Suunto World Vertical Week, the thrilling celebration of the uphill challenge, united outdoor enthusiasts from around the globe in a collective pursuit of elevation gain on March 18–24. All human-powered activities by the participants were counted and every hill was turned into an opportunity to conquer new heights. We have now analyzed the data to see which country and activity type climbed the most!   The usual suspects were on top of the country rankings In the country rankings, the usual suspects – countries in the mountainous regions of Europe – were once again on top. This time Italy dethroned Austria for the number one spot with over 400 meters of ascent per activity on average. Switzerland also broke its way to the top three. The only non-European nation in the top 10 was South Africa in ninth place. Greece made it to the top 10 for the first time.   Average ascent meters by country   When looking at the total ascent, meaning adding up the ascent in all the activities in a nation for the Vertical Week, France took the top spot from Spain and Italy climbed past Austria on the third spot. Top 10 for total ascent meters France Spain Italy Austria Germany Switzerland USA Poland United Kingdom Czech Republic   Skiers – and the Japanese trail runners – were above the rest In the activity type rankings, there weren’t any major changes: ski touring activities had the biggest average ascent, followed by mountaineering and trail running. The average ascent for all the ski touring activities came close to the magical 1000-meter mark but was still a bit below the summit. Maybe next time!   Average ascent meters by activity type   While the skiers had the biggest days on average, when looking at individual activities with over 1000 meters of ascent, trail runners were in the lead. In 2023 the order was the other way round. In the individual performances, four people really stood out: They all had tracked over 20.000 meters of human-powered ascent during the Vertical Week. Impressive! And while looking at the big picture, many people seemed to push it more than last year: For a top 10% placing, you needed to climb 2275 meters during this year’s Vertical Week. That’s almost 373 meters more than in 2023. The same change is visible in the top of the top: To make it to the top 3% of the Vertical Week participants, you needed to climb 4062 meters, 472 meters more than in 2023. The country rankings winner Italy is very strong also in different activity type rankings. They earned a podium spot in six out of ten different categories! Ski touring Slovakia 1160m Switzerland 1062m Poland 1051m(Average for all countries 953 m) Whoop whoop, we have a new winner in the ski touring category! The Slovakian skiers ascended more than any other nation in any of the categories. It’s also clear that the 1000-meter mark is a clear goal for skiers, and the entire top 3 broke that limit. Trail running Japan 1076m Italy 674m Greece 600m(Average for all countries 457 m) This is amazing: The Japanese trail runners were the only ones breaking the 1000-meter mark in any other category than ski touring. They kept their well-deserved top spot in trail running for another year. Congratulations! Mountaineering Italy 865m Finland 838m France 799m(Average for all countries 633 m) Italy continued their dominancy, but the second place was a surprise: How did such a flat country as Finland make its way to second place? Mountain biking South Africa 645m Italy 547m Slovenia 540m(Average for all countries 393 m) The South Africans were active on the bike, climbed more than any other nation and ensured that also the African continent was presented in the rankings. Gravel cycling United Kingdom 656m United States 440m Italy 421m(Average for all countries 298 m) Gravel cycling was a new addition on the list this time. And, not surprisingly, the ascent meters for gravel cycling fell somewhere between mountain biking and cycling. The UK took the top spot in the activity ranking clearly. Cycling Spain 435m Italy 335m Slovenia 286m(Average for all countries 210 m) Everyone knows that cycling in Spain in the spring is great. And they seem to know it themselves, too! Trekking Japan 850m Switzerland 575m Austria 541m(Average for all countries 351 m) The Japanese took the top spot in two categories, trekking and trail running. Two category wins was only matched by Italy (number one in mountaineering and hiking). Hiking Italy 438m Slovakia 386m Slovenia 351m(Average for all countries 240 m) Yet another category with a strong Italian performance. Forza! Nordic skiing Switzerland 363m Austria 324m Norway 305m(Average for all countries 216 m) While the top three countries in the cross country skiing category were expected, what was surprising was the change in the podium lineup from the previous year: None of these three were on the podium last year. Running Czech Republic 152m Switzerland 138m South Africa 130m(Average for all countries 95 m) Running, the most popular Suunto activity in general, is not focused on the vert. Despite the smaller numbers, there still is a winner: Czech Republic took the number one spot!

