilian's teammate Elhousine Elazzaoui of Morocco placed second to join him on the podium.

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Is there a better race atmosphere than Zegama-Aizkorri?

Click here to watch Kilian climbing to the highest point in the race on the world famous Sancti Spiritu trail.

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Lewis said; "The best part of the whole trip was definitely the atmosphere at the top of the mountain - it was amazing when the runners were coming through. The noise from the crowd was incredible, it was like nothing I've ever experienced at a running event before. Meeting Kilian after the race was also very cool!"

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Pictured: Lewis meets one of his trail running heroes, NNormal's Kilian Jornet.

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Would you like to win big with SportsShoes?

Then follow our social media accounts now for a chance to enter some of our amazing competitions!

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The NNormal Story

World-renowned mountaineer and trail runner Kilian Jornet has partnered with family-owned footwear company Camper to launch NNormal. NNormal's products reflect the partnership's shared philosophy: authenticity and utility that inspire people to enjoy and respect nature-a mission which is expressed through timeless gear that's functional, performance-oriented and built to last. All the Outdoor equipment was designed in Mallorca and tested in Norway as hinted in the name of the brand (Nor-way + Mal-lorca).

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SportsShoes is committed to organising the most exciting and unique races, whether it's on the track, road or trail. Keen to find out more? Then check out our Races category for more information about events, latest news and results. Because it's no fun standing still.