Chamonix, a town of less than 8,500 inhabitants in the French Alps, and the towns of Italy and Switzerland through which the different tests that make up the Ultra Trail of Mont-Blanc take place are overflowing with the arrival throughout this week of about 100,000 people, of which about 11,000 are runners. The trail capital, Chamonix, is partying with the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of a UTMB, which at its birth, in 2023, brought together just over 700 athletes, of whom only 67 crossed the finish line. This afternoon, at six o'clock, in the queen test, of 171 km and 10,000 meters of positive elevation gain, some 2,800 people are expected to start, including the great favorites to climb the podium, the American Jim Walmsley, the French Mathieu Blanchard, the German Hannes Namberger or the British Tom Evans, as well as the Catalan Pau Capell, winner in 2019, and Miguel Heras. In the women's category, Courtney Dauwalter (USA) emerges strongly, after winning the Western States and Hardrock this summer, getting closer and closer to the marks of her male colleagues.
The Hungarian Eszter Csillag and the Catalan Claudia Tremps, among others, will fight with Dauwalter for the first places, after the drop late yesterday of the New Zealander Ruth Croft. This could be the year for the United States if Walmsley, who has been living in nearby Beufortain for some time to train in the Alps, manages to win on his fifth attempt. So far, no runner from the US has achieved it, unlike women, such as Courtney herself, Rory Bosio or Katie Schide, winner last year. Many eyes are on Dauwalter after her brilliant season: if she wins the UTMB, she would achieve what no other has achieved, the 100-mile triplet: Hardrock, Western States and UTMB.
Considered, if not the best, one of the best runners of all time, fans of this sport are also waiting to see if she finishes among the top positions in the general classification, as she did in the Western States (sixth) and in the Hardrock (fourth).
The winner of the last edition and with a record of lowering 20 hours, the Catalan Kilian Jornet, has been in recent weeks due to an injury.
Throughout the week other tests have been held, such as the TDS, whose route was extended to 155 kilometers when a section was slightly modified due to bad weather, which was won by the former Canadian cyclist living in Girona Christian Meier (19:36: 35) and the French Marylie Nakache (23:37:57), or the OCC (55 km) with the Norwegian Stian Angermund (04:42:40) and the South African Toni McCann (05:18:21) as winners. The Spanish Antonio Martínez has been in third position.
Prior to the UTMB, whose itinerary covers three countries, France, Italy and Switzerland, this morning, at 9, the CCC starts, 100 km, in which the Swedish Ida Nilson and Addie Bracy (USA) are favourites. ), after the withdrawal of Azara García de los Salmones; In men, the British Jonathan Albón, Jiasheng Shen (China), Dakota Jones (USA) and the Catalan Andreu Simon stand out.
During these last two decades, the figures produced by the UTMB, which began as a wild race of four crazy people, have multiplied, leading to the creation of a thriving brand, with franchises all over the world, and a lucrative business.