Welcome to Suunto World Vertical Week – a thrilling celebration of the uphill challenge! From March 18 to March 24, outdoor enthusiasts from around the globe will unite in a collective pursuit of elevation gain, turning every hill into an opportunity to conquer new heights. The beauty of Suunto Vertical Week lies in its accessibility, taking place everywhere, and embracing all human-powered activities. Whether you're a trail runner, skier, hiker, mountaineer, cyclist, or any other adventurer, the Vertical Week invites you to climb as much as you can. The ultimate goal? To determine which nation and activity type emerges victorious, boasting the most elevation gain. Joining the Vertical Week is simple – just open the Suunto app and click 'join' in the Vertical Week message. All your human-powered activities during the week count. Join now and elevate your adventure! Follow your progress in real-time The Vertical Week sport app shows the current activity ascent (top), total ascent (bottom) and your total compared to Vertical Week participants in 2023.   You can follow your total ascent for the Vertical Week with the new SuuntoPlus Vertical Week sport app: The Vertical Week sport app will count every meter you climb and show your cumulative ascent for both the current activity and the entire week. You can also see how high you would be ranked in the previous Vertical Week challenge. Are you already in the top 30% or perhaps even the top 5% of participants? Go to the SuuntoPlus Store in Suunto app and sync the Vertical Week sport app to your watch. Before starting your first activity of the Vertical Week, select the sport app in the activity settings. Learn more about SuuntoPlus sport apps.    Join our community events in Innsbruck and Girona If you are spending your Vertical Week in or around Innsbruck, Austria, or Girona, Spain, you should check out our community events: In Innsbruck we will be running with BASEFIVE on March 18 and skiing on March 20 and 23. In Girona we will go on a community run together with the Overland crew on Saturday, March 23.  Learn more about Suunto x BASEFIVE Vertical Week events in Innsbruck and join! Learn more about Suunto x OVERLAND Vertical Week events in Girona and join!   Data from previous years Check out which sports and nations have captured the podium places during the past years. Will this year bring changes to the top places? Now is your chance to affect on this year's results by collecting as many vertical meters as possible.  2023 - 2022 - Summer 2021 - Winter 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 - 2016   Read more How to use the terrain maps in your Suunto Vertical 10 Suunto features for vertical gain Suunto World Vertical Week 2023 Big Data

Do you want to optimize your running performance and technique? If yes, pair your Suunto running watch with a Stryd sensor to measure running power and other key metrics, such as leg spring stiffness, vertical oscillation, ground contact time, and impact loading rate. With the new SuuntoPlus Stryd sports app, you can follow these values live while running and get real-time feedback and guidance. You can also access your data for after analysis in Stryd PowerCenter, a platform that helps you plan, analyze, and improve your running. With the Suunto watch and the Stryd sensor, you can take your running to the next level!   Follow four key running metrics With your Suunto and the Stryd sensor, you can learn how to balance your leg spring stiffness and vertical oscillation, reduce your ground contact time, and impact loading rate to run faster, smoother, and safer. Leg spring stiffness Leg spring stiffness is a measure of how well you use the elastic energy in your legs to propel yourself forward. It is related to your running power and efficiency. Vertical oscillation Vertical oscillation is a measure of how much you bounce up and down with each stride. It is related to your running form and energy waste. Ground contact time Ground contact time is a measure of how long your foot stays in contact with the ground on each step. It is related to your running speed and intensity. Impact loading rate Impact loading rate is a measure of how quickly you apply force to the ground when you land. It is related to your injury risk and recovery. Pairing a Stryd sensor with a Suunto can help you monitor and optimize these four metrics by providing real-time feedback and personalized insights.   