Kilian Jornet has always been thinking beyond what is possible, from his career as a mountain athlete to the co-founding of NNormal and his desire to build a sustainable, technical apparel company. Sketching the Future looks back at 2022.
In 2022, Kilian returned to four iconic races: Zegama, Hardrock, Sierra Zinal and UTMB. He won three of the four and set new course records at three of them. But more importantly, he also ran all four races in the same pair of shoes—shoes that he had helped to design in collaboration with Camper, and shoes that proved that it was possible to build a durable shoe for such a wide range of conditions. In our new film, Sketching the Future, Kilian gives us a window into this iconic season that really started with his deep love of being in the mountains, and his thoughtful consideration for the future. And he shares with us why community is so important, and some of his dreams for what’s next.
If you’re not familiar with Kilian (If that’s possible!), here’s a quick snapshot. He grew up in a mountain refuge in the Pyrenees, so the mountains have always been his playground, be it running, climbing or skiing. As a multidisciplinary athlete, he has also broken mountain speed records around the world, including a double ascent of Everest.
Today Kilian lives in Norway where he continues to push his limits in mountain sports and inspire a large community with films, books and digital content. Kilian has also become an advocate in the fight against climate change and works to raise awareness of the need to protect our environment.
NNormal was launched in 2022 and to celebrate its first birthday, the brand has just released a film starring Kilian Jornet: Sketching the Future. In the new NNormal film, Kilian Jornet opens up a new window for the viewer on this significant season and explains why the community is so important.
Produced by NNormal and directed by Nick Danielson, the film looks back over NNormal’s creation and development. It establishes a parallel with the four races Kilian Jornet competed in, which confirmed that, together with Camper, he managed to create high-tech, hard-wearing shoes. The film combines footage from the 2022 season and his Himalayan adventure in 2023, as well as statements and interviews with members of the Camper and NNormal teams.
NNormal and durability
In 2022 Kilian Jornet again took part in four iconic races on the international scene. They were all races with which the athlete felt a strong personal connection: Zegama-Aizkorri, Hardrock, Sierre Zinal and UTMB. He won three of the four races and set new records in three of them. He ran all four races in the same pair of NNormal shoes.
“It’s great to know that for an entire season I only used one pair of shoes to train and another for racing. Achieving such durability was a great challenge for the whole team. It was amazing to work together, put so much love into creating them and see how people were interested in the shoes and tried them out at the official launch in Chamonix. That was the real achievement, more than winning UTMB,” says Kilian Jornet.
Want to know more about the footwear featured in the film Sketching the Future? Check out NNormal Shoes here. We’ve also got reviews coming soon on 2 of the latest additions!
One of the causes close to our hearts at Ultrarunner Magazine is the environment. As a result, we’ve closely followed this brand since we featured NNormal when they launched last year. You can read the full article here.