Chamonix Archives -

Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in pictures

For one week every year, the ultra-trail-running community descends on the small town of Chamonix in the French Alps for what many regard as the pinnacle of the trail running season.

With seven races across three countries, more than 10,000 athletes from 100 different nations and thousands more fans and volunteers on the streets and foothills of the Alps, Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc is an event that means so much to the community of ultra runners around the world.

The international festival of trail running provides the perfect opportunity for our elite athletes from across the world to come together as one team, one HOKA ONE ONE.

Audrey Tanguy was aiming to create new memories after her success in the same event in 2018, and boy did she succeed.

Audrey arrived into Chamonix in the early hours of the morning after more than 21 hours of racing. In a race of 145km, it all came down to the final 10km where Audrey broke clear to win the title for the second year in a row.

The 2016 UTMB winner, Ludovic Pommeret, rolled back the years to prove why he’s a true legend of ultra-trail running. Ludo moved through the field from 39th at the first checkpoint to 3rd at the last.

While Audrey, Ludo and co were up in the mountains, the rest of the HOKA team were in town to meet the trail running community that had gathered in Chamonix.

Fans had the chance to meet their favourite HOKA stars before heading out on a run in the Evo Mafate and Evo Speedgoat with our friends from i-Run.

High-quality races kept on coming. Hot on the heels of the OCC came the race that has climbed from being the little sister of the UTMB to one of the world’s most prestigious in its own right.

It was touch and go whether Thibaut Garrivier would be able to line up at all for the CCC after injury earlier this summer. After a year of ups and downs, the 29-year-old aimed to simply come away with a positive experience.

The flying Frenchman proved that he can more than compete with the best. Despite two months of missed training and a cautious first 50km on Friday, Thibaut finished second in his first race over 100km.

Shortly before the CCC ended, more than 2,000 runners gathered on the streets of Chamonix to set off on their 2019 UTMB adventure.

We all have our own markers of individual success. For many, the challenge of running 171km around the Mont Blanc massif is the peak of their ultra-running ambitions.

When you can empty the tank and get the result you deserve, it is the best feeling in the world, as it was for Guillaume Beauxis and Harry Jones.

But sport is full of highs and lows, and sometimes it just doesn’t come off. When the going gets tough, you’ve just got to stick it out and smile, soak up the support and have the courage to make the decisions you believe in.

Photo credits: PEIGNÉE VERTICALE

Thibaut back in the game and ready to race

Sport is full of highs and lows. It’s one of the reasons why we love it. Whether watching or taking part, running is a sport that has its fair share.

From crossing the finish line first or achieving that personal best to those inexplicable off-days and inevitable injuries. Running is a tricky sport to get right all of the time both physically and mentally.

It has been one of those sorts of years for HOKA athlete Thibaut Garrivier.

Arriving in style

Thibaut announced his arrival in style with a phenomenal win at Transvulcania back in May.

Transvulcania is a 74km race with 4,350m of elevation that takes place on the island of La Palma. It was a win for Thibaut that was a few years in the making.

After finishing third in 2018, Thibaut rose to the top of the podium this time around. It was a victory that, for him, justified the ultra-running path he had chosen four years before.

Rare are those days when it all comes together. But when they do, boy, does it feel good.

“Winning Transvulcania this year was absolutely crazy,” he says “It’s the best achievement in sports for me and that’s why I worked so hard for many years.

“This year started very well for me, with a huge progression compared to 2018. I am certain now that I can run with the best runners and would really like to take advantage of my progress before the year is out.”

Comeback race

The first opportunity for Thibaut to do that comes this Friday in the CCC race at Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc.

The CCC is a race that has been top of Thibaut’s priorities all year. However, it has been touch-and-go until the last-minute as to whether he would be able to line up at all.

The 28-year-old medical student has had to battle against probably the most frustrating injury of his career to date.

Putting the brakes on

He has been completely out of action due to tibial posterior tenosynovitis, an inflammation that affects the tendon connecting the calf muscle to bones on the inside of the foot.

Just as Thibaut was ready to put his foot on the gas, the brakes were well and truly applied.

“The last couple of months have been a really hard period,” he reflects. “But I start to feel better and better and can finally train properly.

