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Titan Desert Morocco 2023
From April 30th to May 5th, 503 brave mountain bikers from 25 countries all over the world tested their physical and mental endurance, covering over 600 kilometers and overcoming more than 6,000 meters of accumulated altitude in six stages, from Boumalne-Dadès to Maadid, crossing the desert and facing steep climbs, dangerous descents and inhospitable terrain.

Hugo & Max – The Grand Slam
During the 2022 season of ÖTILLÖ Swimrun the French-Swedish duo Hugo Tormento and Max Andersson set out on the quest to not only win ÖTILLÖ The Swimrun World Championship but to win every single race in the whole World Series. Seven in total.

Birna. The Woman Who Swims In Ice

Icelandic ice swimmer Birna Hrönn swims in freezing lakes and seas of Iceland and swimming – without the use of a wetsuit – distances that would seem impossible. We follow Birna as she explores new places to swim and recounts her life, her love of the outdoors and her devotion to the sport of ice swimming. With comments by Ram Barkai, Chairman of the International Ice Swimming Association, on the effects of cold water immersion on the human body, the film shows that nothing is impossible.

Rwanda Congo Uganda Bike Adventure
Our friend, bikepacker and adventurer, Michele is back from a just completed epic 800km solo African bike packing adventure on the Congo Nile trail starting in Rwanda, through Congo and finishing in Uganda. He rides the roads and paths in an amazing trek up and down the thousand hills of Rwanda, along the shoreline of famous lakes, through the rain forest, up volcanoes and into national parks encountering monkeys, gorillas, elephants and other wildlife. A truly authentic and unique two wheeled story.

New Podcast !

Courtney Dauwalter – Ultra runner with a love for sunshine, long inseams, and candy.
With a record surpassing most athletes in the sport of ultra running, Courtney, has a few super powers, one being her ability to have a great laugh and another being her ability to be humble and simply human.

Coming Soon :

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Salomon Community Run New Caledonia
Salomon Trail Runner Elite Vladimir Shatrov runs on one of the Worlds most challenging and brutal races. The New Caledonia Ultra Trail covers over 130km with 6500 meters of climbs across this stunning terrain. Follow the  drama and hard lessons learned in this remote paradise.

Trail Menorca 2023
Can you imagine waking up, preparing your backpack, putting on your trainers and running 185 km around the Island of Menorca, with a cumulative elevation gain of 3,500 metres? This is the what awaits you in the Trail Menorca Camí de Cavalls, one of the longest Trail races in Europe and one of the most attractive challenges you can face today. If you prefer you can run shorter distances as there are 5 other races (27, 45, 58, 85 and 100 km)

The Outdoor Sports Show 2023 – Episode 6

In this episode : the world of XTERRA in the Musandam Peninsula in Oman, the Shanghai Half Marathon, a unique mountain bike adventure—the renowned La Leyenda del Caribe in the Dominican Republic,the Jans Gravel Menorca: a unique cycling adventure through the roads of the Island. Let’s then take a dive, as we are getting closer to the launch of a brand new project. UltraSwim 33.3 testing swimmers in a distance of 33.3km, spread over four days and six swims. Our aquatic exploration continues with the 2023 CMAS World Freediving Indoor Championship held in Kuwait.

Qatar Airways GKA Big Air Kite World Championships
The reigning Qatar Airways GKA Big Air Kite World Champions look set to return to Tarifa, Spain, for the second straight year to defend their crowns in the biggest kiteboarding event of the season. The GKA Big Air Worlds had a three-week holding window. That ensured the event directors can choose the strongest Levante winds—which can blow 30 knots to 50 knots—to provide the best Big Air show.

New Podcast !

Anne-Marie Madden – The Front Line to Tree Line
to Start Line
Covering everything from the front line of current-day anaesthesiology, the discovery of toothed jelly fungus and achieving pure joy and accolades in running. We take a moment to speak with Anne-Marie Madden who has the ability and energy to do it all, with buckets of infectious enthusiasm, like most Canadians. It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know the real captain on the first voyage of the unforgettable Bus Run Bus and I hope you enjoy getting to know Anne-Marie some more during our great conversation.

Coming Soon

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Marathon des Sables 2023 – The Film
This 37th edition of the Marathon Des Sables has been one of the most selective in the history of the MDS, the desert has given no gift to the 1085 competitors who came to face the elements. Extreme temperatures throughout the week saw 771 competitors complete the adventure. Everyone comes there for good reasons, to support a cause, to escape a too heavy daily life, to take up a challenge or quite simply to find answers to philosophical, existential questions, whatever; you never come back unscathed from this extraordinary adventure. But long before all that, 39 years ago now, a man set out alone to conquer the Moroccan desert to cross what was to become the territory of the future Marathon Des Sables.