These drills will improve your running Different types of drills can help you enhance your running metrics – and your running. Leg spring stiffness: This is a measure of how well you use the elastic energy in your legs to propel yourself forward. To improve your leg spring stiffness, you can do plyometric exercises, such as skipping, bounding, or hopping. These exercises help you develop explosive strength and elasticity in your leg muscles and tendons. Vertical oscillation: This is a measure of how much you bounce up and down with each stride. To reduce your vertical oscillation, you can do drills that focus on your posture, alignment, and cadence, such as running with high knees, butt kicks, or quick feet. These drills help you minimize your vertical movement and improve your running form and efficiency. Ground contact time: This is a measure of how long your foot stays in contact with the ground on each step. To lower your ground contact time, you can do exercises that strengthen your muscles and tendons. Stryd is a wearable device that clips onto your shoe, and communicates with your Suunto watch. How to use Stryd with Suunto Go to the SuuntoPlus Store in the Suunto app on your phone and install SuuntoPlus Stryd sport app on your watch. Before starting an activity, go down to exercise options and select the Stryd sport app under SuuntoPlus menu. Once you select the sports app in the watch, it connects to Stryd sensor. If the connection is for the wrong sensor, just reselect the app. Start your activity. The Stryd data will be presented as an extra screen (swipe left or push the middle button to view it). During your run, the Stryd sport app will show you live data from the Stryd sensor. After you have completed your activity, your running data will be available in both your Suunto and Stryd apps so you can start your analysis. The Stryd sensor and SuuntoPlus Stryd sport app are compatible with Suunto Race, Suunto Vertical, Suunto 9 Peak Pro, Suunto 9 Peak, Suunto 9 Baro, Suunto 9, Suunto 5 Peak, Suunto 5 and Suunto 3 watches.   If you already own a Suunto watch but do not yet have Stryd, you can order one here: the Stryd store Read more: 8 essential running form drills

Sharing the same passion for sports and the outdoors, UTMB® World Series and Suunto, known for their world-renowned GPS multisport watches and training tools, have announced a global partnership, that will see the two companies work together to contribute to the positive development of trail running and help individual runners reach their goals.   Suunto have supported adventurers since 1936 and have been involved in trail running since its inception. Their legacy in the sport is enriched by a strong team of elite runners, including UTMB Mont Blanc winners Courtney Dauwalter, Francois D’Haene and Pau Capell.  Suunto watches feature award-winning design, industry-leading battery life, reliability, and purpose-built features for training and racing.  As Official GPS Watch and Technical Partner of the UTMB World Series, Suunto will support runners in navigating the trails and achieving their dreams across the 41 UTMB World Series Events, by bringing its heritage and experience with GPS sports watches. Athletes with a Suunto Vertical or Suunto Race watch can download intuitive GPS maps in three different map styles with important landmarks, contour lines, water, paths and different sorts of terrain highlighted. Maps are available for each UTMB World Series Event, whether you are running the 100K CCC® (Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix) in the European Alps, the 50K Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB in California, the 100M Black River Peak race in the sugarcane fields for Mauritius by UTMB... or any other race of the circuit.    Frédéric Lénart, UTMB Group CEO, said:  “We are delighted to join forces with Suunto who has over 80 years’ experience in creating products that runners can rely on in the most extreme conditions. With Suunto becoming Technical Partner of the UTMB World Series, we will enable runners to live adventure that stays with them forever, helping them to take the first step and keep on moving.”    Hannu Korpivaara, Suunto Brand and Marketing Director, said:  “We firmly believe that collaboration empowers companies, communities, and individuals to evolve. It fosters relationship-building, innovation, and effective problem-solving. We are honored to partner with the UTMB World Series and to connect with all the runners out there. Together, we aim to contribute to the positive development of trail running and help individual runners reach their goals.”    The 2024 UTMB World Series kicks off this month with the Tarawera Ultra-Trail New Zealand by UTMB from the 17-18 February. This inaugural event of the year welcomes trail runners of all abilities and promises unforgettable moments in the most stunning scenery of Rotorua.    