Hawaii from sea to sea: A trailrunning adventure

Sinead Mulhern April 26, 2015

In our new series about Hawaiin trailrunning exploration, three runners take on a sea-to-sea challenge which involves taking on two volancoes while running through Hawaii’s beautiful terrain.

It began in Chamonix. During the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, Julbo invited finishers to sign up for the chance to win a dream trail trip on the island of legends with trail stars, Julien Chorier and Jason Schlarb. The objective: to cross Hawaii from south to north, taking in two volcanoes more than 4,000 metres high: Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. Californian Bill Clements was the lucky amateur chosen for the Julbo Trail Session 2014. He got the chance to share a magical moment side by side and slope by slope with the two pros from Julbo Trail Team. We get to relive his adventure in this new web photo series.

About the trailrunning trio:

Jason Schlarb

Run Rabbit 100 winner in 2013, Jason Schlarb is the great American hope of trail running. In 2014, he became the highest ever placed American in the history of the UTMB®, finishing a fantastic fourth. This firm believer in a positive attitude trained in the Alps all summer to give himself every chance.

Bill Clements

Looking at Bill, who would have thought that this Californian used to be overweight? A 100 % amateur, he took up running in 2009 after a major diet. Clements is a finisher at the Western States 100 and at the Leadville Trail 100, it was his first time at the UTMB®. He finished the race in 187th place in 32 hours 45 minutes, entered the Julbo competition and won a ticket for the Julbo Trail Session. A well-deserved reward.

Julien Chorier

Aged 34, this construction engineer has built a strong track record in trails. His greatest successes include: the Grand

Raid de la Réunion (2009 and 2011), Hardrock 100 (2011), the Mount Fuji Ultra Trail (2012), the Ronda dels Cims (2013) and the Madeira Island Ultra-Trail (2014). And we mustn’t forget his great achievements in the UTMB®.

Part 1: Preparing for the challenge

From sea level to 4,000 m altitude, nothing can be left to chance. After flying in from Los Angeles and arriving at night on Kona, it’s time to get to know each other. This means not only meeting the other trailers, but also discovering the island with landscape as varied as the weather which can be very changeable. The climate in Hawaii is so different it can change in the blink of an eye. And sun can follow rain just as quickly as rain follows sun. The first few days in situ are devoted to preparing the trip, finding key spots and getting to know the various terrain. And

above all, preparing yourself for all conditions, from sea level to 4,000 m.

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