Golden Trail World Series 2023 Episode 1 Zegama
Golden trail series consist of trail running races where the best athletes in the world are competing. GTWS consist of 6 races + final. Races will be held in Zegama (Spain), Marathon du Mont Blanc (France), Dolomyths run (Italy), Sierre-Zinal (Switzerland), Pikes Peak ascent (Colorado USA), Mammoth 26k (California, USA) and grand final il Golfo dell’Isola trail race (Italy). First stop of GTWS is in Spain, in Basque country in a small village of Zegama. It is in the northern end of the Pyrenees and It has its own language and unique culture. The race is one of the most popular in the world because of the insane crowd. Fans of trail running come every year on the famous part of the race from Sancti Spiritu segment to the Aizkorri summit to support and cheer on the runners.

Racing Namibia

The Namib Desert Race is a 7-day 250km stage race, part of the Racing the Planet 4 Desert Series. Follow along in this 9-part series documenting Jeff’s entire adventure, before, during, and after the race,  in one of the oldest deserts in the world.

All The Way
From award-winning documentary filmmaker Carl Eneroth at Sthlm Social Innovation Lab comes “All the Way”. A heart-pounding, intimate and mind expanding portrait of Swimrun team Pontus Lindberg and George Bjälkemo, as they prepare for their ultimate challenge… winning the 75 km ÖtillÖ Swimrun World Championships in the Stockholm archipelago… in trail shoes and a wetsuit.

New Podcast !

Ryan Sandes – Lessons from All or Nothing.
‘Everything you do shapes you and has an impact on your life’ – Ryan Sandes
13 years as a professional athlete has allowed Ryan Sandes to experience some of the highest highs and some of the most challenging experiences of his life. Amidst achievements like winning Western States Endurance Run 100 mile and crossing Nepal in a Fastest Known Time (FKT) a journey of 1504km, 70,100m of elevation gain in a time of 25 days, 4 hours and 24 minutes along a version of the Great Himalayan Trail with Ryno Griesel, working alongside various foundations and becoming a father, Ryan has spent a lot of time getting grounded by the sport of trail running.

Coming Soon

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HORIZONSPORTS, the world’s Nature Sports & Wellness video platform, is available since mid-June as a linear channel on Bouygues Telecom TV channels line up in France . HorizonSports covers the top outdoor sports events (Ultra running and cycling endurance races, swim runs, ski mountaineering, winter sports, kite surf…) and has the best  selection of adventure,  wellness travel, films and documentaries. HorizonSports is included in the new Sport Package of Bouygues Telecom available for Bbox subscribers (except Bbox Fit and 4G Box) at 9.99€ during 12 months and then at 12.99€/month without any commitment. The channel is also available on the family tier and on the entertainment tier. The playout and the delivery of the signal to Bouygues Telecom are performed by the French Company Cognacq-Jay Image.

Philippe Deleplace, Co-founder of HorizonSports, said “We are delighted to see HorizonSports and its unique programming on Bouygues Telecom and motivate viewers to be more active in nature.”

“the inclusion of the channel HorizonSports within our line up allows us to fully satisfy nature sports fans. We are delighted with this partnership which enriches the multi-sports editorial line of our Sport package” points out Eric Laurent, Bouygues Telecom TV Content, Services and Fixed Products Marketing Director.

Cognac-Jay Image said “the arrival of a channel such as HorizonSports is always a nice event in TV. We are proud to help HorizonSports with our technical solutions for the playout of their contents on Bouygues Telecom. We are also grateful to our technical teams for their implication in the achievement of this project”.

About HorizonSports

HorizonSports is the nature sports & wellness Video platform that caters to people who hike, run, cycle, love mountains, want to be healthy and more active in nature reaching more than 100 million viewers per month and growing in Asia, Europe, USA through over two dozen platforms on OTT, Smart TV and smart phones, IPTV, cable and satellite. HorizonSports is also available through  an Apple & Android App.  HorizonSports aggregates and produces the best inspiring video content from the top outdoor, sports events, lifestyle and adventure TV producers with a balance of sports and Wellness premium programming available for unlimited streaming and video on demand. HorizonSports covers the top Ultra running and cycling endurance races, swim runs, ski mountaineering, winter sports and has the best  selection of adventure,  wellness travel, films, documentaries, and more from all over the world. 

www.horizonsports.com

About Cognacq-Jay Image

Cognacq-Jay Image has been providing services in the audiovisual field since 1996. Its services have since constantly evolved to now cover the entire technical field of media processing and their exposure. Whether through the transfer and processing of files, playout services, the management of digital platforms or even customer technical assistance, Cognacq-Jay Image has for more than 25 years been the reference technical partner for the deployment of audiovisual services.

www.cognacqjayimage.com
Contacts:
HORIZONSPORTS : Philippe Deleplace (philippe@horizonsports.com)
COGNACQ-JAY IMAGE : Océane Presutti (oceane.presutti@cji.paris) 

More and more people are running at night on trails.  Running with headlights on a trail at night might seem daunting or uncomfortable – only for the truly daring. Why run at night when running in day light is fine. Why push the limits? Ok the pros do it in Ultra-marathons where they run non stop over 24 hours in multiday races usually starting at night or before dawn.