About UTMB® World Series  UTMB® World Series is the world’s ultimate trail-running circuit that unites the sport’s biggest stars and passionate runners through the best, leading international events in the most stunning locations. Built on a passion for the mountains with sustainability at its heart, UTMB® World Series gives all trail runners the chance to experience the UTMB® adventure across the world, with events taking place across Asia, Oceania, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It is the only place where runners can begin their quest to Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc, France, where the prestigious UTMB® World Series Finals will be held. Launched in May 2021 through the collaboration between the UTMB Group and The IRONMAN Group, the UTMB World Series circuit brings together many of the best international trail-running events on the planet. For more information, visit https://utmb.world/.   About UTMB Group  Since the creation of Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc in 2003 by a group of passionate friends, UTMB Group has been the driving force behind the development of trail running. The Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc is the sports pinnacle event, and every year, 10,000 runners earn their place on the start line. UTMB Group also pioneered the LiveTrail® technology, an innovative digital service that supports the management of endurance races. Revered by hundreds of thousands of athletes, UTMB® has become a global, premium, and leading brand. In May 2021, UTMB Group partnered with The IRONMAN Group to launch the UTMB® World Series, now in its second year, which brings together many of the best international events on the planet to provide exclusive access to the sport’s pinnacle event, Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc. The UTMB® World Series is built on the founding principles of Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc: surpassing oneself; fair-play; respect for people and the environment; and solidarity. Find out more at https://utmb.world/.  About Suunto  We stand for adventure. Pioneering has been in our DNA since 1936, when Finnish orienteer Tuomas Vohlonen invented a more accurate and reliable compass. Today, Suunto is at the forefront of design and innovation for sports watches, dive computers, compasses and digital services used by adventurers and athletes around the world.   Since 2022 we have conducted cradle to grave Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) for our new watch models to understand their environmental impact and to help us improve our ways of working. The remaining emissions we offset with Verified Carbon Units.  We pride ourselves on the fact that Suunto products are not only robust, but also have an everyday aesthetic that reflects our Nordic identity. Suunto's headquarters and own factory are located in Vantaa, Finland.   Find out more at www.suunto.com 

Last weekend Jakob Herrmann, Austrian ski mountaineer and Suunto ambassador broke the 24-hour skimo world record. He ascended 24.242 meters (79.534ft) in 24 hours in Radstadt, Austria. To put that into perspective, Jakob’s average hourly ascent was over 1.000 meters, and the total ascent was more than equal to six laps up to Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in the Alps, from the valley floor in Chamonix. The previous 24-hour world record was 23.486 meters set by Kilian Jornet. Jakob not only broke the record but was also the first person ever to climb over the 24.000-meter mark. Jakob skied all together 34 laps up and down a ski slope that has 713 meters of ascent. A single lap was 2,55 km and in total he skied more than 170 kilometers. During one of his descents, he hit a max speed of 108 km/h! We caught up with Jakob shortly after his record-breaking ski. Read on to learn more!   Suunto: When did you set the 24-hour record as your target? Jakob: I just love to spend time on my skis for hours! It has always been a dream for me to go on touring skis for 24 hours to see how many meters in altitude I can manage. I just want to know what limits I can reach and how far beyond them I can go. Did you do some specific training for it? In November and December, I did a lot of long and easy sessions on my skis followed by short and hard interval sessions to get the speed and strength. In the last two weeks before my 24h I only did short, easy sessions and some short, but hard ones and one race to get used to the suffering! Have you tried a personal 24h challenge before? No, but I did one session with 10.000m of ascent in 9h30m in the middle of December. I felt super strong although I did it self-supported. I think with more long sessions my head and muscles would have gotten tired and the pace would have gone down. So, I did more split sessions with 5.000m+ in the morning and a second session in the evening.   