Tom Evans and Jon Albon lead British hopes at UTMB races

08/26/2024 04:49 AM

The world’s best ultra trail runners descend on Chamonix in the Alps this week, writes Adrian Stott

For a week toward the end of August or early September every year, the French mountain resort of Chamonix becomes a global trail running hub as runners congregate from all over the world to compete in the annual Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) races.

Opinions among runners continue to be divided on the influence and growing global outreach of the UTMB operation, which now covers 48 events throughout the planet.

The self-styled "UTMB World Series" has evolved to include a distance close to 100 miles, 100km and 50km at each venue, with shorter mountain and junior races added at most venues.

The Chamonix event hosts the UTMB World Series Finals. Simplified, you qualify for the finals by collecting points or ‘stones’ from taking part in other UTMB World Series events.

The blue riband of Chamonix is the UTMB race itself, over 171km/105 miles, with 9963 metres of climbing.

The route circles Mont Blanc from Chamonix in France, travelling through Italy and Switzerland, before finishing back in Chamonix.

The two other classic races are its sister race, the CCC over 101km and the OCC over 57km, which are also World Series final races.

What cannot be denied is that some of the world’s best trail and mountain runners will be in Chamonix this week, battling it out for podiums, with several thousand other runners of all standards joining them on the start lines.

In such a large field, it is impossible to mention all contenders, but we have highlighted a few to watch out for, together with leading GB interest in each race.

UTMB – August 30, 18:00 (176km, 9900m)

Global men’s contenders

• Jim Walmsley USA. 2023 UTMB champion and 2024 Western States champion.
• Mathieu Blanchard FRA. 4th at the 2023 UTMB. 1st Lac de Annecy in May 2024.
• Hannes Namberger GER. 1st at Lavaredo this year, where he beat Tom Evans by three and a half minutes. 8th at the 2023 UTMB.

British interest

• Tom Evans. 3rd at the 2022 UTMB. He looks set to challenge the podium. The GB international was 2nd at Lavaredo in June 2024 and 3rd at Transvulcania in May 2024. 1st at Western States in 2023.
• Tom Joly. 16th 2023 UTMB. 11th world long trail 2023 at TransLantau 2023. 3rd UTMB 2022.
• Josh Wade. 8th TGC 2024. DNF UTMB 2023.
• Andy Symonds. Extremely experienced on the European circuit. GB trail team international and 11th at UTMB in 2022 and 5th in 2019.
• Keith Wigley. A DNF in 2023. 2nd at Ultra Sierra Nevada behind Joly in 2024.4th in May's Ultra tour Snowdonia.

Evans, who has become one of the world’s leading professional trail runners, has become renowned for meticulous planning. He recently launched his own “Ultra Sound Podcast” and has been chronicling his build-up to UTMB to his many social media followers.

Joly, along with Evans, Wigley, Wade and other athletes, have been spending time at altitude in Tignes, close to Chamonix.

"My own prep has been much better this year with a solid six weeks in Spain heat training, followed by four weeks in Tignes, altitude training,” says Joly. “My target is to run 21hrs, which I think I’m capable of with the experience of last year. If all goes to plan, you won’t see me much on the coverage until the end of the race."

Wade also says he has put in a good, solid training block.

Global women’s contenders

• Katie Schide  USA. 2nd 2023 UTMB 1st 2022 UTMB.
• Fuzhao Xiang CHN. 4th 2023 UTMB.
• Eszter Csillag HUN. 5th 2022 UTMB.
• Emily Hawgood ZIM. 6th 2022 UTMB 2nd 2023 CCC.

They also happen to be the top four from June's Western States 100. Time will tell who has recovered best for the different rigours of UTMB.

• Home favourite Blandine L'Hirondel, 3rd at the 2023 UTMB and former World Long Trail champion from Thailand in 2022, has been running well over shorter races this year and is sure to be in contention.

British interest

• Fiona Pascall. 1st Mozart 100km2023 1st Julian alps 170km 2023. 18th World Long trail Innsbruck 2023. Lake District 24-hour record in 2022.
• Emma Stewart is from Ireland but lives in the Lakes, is a previous winner of Lakeland 100, Ultra Trail Snowdonia 100 and Arc of Attrition 100.

Pascall has also been benefiting from a shorter spell in the Alps. "The road has been rocky since Mozart in early June,” she says. “I picked up an Achilles injury two weeks after the race and had to take four weeks off completely, even cycling.

“I very nearly didn’t come out to France but decided to go for it and have had a few weeks of solid training out here. I’m hoping the enforced time off has left me well-rested rather than undertrained, but that remains to be seen! It has helped my attitude. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to perform this year, but now, while still keen to do my best, I’m just grateful to be here."

CCC – Friday August 30, 09:00 (101km, 6050m)

Global men’s contenders

• Peter Engdahl. SWE  Winner CCC in 2022.
• Adam Peterman. USA 2022 Western States champion and World Long Trail champion in Thailand 2022.
• Andreas Reiterer. ITA. 1st Eiger Trail 2024.

