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