How did you pace yourself? For 90% I listened to my feelings. When I felt strong, I went faster and when I felt tired, I went a bit slower! My supporters always gave me the lap times. In addition, I observed the vertical speed per hour on my Suunto Race. How did your pace change through the 24 hours? I did the first loops very fast – my first uphill was in 30’. The first 10 loops were all between 30-36’. After that, I was between 37-40’. My slowest uphill was 42’ on the 24th loop when I had my lowest point. The hardest part for me was the early morning when I felt the freezing cold temperatures of around -8 degrees, especially during the downhills. In the end, I was able to push again, and the last 7 loops were all between 38-40’. The average was 38’20”. So, I think the secret to my success was that I was able to keep the pace constant. Did you have some surprises on the way? I didn’t have any negative surprises – only positive ones! I was surprised that so many friends joined me on my way and so many people followed me on-site or in the live stream. Did you have anyone keeping you company? Yes! I was only 7 hours in total alone: 4 hours during the night and 3 hours during the day. I am super happy I had so many friends on my side, but I enjoyed also the loops when I was alone!   When did you realize that you would make it? From the beginning… No joke! I had a strong day, and after some laps, I knew, that I could do it. After 18h I was 100% sure that I would make a new record, but I wasn’t sure if it would be more than 24.000m. After 21h I was sure I’d do the extra lap to climb more than 24.000 meters. Which Suunto did you use? I had the Suunto Race – and it worked perfectly. The battery lasted unbelievably well; I had more than 40% of the battery left in the end even though I had the GPS on the best settings, the light was always on and I used the SuuntoPlus Loop sport app. What was your nutrition strategy? 100 grams of carbs per hour. I always had 300ml of Maurten Drink Mix320 with me. Every loop I had a Maurten gel and every 4th loop I ate a Moonvalley bar and no gel. After the 8th and 16th loops, I had warm salted potatoes and a warm soup on the top. For the last 6 loops, I stopped with Maurten Drink Mix320 and Moonvalley bars and changed to Red Bull, water, and Pringles!   Did you have a big crew supporting you? I had two supporters in the valley and two on the top. Philipp [Reiter] was everywhere taking pictures and pushing me! Also, my parents were nearly 24 hours on my side to give me a good feeling! How do you feel now, one day after the enormous effort? I feel super good. My energy and legs are strong – only my feet are swollen, and I have some blisters. I am surprised… but I think my nutrition strategy was really good. I never felt completely out of energy.   Check out Jakob’s record-breaking activity in Strava Follow Jakob’s adventures on Instagram All images by Philipp Reiter / The Adventure Bakery

Rise&Fall                                                                 Mountain Attack   Rise & Fall Mayrhofen Four people, one team, no mercy - on January 14th, everything will be demanded of the athletes. Each team consists of a ski mountaineer and mountain biker who will give their best in the uphill. A paraglider and skier cover the downhill and do complete the team and risk everything to be the first crossing the finish line. Among the more than 300 participants this year are Johanna Hiemer on touring skis, Aaron Durogatti and Judith Rubner on paragliders and Marius Quast on skis. The special thing about it is that both Johanna Hiemer and Judith Rubner will be competing in a women's team. "I'm looking forward to this unique event - 4 different sports combined in on event is unique. The atmosphere is amazing." - Johanna Hiemer We asked Chris Ebenbichler, the organizer of the event, a few questions in advance: What is important for the teams? The teams must form a homogeneous unit. The handover in the individual disciplines is crucial and, of course, the spirit within the team is always better when the athletes know each other. It's great to see how the team members cheer each other on, motivate and support each other. At the end of the day, they win or lose together and create unforgettable moments and emotions.  What is the most challenging discipline? It's difficult to define. It's a high-intensity event and the short duration of the individual disciplines means that the athletes are constantly pushing themselves to the limit and in the red zone. There is no time to catch your breath and you have to stay focussed. It's a sprint for touring and biking, the paragliders are challenged by the running course and the difficult start section and for the skiers, with a 3-minute giant slalom and the obstacles before the finish, the lactate level is almost unbearable What is the discipline in which you can win everything and lose everything? The two RISE disciplines of ski touring and mountain biking certainly offer the most time. Unfortunately, you can lose everything if you fall in the last discipline, skiing. How do the teams prepare for this special event? The teams and athletes