Outdoor Focus Winter 2017 | Page 13

OWPG AWARD WINNERS 2017 GUIDE BOOK Winner Kingsley Jones for Trail Running - Chamonix and the Mont Blanc Region Judges Mark Whitely of Dalesman Publications and former OWPG member Chris Bagshaw Kingsley Jones receiving his award from OWPG chairman, Peter Gillman About Kingsley... Kingsley is qualified as a UIMLA International Mountain Leader and Dip.P.T. Personal Trainer, who splits his time between the Lake District and Chamonix each year, to guide groups trail running in the mountains. For details on guided trail running visit www.icicle.co.uk or for information about the author visit his website: www.kingsleyjones.com. What the judges said... Genuinely innovative in its choice of subject, and well written, passionate and authoritative. Kingsley Jones On trail running and the OWPG award I n the recent OWPG Awards for Excellence, I was delighted that my book on trail running in Chamonix, won the guidebook category. More pleasing was that the judges noted “Genuinely innovative in its choice of subject, and well written, passionate and authoritative”. I’m hoping this guidebook really opens up the possibilities for runners visiting the Mont Blanc massif. It’s especially important and current, when we see the effects of modern living and diet, damaging so many peoples health. As humans we are all born runners, with our Neolithic forefathers being persistence hunters who chased prey slowly and steadily until the animal was exhausted and could be killed. Trail running is quite literally in our genes, in a current era where many waistlines are challenging our jeans. Gone are the preconceptions of mountain runners as wild mountain men with overly short shorts and wild beards. You are as likely to be overtaken by a woman in the latest technical compression fabrics with lightweight poles and a minimalist running backpack. Trail running as a sport has come a long way in the Running to Le Brévent < winter 2017 | Outdoor focus 13