“Unfortunately, my shape is not the best of 2019 but I’m really happy to be back in the game and feel very enthusiastic to run in Chamonix!”

Returning to Chamonix

The CCC race starts on Friday morning at 9:00am UTC+2. It starts in Courmayeur in the Italian Alps. Athletes then cross both borders into Switzerland and finally France before arriving back in Chamonix 101km later.

It is not the first time Thibaut has competed in Chamonix. He placed sixth in the OCC (55k) race in 2017.

This experience on the Mont Blanc trails plus the support, advice and inspiration from fellow HOKA athletes Audrey Tanguy and Julien Chorier, who he has been training with in Val-Thorens in the build-up to UTMB, should see him fare well in his first over-100k race.

Following a year of highs and lows, Thibaut’s ambition remains simple.

“The first objective is to take pleasure and discover the race,” he says. “I want to experience the race and the distance to be back in my best shape next year to fight for the win.”

Photo credit: PEIGNÉE VERTICALE

Harry ready to face his biggest test yet

Whatever challenges we choose to face as runners, there is always a sense of the unknown when we step on to the start line.

It doesn’t matter whether we are aiming to win or to complete a race for the first time; whether we are a professional athlete or a complete newcomer; whether the race is 5km or 175km.

We prepare as best we can, but concentrating on running our own race is our only guaranteed route to success.

HOKA ONE ONE athlete Harry Jones is somebody who follows this philosophy closely.

Sticking to the game plan

In 2018, Harry lined up in the CCC race at Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc for the first time. Harry’s goal before the 105km race was to finish inside the top-10.

“My best memory from last year was getting to the halfway mark knowing that my racing plan was coming together,” he remembers.

“I was feeling fresh – well, as fresh as anybody could after 50km in the mountains.”

Harry ignored the hype and stuck to his game plan. He spent the second half of the race continually catching runners up ahead and was rewarded with an eighth-place finish.

This year, Harry steps up to the UTMB race. His approach remains the same.

Patience is a virtue

In a race that lasts almost 24 hours, patience is a virtue. If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, then you’re on the path to success.

“It’s so easy to throw your race plan out the window and let yourself get carried away,” says Harry.

“Whether you’re out there to get a specific finishing time or position, or just to experience the mountains and take in the views, keep reminding yourself to run your own race.”

Biggest test yet

The Brit has been in Chamonix since the beginning of July, training in the French, Italian and Swiss valleys in preparation for his biggest test yet.

While his training has focused on lots of vertical and consistent high mileage, he has also been paying attention to the finer details to make sure he’s in shape come Friday 30 August.

“UTMB brings the world’s best together in one event, which has to be one of the biggest motivators for me,” says Harry.

“Of course, I love the mountains and all the supporters, but I love racing among the best in the sport and challenging my limits.”

Falling in love with ultra-running

Harry started ultra-running in 2015. After moving to Thailand in 2017, his love and pursuit of ultra-running only intensified.

You can find Harry travelling the world and sharing his ultra-running experiences on his popular Harry Runs YouTube channel.

“Ultras intrigued me from the day I heard of them,” he says. “My first ultras were in Thailand, where safety briefings would typically discuss what to do in the event of a snake bite, so a little different to racing in Europe.

He has lived something of a nomadic existence over the last couple of years, travelling from race to race, combining being a professional athlete with his full-time running coach commitments.

“But the biggest challenges I face are probably the mental battles we all have to fight through on race day or within demanding training weeks,” he says. “It’s all worth it in the end.”

Photo credit: PEIGNÉE VERTICALE

New challenge on the horizon for Franco

If it’s true that we all run for different reasons, with our own markers of individual success, then another thing that unites us as runners is our desire for a challenge.

Continually stretching our boundaries is something we all do as runners. From training week-to-week to the races we enter and the challenges we seek, we’re often striving for more.

This desire to evolve and seek new challenges is certainly true of HOKA ONE ONE athlete Franco Collé.

Returning to Chamonix

Franco has raced across different continents and over distances from 20km to 350km in a career that spans more than 20 years.

He has enjoyed numerous successes, not least in winning the Tor des Géants twice as well as finishing third in the TDS race at Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc three years ago.