British interest

• Harry Jones. 1st X-terra 60km Snowdonia July 2024. GB trail team member.
• Luke Grenfall-Shaw. 1st at the recent Val D'Arran 100km. GB team member European Off-Road Champs June 2024.
• Ronnie Sparke has a string of podium places in Australia, including 1st in the Tarawera 53km race 2023. He was 21st in the 2023 CCC.
• Hugh Chatfield. 4th in both Ultra Tour Snowdonia and Transgrancanaria in 2024.

Global women’s contenders 

• Jazmine Lowther CAN. 4th at CCC in 2022.
• Emkay Sullivan USA. 2nd at April’s 100km Canyons ultra in the US.
• Hau Ha Thi VNM. 4th at CCC in 2023 and numerous wins in Asia over different distances.

British interest

• Holly Page. Plagued by injury for two to three years but finding some good form in 2024 again with victories in the Kaieserkrone sky race and the 55km Eiger Ultra Trail.
• Julia Davis. GB Trail and 100km International.
• Eve Moore.

Page is looking forward to the race, saying: "I had a terrible experience with a stomach virus when I did it last time (2019), so hopefully it can't be any worse than that. I have no outcome-based goals because I can't control what anyone else does, but I am feeling strong and although it's been quite a long time since I ran this distance, I am confident that the many years of mountain experience in my body will pay off. There's no reason why I shouldn't be at the competitive end of the race.

“It's not a course which particularly suits my biggest strengths (I would like some more steep technical sections), but I have had an unbelievable number of setbacks in the last few years, with many periods when I wondered if I would ever run again, I am just delighted to be on the start line feeling healthy, ready to see what I can do with what I have. The course is beautiful, I know there will be friendly faces cheering along, and I can't wait to get started!"

Davis has been mixing trails with roads this year and says: "I had a solid few weeks in Chamonix and I'm feeling good and excited to run! I've never completed at a UTMB final yet so am excited to learn a lot and have a great time on those trails. I'm hoping to start nice and easy and see where I can pick up.”

OCC – Thursday August 29, 8.15am (57km, 3500m)

Global men’s contenders

• Francesco Puppi, ITA 2nd at OCC in 2023, 2nd Templier 80km 20238th 2024 Marathon Mont Blanc.
• Remi Bonnet. SUI Former  Golden trail series champion, 1st Marathon de Mont Blanc 2023 and 2nd in 2024.

British interest

• Jon Albon. The popular GB international and former World trail champion was 1st at CCC 2023, 2nd CCC in 2022 and winner of OCC in 2021 ahead of Simpson. Also 6th at Western States in June in his first 100 mile race. Should be challenging the podium again.
• Robbie Simpson. The former Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medallist has victories at this year’s 50km Eiger trail and the 50km Ciannti trail.
• Kris Jones. GB international is versatile on all surfaces. 1st at the recent Copper trail in Snowdonia and top 10 finishes in the World Short Trail in 2022 and 2023.
• Brennan Townsend
• James Tilley

Albon has proven ability over the years as an ultimate competitor and if recovered from Western States should be challenging the podium.

Simpson, who like Albon (and Evans), are full-time athletes, should also be up with the leaders.

Jones, who holds down a full time job, has not had the opportunity to spend time in the Alps but says: "Preparation has gone well. I’m fit, healthy and excited to race in a top-class field. It’s a tough course and I’m looking forward to testing myself."

Global women’s contenders

• Clementine Geoffray FRA. Winner European Off Road Championship 50km June 2024 and the World Short Trail Championship Innsbruck 2023.
• Judith Wyder SUI. 2nd World Short Trail Championship Innsbruck 2023 1st 2024 Marathon de Mont Blanc 42km.
• Dani Moreno USA. 3rd 2022 OCC, DNF at OCC 2023, 1st Canyons 50km in April 2024.

British interest 

• Kate Avery, former GB track international, currently based in Australia. Now enjoying the trails and hoping to improve on 23rd place from last year. More about Avery here.
• Holly Wootton, Winner of the recent Helvellyn Sky Ultra.

Other events 

TDS – Monday August 26 (145km/90 miles, 9100m)

British interest

• Mark Darbyshire. Arguably GB's most consistent 100-mile runner right now with numerous victories, including Lakeland 100 and Arc of Attrition 100. Lakeland 50 winner in July.
• Saki Nakamura, Glasgow-based Japanese runner with a 2nd place at Scotland’s 95-mile West Highland Way in 2022 and 4th in 2023.

ETC – Tuesday August 27, 14:00 (20km, 1200m)

British and Irish interest

• Alice Goodall, European U23 track 10,000m champion in 2023 and a top 10 finisher at the up and down race at the World Mountain and Trail Championship in Innsbruck, 2023.
• Zak Hanna, Ireland's leading mountain runner.

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