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UTMB preview: the Super Bowl of trail running is here

While favourite Kilian Jornet recently tested positive for COVID-19 and may not race, trail running history is still about to be made

Mathieu Blanchard, 3rd place at 2021 UTMB Photo by: Instagram/mathieublanchard

It’s the gold standard for elite ultra and trail athletes, and an obsession for many non-elites. Beginning in Chamonix, France, runners traverse 171 kilometres and over 10,000 metres of elevation gain, and cross through Italy and Switzerland as they dip into seven valleys, trek over 71 glaciers and tackle 400 summits, before finishing back in Chamonix. The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) is truly in a league of its own. Around 2,300 runners have 46 hours and 30 minutes to complete the 2022 race, beginning on Friday, Aug. 26., at 12:00 p.m. E.T.

With one of the steepest elite fields in history, the 2022 ‘Super Bowl of trail running’ will be an edge-of-your-seat battle. Check out some of the top athletes racing this year, and how to stay tuned.

Men’s field

Kilian Jornet 

Spain’s Jornet has the most UTMB wins of any man in this year’s field, with his victories in 2008, 2009 and 2011, and a second-place finish to four-time champion François D’Haene in 2017. In July, Jornet bested D’Haene at Hardrock 100, suggesting his current fitness may be unparalleled; he’s had a glorious racing season so far in 2022, setting a nine-minute course record at the Zegama Marathon in his 10th win of the race, but on Wednesday Jornet took to Instagram to share that he had tested positive for COVID-19 after his Sierre Zinal race. It’s not yet clear whether he will be allowed to run on Friday.

Kilian Jornet training
Photo: Instagram/kilianjornet

Jim Walmsley 

This is the American’s fifth attempt at UTMB and everyone knows he means business; with two previous DNF’s and a fifth-place finish in 2017, Walmsley is determined to get it right this year. He has been living in France for the past three months to prepare himself, and did not race Western States (WSER), where he boasts the course record and three consecutive wins (in 2018, 2019 and 2021).

Jim Walmsley UTMB training 2022
Photo: Instagram/walmsleyruns

Mathieu Blanchard 

France-born Blanchard, who lives and trains in Montreal, finished third in 2021, not far off the course record. “I feel that I could cut down on this time next time I do UTMB,” he said at the time. Blanchard’s philosophy is to incorporate fun into his training. With the race only two days away, he took to social media to share last thoughts: “Let’s vibrate, run, cheer on and just enjoy the LOVE of sport, adventure and nature.”

  • Hannes Namberger (Germany)
  • Zach Miller (U.S.)
  • Thibaut Garrivier (France)
  • Jiaju Zhao (China)
  • Scott Hawker (New Zealand)
  • Pau Capell (Spain)

Women’s field

Ragna Debats 

The Spanish Dutch athlete, 42, previously won the 2019 UTMB CCC 101K race in a speedy 12:10. She sat this year’s WSER out in order to focus on her UTMB podium goal. Crowned the 2018 Skyrunning world champion, Debats has a daunting running resume that includes snowshoe running alongside her trail and skyrunning titles. After winning the 126K Transgrancanaria earlier this year as well as the infamously hard Istria by UTMB 100-miler, the pro-athlete for Merrell will be seeking a UTMB win.

Ragna-Debats-2022-Transgrancanaria-Womens-Champion
Photo: iRunFar

Marianne Hogan

Montreal-based Hogan, 32, took second at this year’s WSER, and has spent the last month in Europe preparing for the race. She ran strong early in the year, winning the Bandera 100K and taking second (behind 2021 UTMB champion Courtney Dauwalter) at Ultra-Trail Cape Town. She was recovering from an ankle injury before her remarkable performance at WSER, and fans will be eagerly watching to see how Hogan performs fully prepared and injury-free. If anyone could win on sheer enthusiasm and likeability it would be Hogan; fortunately she also is an incredibly skilled and smart athlete.

 

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Mimmi Kotka 

Swiss athlete Kotka took third at UTMB in 2021, behind Dauwalter and Camille Bruyas. Kotka’s first big trail race (and win) was the 2016 UTMB CCC. The now Chamonix-based sports nutritionist is a self-proclaimed ‘trail-hermit’ and prefers time spent with her dog Enzo in the mountains to group runs. Kotka has admitted to feeling unprepared when she entered the 2021 UTMB but remained in second place throughout much of the race. “Ultra trail has made me more resilient and honest and grounded me in a beautiful way,” she says.

Mimmi Kotka UTMB 2021
Photo: twitter/iRunFar
  • Emily Hawgood (U.S.)
  • Alissa St Laurent (Canada)
  • Jasmin Paris  (U.K)
  • Fu-Zhao Xiang (China)
  • Manon Bohard (France)
  • Hillary Allen (U.S.)

For the full list of athletes in UTMB, look here.

To see a full list of Canadians running in the UTMB races, head here. Live coverage throughout the entire event will be provided by UTMB here and by iRunFar here.

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