prepare very individually. For some amateur athletes, having fun comes first. The professionals, on the other hand, take things very seriously. For the ski tourers, it's a kind of benchmark for the start of their season and the mountain bikers see it as the starting signal for preparation and the first training courses in warmer climes. However, the same applies to everyone: Without adequate preparation, it will be a knife-edge ride. How many teams are competing? Men & women? There will be 80 teams and 10 individual starters on the day of the event. We hope to welcome around 20 women's teams to Mayrhofen this year. ©Michael Werlberger SATURDAY, 13.01.2024 Europahaus Mayrhofen From 16.00 to 18.30: Bib-Collection & Pastaparty19.00: Welcoming and briefing 20.00: "RED BULL X-Alps 2023": Multimediashow with Christian "CHRIGEL" Maurer in the Europahaus - Ticketinfo SUNDAY, 14.01.2024 Eventarea in front of Ahornbahn 11.00: Entrance - Warm up11.30: START - RISE&FALL KIDS-RACE 2024+ Prize ceremony: KIDS-RACE12.45: START - RISE&FALL SINGLE-RACE 202413.00: START - RISE&FALL TEAM-RACE 2024directly afterwards: Flower CeremonyFrom 16.00: Live music with the band "Jukebox Brothers"16.00: Prize ceremonyApprox. 17.00: RISE&FALL Afterparties in Mayrhofen   Mountain Attack The 26th Mountain Attack will take place on 19th of January 2024 and athletes will give their best over 6 distances. In Saalbach-Hinterglemm, hundreds of athletes will once again give their all this year - the 3-person relay over the marathon distance is new. Suunto athlete Jakob Herrmann is not only last year's winner and therefore Mountain Man 2023 with a time of 2:22:14 but will also be on the starting line again this year. "The challenge is definitely the first mountain! You tend to go too fast or lose a lot of energy because it's so steep. In 2020, I was almost 1,5 minutes behind the leaders on the first climb and I finished 2' ahead with a new course record," says Jakob Herrmann. It remains to be seen whether a course record will be set this year in addition to his preparation for the 24h project, but we will certainly be there. © Philipp Reiter   Roland Kurz and his team have been organizing the Mountain Attack for 26 years now and give us a closer look at the ski touring event of the year: How did the Mountain Attack come about? We started the first race in 1999. It was very well received internationally, the media reported on it and so the idea became a vision - the Mountain Attack. It has since become a touring ski cult event, the biggest and toughest night-time piste ski touring race in the world with participants from over 20 nations and numerous side events, a meeting point for the scene, business and sport. What makes the Mountain Attack so special? The Mountain Attack is a race over several distances (Schattberg Race - vertical, Tour and Marathon - individual) where it is possible for amateur and hobby athletes to compete with the best athletes in the world in a race at the same time, in the same weather conditions and with the same snow conditions. Thousands of spectators on the various peaks and in the valley are up close to the racing action and motivate all participants to achieve their personal best. A unique atmosphere for all enthusiastic ski mountaineers and fans. And: because the course has been the same for 25 years, everyone can compare their own performance with that of previous years. What is the biggest challenge and who is the Mountain Attack for? The route. The start on foot, running through the centre of Saalbach, with thousands of spectators, and especially the first steep climb up the Schattberg with over 1000 metres of altitude difference is a special challenge - affectionately called "Il Muro" (the wall) by the Italians. The steep climbs and the long and steep descents throughout the race are unique and very challenging. Everyone is welcome, even without a national or international athlete's licence, who loves the sport and is an experienced ski tourer. Numerous athletes from summer sports, such as triathletes, trail runners and cyclists, like to use ski mountaineering in winter as optimal training preparation and are represented in large numbers at the start of the Mountain Attack. © Philipp Reiter PROGRAM FOR FANS AND SPECTATORS FRIDAY, 19.01.2024 13:00: Start Junior-Sprint: Schattberg-Basisareal. Final 14:45 Uhr ca. 15:00: Attack-Party: Mountain Attack-ARENA Schattberg with DJ Musik & Expo 16:00: Mountain Attack - START at thee Dorfplatz in Saalbach 16:40: First finisher Schattberg Race 16:50: First estimated arrivals Hinterglemm 17:15: Prize ceremony Junior-Sprint, Stage Attack-Arena 17:35 – 18:25: First finisher in Saalbach – Mountain Attack-ARENA, Schattberg 17:00 – 22:00: Athletes crossing the finish line  - Moderation and Party 22:30: Prize ceremony on stage – Mountain Attack-ARENA, Schattberg