Vajin Armstrong Selected For Commonwealth Trail Race

Since the earthquake that closed central Christchurch in February, the managers of Gandharva Loka Christchurch, Vajin and Prasasta Armstrong, have taken the opportunity to travel and find more sources for interesting and unique world instruments. They also attended the opening of the latest Gandharva Loka store on Granville Island in Vancouver and, for the first time, participated in the annual Gandharva Loka conference that brings together all of the members of the global Gandharva Loka family of stores. This years conference was held in Berlin and by all reports, it was a memorable occasion for all with workshops, concerts and plenty of joy!

Keen athletes both, Vajin and Prasasta have maintained their training schedules throughout their travels and have some wonderful news regarding Vajin’s running career. Prasasta reports from a running camp high in the Italian Alps…

From our ‘good news department’ comes the announcement that Vajin has been selected for the New Zealand team that will participate in the 2011 Commonwealth Mountain and Ultra Distance Championships being held in Wales in September. He has been chosen to compete in the 55 km Trail Race on the 25th of September and will run against the best trail runners from the Commonwealth countries. Vajin was selected on the basis of his performances in trail races over the past twelve months which included winning the Kepler Challenge last year. We is currently staying at a training camp in the Italian Alps and will soon be heading to New York where Vajin and I will participate in an annual 47 mile road race on the 26th of August.

The Event

Commonwealth Mountain and Ultra Distance Championships
23rd – 25th September, 2011
North Wales

This from the The 2nd Commonwealth Mountain and Ultradistance Running Championships website:

The 2nd Commonwealth Mountain and Ultradistance Running Championships will be hosted in three spectacular north-west Wales locations – Llandudno, Llanberis (Snowdon) and Newborough Forest, Anglesey. The combined events of mountain races (Up & Down), ultra-distance races (24 hour event) and trail running (50+km off road) for both men and women will produce a long weekend international festival of running.

It is anticipated that over 25 Commonwealth Countries and over 200 of the finest athletes in the world will compete in the 2011 Championships in North Wales. And to illustrate the astonishing level of endurance required in these events, leading athletes in the 24 hr race will complete somewhere between 240 and 260km in the 24 hrs.

Promises to be a fun long-weekend in Wales! We wish Vajin and Prasasta, the Kiwi athletes and all involved a safe and happy event. May records – personal, national and international – be broken…