The time is right

Franco returns to Chamonix this year and this time, he’s taking on the big one.

“I’ve never done the UTMB,” says Franco. “I decided to take on the adventure this year as I think the right moment has arrived.

“I’ve reached the age of 40 and think I’ve acquired the right maturity to try to do my best in this competition.”

The UTMB means a lot to trail running athletes and fans all over the world.

More than a race

Each year, the 170km race sees more than 2,000 people share in the same dream and take to the start line on the Friday evening, knowing it will be 24 hours before they’re done.

It is more than a race. It requires all athletes to push their mental and physical limits in order to cross the finish line. Preparation is months, years in the making.

For Franco, the UTMB is a race that ranks high on his bucket list.

“I think the UTMB is the symbol of trail running,” he says. “It is one of those events that you have to try once in your life. Chamonix is such a unique environment and the landscapes around Mont Blanc make it so special.”

Chasing new challenges

This willingness to confront a challenge head on is typical of Franco. It’s a way of life and something he doesn’t take for granted.

“My life as an ultra-runner is everything to me,” he says. “I like starting with my backpack, always looking for new challenges.

“For 2-3 days a week after work, I leave and never know what time I return. Every day, sacrifices are made to succeed in reconciling work, family and passions.

“But every sacrifice is worthwhile and always repaid when you reach this and succeed in what you set out to achieve.”

Photo credit: PEIGNÉE VERTICALE and Stefano Jeantet

Audrey aims to create new memories in Chamonix

We all run for different reasons. We all have our own markers of individual success. For some, winning a race is the culmination of a lifetime of dedication to the sport.

Crossing the finish line first is a big step in any athlete’s career. From the egg-and-spoon race at sports day to a local running race, breaking the tape is a memorable moment for any athlete at any level.

It can also be life-changing. Winning a race at perhaps the world’s greatest international trail-running festival is an achievement many trail runners aspire to.

HOKA ONE ONE athlete Audrey Tanguy did just that in 2018.

Career highlight

Audrey only took her first steps in ultra-trail competition in 2017. Less than a year later, she crossed the line first in the 126km TDS race at UTMB. It was, and remains, a career highlight.

“Winning the TDS is actually my best racing memory,” she says. “I loved every single moment of that race, although maybe except the Col de Tricot!”

“I really didn’t expect to win and am still so happy and affected when I think about it now.”

This year has been Audrey’s first full season as a professional athlete for HOKA. She has finished 2^nd at Lavaredo Ultra Trail and 3^rd at Madeira Island Ultra Trail so far this season, and heads back to Chamonix to race TDS again later this month.

Same race, new challenges

TDS links the Aosta Valley in Courmayeur, Italy to the Savoie region in the French Alps. It is the second-longest individual event during UTMB week and starts at 4:00am on Wednesday 28 August.

This year’s race route promises to present some new challenges.

Now 145km long and reaching +9,000m elevation, the race starts in Courmayeur and follows the same route as previous years. It then charts a new course through the Beaufortain region before arriving to the finish in Chamonix.

Intriguingly for Audrey, the infamous Col de Tricot remains. It is the steepest single climb on the Mont Blanc round. At more than 2,000m altitude, it arrives 130km into this year’s race.

Creating new memories

After spending three weeks trekking in Kirghizstan to prepare for the race, Audrey is ready to tackle the race head on.

“On the one hand, I can’t wait to run TDS again,” she says. “On the other hand, I’m afraid that having a different race and outcome this year will change my gorgeous memory of last year’s race.

“Physically, it will be longer and harder, but I have more experience now. I’m aiming for a good race. By that, I mean good race management, good sensations, good thoughts throughout and hopefully a good result to match.”

Striving to be the best you can be is a common thread that connects all athletes, whatever level or ability.

Living the simple life

It is this dedication to be the best version of ourselves that both connects us and continues to drive us on. It is the same for Audrey.

“For me, ultra-running is a perfect life,” she says. “It’s a simple life, almost every day is the same, but I love it.

“When you want to be as good as possible, you try to do your very best and it isn’t always possible or doesn’t always come off. But, for me, ultra-running is not a sacrifice. It’s just my life and my passion.”

Photo credits: Sunny Lee and PEIGNÉE VERTICALE