TrailBlaze vs. SkyRunner: The Essential Gear That Conquered the 17 Valley Ultra
The rugged, unforgiving peaks and winding trails of the 17 Valley Ultra once again played host to a festival of endurance this past weekend, cementing its reputation as one of the calendar’s most brutal yet beautiful trail running events. From the audacious, multi-day 17 Valleys 100-Mile challenge to the fast-paced, gut-busting 2 Valleys 22km dash, the races showcased the grit of the global ultra-running community. As always, the spectacular scenery was rivalled only by the sheer athletic prowess on display, with stories of triumph, near-misses, and the crucial role of modern trail gear emerging across all distances.
This year’s event saw a noticeable trend: the pervasive and strategic use of lightweight trail poles. Specifically, the competition was thick with both TrailBlaze and SkyRunner series poles, proving that in a race where every ounce and every stride matters, runners are leaning heavily on lighter and more compact poles to conquer the extreme vertical gain and technical descents that define this course.
The Rise of the Ultra-Pole: TrailBlaze and SkyRunner Dominate the Valleys
The sight of hundreds of runners utilizing poles at the 17 Valley Ultra has become commonplace, but the sheer volume this year was staggering. A rough estimate across the various start lines suggested that over 80% of participants in the ultra-distance events (55km, 110km, and 100-Mile) were equipped with poles.
The popularity was clearly split between two dominant brands: the lightweight, durable Mountain King Trailblaze and the ultra-minimalist SkyRunner Series. The TrailBlaze, known for its robust construction and reliability in varied terrain, was the clear workhorse, favoured by those tackling the unforgiving 100-Mile course where fatigue management is paramount. While the SkyRunner Ultras were heavily seen throughout the 110km race, with their strong carbon fibre construction offered peace of mind when planting a pole in a slippery scree field or relying on it for support on steep climbs deep into the race.
However, the real excitement, particularly in the competitive end of the shorter ultras, centred on the emergence of the SkyRunner Edge and the SkyRunner RaceDay pole. Runners using the SkyRunner RaceDay were spotted using the poles to propel themselves up the relentless ascents of the 5 Valleys and 7 Valleys routes. These poles, engineered for minimal weight and maximum stiffness, are truly a testament to how specialized ultra-running gear has become, offering runners a critical tool to convert upper body strength into forward momentum without incurring significant weight penalties.
The 17 Valleys Ultra weekend also marked the first UK race where a pair of the new SkyRunner Edge poles were being used. The SkyRunner Edge poles, a clear development of the ultralight SkyRunner series, were a defining piece of gear across the technical terrain of the 5 Valleys Ultra. On the brutal ascents out of the first three valleys, the Edge's Edge Clip system was vital. This glove-integrated, quick-release grip ensured maximum power transfer, allowing Ben Read and other elite runners to push off the ground efficiently. The focus of the pole's design is to merge the runner's hand and the carbon shaft into a single propulsive unit, translating upper-body strength directly into vertical speed and helping to conserve the quads for the later, more runnable sections
The lightweight, yet stiff carbon construction provided immediate, reassuring stability without the pendulum effect of heavier models. The improved stability allowed runners to attack the downhill sections with confidence, braking smoothly and correcting micro-stumbles across rocky ground and loose scree. By reducing the overall impact force on the knees and ankles over the 55km distance, the pole actively worked to delay the onset of muscle fatigue, giving runners a distinct advantage in maintaining form and pace as they entered the final two valleys.
Ultimately, the presence of the SkyRunner Edge throughout the 5 Valleys Ultra represents a shift from poles as a mere necessity to a high-performance training tool. The quick-attach feature enabled swift transitions between running and power-hiking, minimizing time lost at aid stations and on varied terrain. The pole was not just carried—it was an integral part of the running economy, providing a four-point contact system that distributed the incredible workload of a mountain ultra, demonstrating its capacity to offer a measurable performance edge on a demanding Lake District cours