UTMB 2018

[Bierzo Baggie]

It's showtime again.

At this very moment they are gathering at the start line in Chamonix for the biggest mountain race in town. The usual loop around Mont Blanc, 10 000 vertical metres and a head to head between the two men in form...

Kilian Jornet v Jim Walmsley

Will Kilian win his fourth title? He's already crushed the Bob Graham record this year..

Walmsley is the new kid on the block.  He has also smashed an iconic record this year at the Western States.

Other favourites include Tim Tollefson, Xavier Thévenard, Luis Hernandez, Zach Miller and Ryan Sandes.

You can follow the race here...  

https://www.irunfar.com/2018/08/2018-utm...eview.html

https://utmbmontblanc.com/en/live/ccc

[Bierzo Baggie]

So, watching it live on UTMB TV, hey, it's gotta be better than Test Match cricket!
Jim Walmsley has set off like a madman, striding along as if it was a 5k parkrun. 162km to go...

[Bierzo Baggie]

Just over an hour and they are descending after the first big climb.
1st Jim Walmsley 2nd Zach Miller (both have run the Alto Sil by the way!)
3rd Kilian Jornet looking comfortable.
A long long way to go...

[Bierzo Baggie]

Nearly 4 hours later and I’m back in front of the screen tuning into UTMB TV. I’m just in time to see Miller, Walmsley and Kilian jog into a tent, enjoy a swift feast of bananas and coca cola before heading back out into the darkness following that little tunnel of light from their head torches. They’ve just come down from 2500m, the second big climb of the race. The weather doesn’t look great and they’ll be running through the night. Amazing stuff.

First Brit so far is a guy who only started running in 2011..
http://www.damianhall.info/

[Bierzo Baggie]

7 hours into the race, big Jim Walmsley is falling off the pace after the third big climb (up to 2500m again).

Miller and Kilian Jornet seem to still be going strong and Thévanard is definitely closing in on Walmsley.

South African Ryan Sandes has pulled up injured.

Zach Miller tends to blow up in the later stages of big races so my money's on Kilian or Thévanard.

Still a long way to go (about 100k). I'm going to bed!

[Bierzo Baggie]

140 mountainous km run 30k left

Thévenard on course for his 3rd UTMB victory. He's finishing strongly.

Zach Miller was doggedly holding on to 2nd place but is struggling.

Kilian Jornet dropped out during the night suffering an allergy from a bizarre bee sting.

Jim Walmsley is still running but way backdown the field.

Damian Hall doing well in 7th.

Italian Karia Fori is leading the ladies race.

[Bierzo Baggie]

Just seen images of Thévenard who is galloping along like a thoroughbred. He's going to win easily.

Contrasting footage of Zach Miller who in typical Zach Miller style has blown up in a big way. He's walking now, stumbling even..

Robert Hajnal from Romania is now second followed by construction worker Jordi Gamito, like Kilian from Catalunya.

Two decent climbs left and it's raining lightly. Reports of some competitors withdrawing overnight with hypothermia!

[Bierzo Baggie]

UTMB TV following Jordi Gamito at the moment. Incredible how these guys run the downhills after 17 and a half hours on the course. I mean, the guy's smiling and chatting with the cameraman who must be on an electric bike or something. Great coverage, I've never seen a trail race followed in this way. Most of the top runners here have day jobs but if television starts to play more of a role I can see professionalism creeping in. Who knows? trail running might become an Olympic sport!

[Bierzo Baggie]

An American winner of the UTMB would certainly encourage commercialization of the sport. Many have tried but it ain't gonna be this year. Rumours coming in that Zach Miller and Tim Tollefson (another American favourite) have dropped out. That would mean that Damian Hall moves up to 5th.

[Bierzo Baggie]

Top eight and not long left now...

1. Xabier Thévenard (France)
2. Robert Hajnal (Romania)
3. Jordi Gamito (Spain)
4. Hallvard Schjolberg (Norway)
5. Damian Hall (UK)
6. Scott Hawker (New Zealand)
7. Flavian Grasel (Austria)
8. Roman Evarts (Latvia)

All sorts of different countries represented in the top 8.

The Italians dominate the ladies race.
1. Katia Fori.
2. Francesca Canepa.

[Bierzo Baggie]

One last big climb for the leader up to the ski station at La Flégère. He'll be in Chamonix in an hour and a half. The French supporters are going wild!

[Bierzo Baggie]

And that’s more or less how it has stayed. Evarts sneaked into sixth as Scott Hawker dropped out and Italian Stefano Ruzza moved up to seventh. Another Frenchman, Erik Cleverly, also sneaked into the top 8 overtaking Florian Grasel of the grizzly beard on the final descent.

The second Brit looks like it’ll be Jim Mann, a previous Dragon’s Back winner from Cumbria at the moment placed 15th.

The women’s race is still in progress;
1st Canepa (Italy)
2nd Unxue Fraile from the Basque Country
3rd Fori (Italy)

[Bierzo Baggie]

So what was billed as Jim v Kilian turned into a third UTMB triumph for the fresh faced specialist Xabier Thévenard, always well placed in the race and strong to the very end.
 
And for yet another year the Americans came but failed to conquer. Zach Miller and Tim Tollefson both returned to Chamonix in helicopters exhausted and injured.
Big Jim Walmsley as far as we know is still out there walking his way around like all the other mortals.
 
Excellent coverage by UTMB TV with expert commentary in English by ex-trail runner Judge Randy Gaylord. I kid you not.
Yes, this is the wacky world of trail running and this race around Mont Blanc is surely the pinnacle of our sport. The excitement of watching it at home has been a bit like watching the cup final used to be when I was a kid. Except a lot longer…

[marathondan]

Thanks for this BB - very educational. The TV setup is amazing. There has been a bit of coverage on Marathontalk, as presenter Holly Rush was taking part.

[Bierzo Baggie]

Thanks for this BB - very educational. The TV setup is amazing. There has been a bit of coverage on Marathontalk, as presenter Holly Rush was taking part.

Don't know Holly Rush but checked her result and she did very well, 21st lady.

Had an attack of déjà vu and realized that I’d followed the race on the forum 8 years ago.

http://www.runningcommentary.net/forum/s...p?tid=1916

A much younger version of Kilian Jornet was competing having won the two previous editions.

Also taking part as a previous winner was the amazing Marco Olmo who had won two UTMBs in his 50s! And he is still running believe it or not. Last year he won an ultra race in Mozambique aged 68. 
 
The American contingent were there in force including Scott Jurek, pretty much in his prime. Topher Gaylord was there too and I can only assume that he is related to the guy doing the commentary this year. Walmsley, Zach Miller and the like follow their footsteps and one day I suspect big Jim will get it right.

Brit Jez Bragg won the 2010 edition over a much shortened course due to bad weather. I think he’s still the only Brit who has won the men’s race although the incredible Lizzy Hawker has won the lady’s competition 5 times.
 
Loved this interview with Damian Hall from this weekend’s racing. He played an intelligent waiting  game maybe suspecting that some of the big named favourites were goingto cancel each other out. Hall is a late starter. In fact he ran his first marathon 6 years ago dressed as a toilet! Are you reading this Dan…

https://www.irunfar.com/2018/09/damian-h...rview.html

[marathondan]

Sounds like he had a successful time. There is also an interview with Holly on MT 452 (from 23:30), who it turns out had a bit more of a nightmare. Worth a listen to hear of battles with injury, vomiting, wild pooing and hallucinations. My upcoming marathon isn't on the same scale, but a week before that challenge it was good to listen to someone who had to fight off the demons just to finish.