Chamonix, France, has remodeled right into a buzzing hub of pleasure as 1000’s of path runners and followers converge for the twenty first version of the legendary 176K UTMB (Extremely-Path du Mont-Blanc). We all know we are saying this yearly, however severely—this time it’s true: this 12 months’s race would be the most thrilling but, with an elite area that’s deeper, quicker and extra aggressive than ever earlier than, and we’re right here to inform you every thing you must know to cheer in your favorite athletes.
This isn’t simply any race—it’s the crown jewel of the ultratrail calendar and the top of the UTMB World Sequence Finals. With a staggering 10,000 metres of elevation achieve unfold over 176 kilometres (106 miles), UTMB calls for one of the best from its rivals. The center-pounding motion kicks off proper within the centre of Chamonix on Friday at midday ET.
Girls’s race
2022 champion Katie Schide (who completed second final 12 months) is gearing as much as chase a uncommon double victory, aiming so as to add the UTMB crown to her current Western States 100 (WSER) win, the place she clocked the second-fastest time ever. Like fellow American Jim Walmsley, Schide hopes to comply with within the footsteps of the legendary Courtney Dauwalter. As race week kicks off, Schide took to Instagram to share her blended feelings: “So right here we’re: race week. And I’m really excited/curious/nervous to see the place I’m at, having ready particularly for this subsequent race in a a lot shorter timeframe than previous years, however with extra confidence about what I used to think about my greatest weak point (the precise operating).”
However Schide received’t have it simple. She’ll be up in opposition to a powerhouse area, together with Hungary’s Eszter Csillag, who positioned third on the 2023 WSER and fifth ultimately 12 months’s UTMB. France’s Blandine L’Hirondel, contemporary off a third-place end on the 2023 UTMB and a win at CCC in 2022, can also be within the combine. And let’s not neglect Germany’s Katharina Harmuth, who secured second place ultimately 12 months’s UTMB. This battle of the elites guarantees to be as thrilling as it’s unpredictable
Canadian ladies to observe
Quebec’s very personal Marianne Hogan is again and able to make her mark after a difficult battle with accidents following her spectacular second-place end on the 2022 UTMB. Hogan, who additionally positioned third at WSER in 2022 and secured second on the Extremely-Path Cape City 100K in 2023, is keen to reclaim her podium spot. Becoming a member of her from Canada are rising stars like Quebec’s Geneviève Asselin Demers, Kelsey Hogan of Newfoundland and Ontario’s Claire Heslop, all set to present their finest on this world stage.
However the pleasure doesn’t finish there. The checklist of high feminine contenders reads like a who’s who of trail-running greatness. Australia’s Lucy Bartholomew, China’s Fu-Zhao Xiang—who positioned fourth on the 2023 UTMB and seventh in 2022—and Spain’s Maite Maiora, who completed fifth ultimately 12 months’s UTMB, are all lining as much as problem Schide. With such fierce competitors, this race is shaping as much as be a nail-biter from begin to end.
Males’s race
Final 12 months, Walmsley lastly seized the UTMB victory he’d been chasing, after two years of relentless coaching within the French Alps. Now, contemporary off a commanding win at WSER, he’s again to defend his title—however the highway to a WSER-UTMB double is something however easy. Standing in his manner is Ludovic Pommeret of France, the 49-year-old who claimed victory at this 12 months’s Hardrock 100. Pommeret, who completed fifth in final 12 months’s UTMB, appears to solely enhance with time and is hungry for redemption.
The U.Ok.’s Tom Evans, who received the 2023 WSER and took third at UTMB in 2022, is gunning for a high spot. He’ll be toeing the road alongside French-Canadian Mathieu Blanchard, who secured second at UTMB in 2022, and France’s Germain Grangier, who was third final 12 months. And let’s not overlook Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz, one other French powerhouse, who dominated each the Hardrock 100 and Diagonale des Fous in 2023. With such a stacked area, Walmsley must combat tooth and nail to remain on high, making this 12 months’s UTMB some of the thrilling but.
Canadian males to observe
Like the ladies’s race, the lads’s area at UTMB options a few of Canada’s most interesting expertise. Main the cost is former pro-cyclist Christian Meier, who’s making waves after a first-place end at each the 2023 TDS and Path 100 Andorra 50K. Meier is not only right here to take part; he’s right here to dominate. Alongside him is Ryan Atkins, a world champion in impediment course racing, bringing his distinctive mix of pace and toughness to the path.
Fernie, B.C.’s Ethan Peters returns for his second UTMB, trying to enhance on his earlier efficiency, whereas ultra-champion Scott Cooper, who made historical past by profitable Western Canada’s first-ever 200-mile race in underneath 50 hours, can also be within the combine. Together with his spectacular endurance, Cooper is a severe contender. Different Canadians to observe embody Simon Widmann, Chris McNamara (Cooper’s coaching companion), Kevin Biggs and Samuel Frigon. This Canadian contingent is able to make their mark on the world stage, and so they’re not simply right here to observe from the sidelines.
Don’t miss a second of the UTMB motion! Tune in to the stay stream beginning Friday, August thirtieth at midday ET, by clicking right here. For real-time updates, comply with @canadiantrailrunning and @canadianrunning on X. For those who’re craving extra pre-race insights, take a look at Freetrail’s “Trailgating” collection on YouTube, co-created by extremely path professional Dylan Bowman, the place you’ll discover top-notch interviews and must-follow storylines.