Is night trail running so difficult? Why at night? These were the questions that were running through my mind as I joined an evening trail run team.  I enjoyed night trail running right away and have not stopped since. You are in the woods with the wild boar and deer, you climb hills without seeing the top and then down the other side.  In day light you might feel tired looking at the top of the hill. At night it is very quiet and there are no cars on the road.  Once you are done you marvel that you ran so far and climbed so much.

You will need a good pair of trail running shoes with special soles to avoid sliding too much. Make sure they are water proof or you will have wet feet– especially in the winter when you are running through puddles, wet grass and mud. You will also need a good headlamp.  Most people just choose the cheapest headlamp and pay the “price” later when they can’t see what they are stepping into….spend more for a better/ stronger lamp that is rechargeable so that when you are descending you can see what lies ahead especially when the descent is tricky.  When with other night runners, try to keep the light aimed down and not in other peoples faces.

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by Laurence Fox Hopper

Testing BMC gravel ebike

I am a regular cyclist, riding over 100km a week, with a vertical climb of around 1000 meters up and down the hills near my house. Often, as I am sweating and climbing up a steep hill , I will hear a clicking sound and then someone on an ebike passes me, smiling.  I usually pass them later on, as soon as the road flattens out a bit or starts descending. I have often wondered about ebikes. Friends who are not active in sports at all have started riding up steep mountains to enjoy nature and the mountain huts that serve delicious food and provide incredible views before riding back down to the valley. They have done this thanks to the new ebike technologies which are spreading throughout the world – growing 30% a year. Some people consider ebikes cheating and only for older or inactive people. Yet gravel and ebikes are the biggest growth segments in cycling.

I tested a BMC gravel bike with a Shimano drive train and battery on a rainy and cold spring day, starting at Riva on lake Garda and riding up into the beautiful mountains above Lake Garda. This was my first time both on an ebike and a gravel bike.

My first impressions: before getting on the bike I checked the tires and noticed they weren’t fully inflated: my immediate reaction was to request that the tires be inflated more, but I was told that gravel bike tires should not be inflated to the max to allow for better grip on the rocks and gravel and to better absorb impact, since the bike does not have shock absorbers.  Once riding, I got a quick instruction on how to change gears and to change ride mode – eco, trail, boost, off. I learned the hard way that you have to put the bike into low gear and shift the mode to boost if you want to climb a sudden steep trail, because if you are in a high gear – even if you put it on boost – you won’t make it up. Battery consumption depends on how often you use boost and whether you are putting in some effort to peddle. During our four-hour climb and descent, I used up a bit more than half the battery’s power. The bike is great, speeding quickly to 25km/h, and then it stops assisting – according to EU regulation that allows only a maximum assisted speed of 25 km/h.  When you are going over this speed – especially downhill — means that you are actually peddling, no assistance. That is why non-ebikes can easily pass an ebike rider going downhill.

I went with a group of testers – using the BMC eGravel bike powered by Shimano battery and drive train. We had such a good time, we returned home very late. Had I peddled my non-powered bike up those mountains, I would have been exhausted – instead I must have used up about 30% or less of the energy usually required, even though I did sweat.  The bike is very stable on the paths and going down the rocky hills and fast on the road  – the power is fun to use – a different type of bicycle experience.

Most of the mountain bike rentals on Lake Garda are ebikes – since tourists prefer an assisted climb to see the beauty of the mountains and enjoy the views without too much effort. Try one regardless of your level, and have fun…….It’s the future!

written by: Laurence F. Hopper

https://horizonsports.tv/home

https://www.horizonsports.com

HORIZONSPORTS, the world’s Nature Sports & Wellness video platform, is now also available in English, French and Italian as a Video On Demand channel to HUAWEI Video viewers in 26 countries and regions – UK, France, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Finland, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Mexico, Malaysia, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and South Africa.

Laurence Fox Hopper, CEO of HORIZONSPORTS, said “We are delighted to expand our distribution to millions more viewers worldwide and are sure that fans will love exploring our wide range of exciting nature sports and wellness contents.”

“We are very excited to offer HORIZONSPORTS to our viewers since the diverse endurance sports and adventure contents are in such demand worldwide and seems to be a growing trend” said Li Wei, Director of Consumer Cloud Service 2B2C Video of HUAWEI.

 

About HORIZONSPORTS

HorizonSports is the nature sports & wellness Video platform that caters to people who hike, run, cycle, love mountains, want to be healthy and more active in nature with more than 10 million unique viewers per month and growing through a combination of a Free content offering through Samsung TV Plus (smart TV), Roku, Amazon Fire, Pluto TV and others and a Premium SVOD platform Android / Apple App (paid subscription).  HorizonSports aggregates and produces the best inspiring video content from the top outdoor, sports events, lifestyle and adventure TV producers with a balance of sports and Wellness premium programming available for unlimited streaming and video on demand. HorizonSports covers the top Ultra running and cycling endurance races, swim runs, ski mountaineering, winter sports and has the best  selection of adventure,  wellness travel, films, documentaries, and more from all over the world.

Contact:

Philippe Deleplace (philippe@horizonsports.com)

https://horizonsports.com

 

We thought we might share some interesting thoughts about last year as we look forward to a stellar 2021.

Our strategy to cope with the uncertainties of 2020 was to bring more diverse sports and entertaining programmes to active people – many stuck at home.  Despite fewer Ultra–trail races due to Covid, we were able feature over half a dozen Ultra races and major cycling backstages focused on women athletes, increased the number of Triathlons races by over 600%, and presented more adventure and race films, substantially expanding the wellness and travel category. 2020 taught us a lot about what matters most. The extraordinary levels of video consumption in the midst of the pandemic give us great hope for the future. Several million more viewers worldwide now enjoy HorizonSports programming every day on all of our platforms.

Our commitment and enthusiasm for 2021 has never been greater. Five years ago, we founded HorizonSports to motivate people to be more active in nature by programming the best nature sports activities. HorizonSports is a unique platform where you can connect and view the sports you love and enjoy and get motivated for your next adventure. The mission remains the same for 2021. We are deeply dedicated to our community and excited to build an even better viewing experience this coming year. And for you subscribers out there – we can’t wait to show you what’s next!

Lastly, we simply want to say thank you. We are grateful to our viewers everywhere, especially those who have been with us over the years and invest in this community with your views and commitment. We are humbled by your belief in HorizonSports and eager to bring more new activities and adventure to your lives.

As everything slowly returns to normal in 2021, we intend to continue providing you the best and most diverse nature sports and wellness contents – to be watched in between doing what you love and enjoy most.

Enjoy,

Laurence  &  Philippe
Co-Founders

https://horizonsports.tv

DUALITY – Worldwide Exclusive Premiere
Duality is a unique trail-running story about four remarkable elite ultra-trail running women – Uxue, Juliette, Yulia and Audrey. These “ordinary” women of the trail running Team Vibram decide to use their strength, stubbornness and dedication to do extraordinary things and to explore new paths – “Ordinary people being extraordinary”.

WILD RACERS – TASMANIA – EPISODE 2
The first 24hours of any Adventure Challenge on the World Stage is the toughest, lead teams push hard to open gaps that they feel will be hard to close down over the coming days. As they say when its go time … suffer. The teams are facing 4 very challenging stages : 1km caving in darkness, 50 km mountain biking on extreme terrains, 60 km trek in total wilderness and 8 km kayaking in frigid waters. This pushes the absolute limits of human endurance – and we are not even half way. The day ends with teams now fighting the dreaded hallucinations they call Sleep Monsters as they head off into the night and the next series of challenges.

Panda Trail China by UTMB & Thailand by UTMB
We combine two amazing Asian ultra trail races into one episode.  The Thailand by UTMB featuring several races including a 170 km race and Panda Trail China by UTMB which includes the Dragon race (160km – 9400 m D+) and the Mad Panda Trail (106 km – 6700 m D+). The mad Panda is run in the forest wilderness of the Qing Cheng Mountains, home of the world famous Panda Bears.

The Frozen Road
Self-shot and edited whilst cycling around the world, this film charts Ben Page’s winter journey into the Canadian Arctic as he completed his bike ride up the American continent. Compelled by Jack London’s assertion, that ‘any man who is a man can travel alone’, he sought an adventure of perfect solitude. Yet, as he came to realise, the harsh truths of travelling in such a formidable environment were a long way from the romantic images he’d held of this land. ‘The Frozen Road’ is an honest reflection on his solo trip; of the wonder, terror and frustration he experienced when riding through the unforgiving emptiness of one of the world’s ‘last great wildernesses’.

And don’t Forget !

TV Channel

Coming soon

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